100k HHI in suburban envirnoment, and we live like kings. AMA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Homeschooling =/= living like kings.

As noted before, our definitions of happiness are clearly different. Good thing it's our life and not yours, right?

[Anonymous]

But living simply and scrimping and saving does not equal living like kings. Your post is mistitled.

[Anonymous]

I just did a quick search for $100,000 properties in DC proper - you know what comes up? Parking spots, and 1 BR 1 BA in really terrible neighborhoods. But please, OP, tell us how to do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Inspired by the previous AMA and in further efforts to bring some reality into the DCUM financial fora, here's an AMA. We're in our early 30s, 2 kids with plans for 2 more, a paid off home, 2 cars, 3 pets, and a roughly 100k HHI of which 12k a year goes to charity.

We have everything we need, and the things we want but don't have are primarily related to how our society is structured (we'd like universal health care, etc).

Any questions?

You don't have healthcare?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Inspired by the previous AMA and in further efforts to bring some reality into the DCUM financial fora, here's an AMA. We're in our early 30s, 2 kids with plans for 2 more, a paid off home, 2 cars, 3 pets, and a roughly 100k HHI of which 12k a year goes to charity.

We have everything we need, and the things we want but don't have are primarily related to how our society is structured (we'd like universal health care, etc).

Any questions?

You don't have healthcare?

It's somewhere around $200 a month; comes right out of the paycheck.

[Anonymous]

I put 24k in 401k, 10k, 529 and 2k flex spending and save outside the tax deferred investment investments. A 100k household income I have to live in my parking spot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I put 24k in 401k, 10k, 529 and 2k flex spending and save outside the tax deferred investment investments. A 100k household income I have to live in my parking spot.

Which, in DC, would cost you about $40,000.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But living simply and scrimping and saving does not equal living like kings. Your post is mistitled.

I don't see any scrimping in our lifestyle. I also don't think living well means spending every last dollar and then some; by definition, if you aren't doing that, you're saving. And regarding simple living--we're living a life that makes us happy, all of our needs are met, and we don't have too many wants. If your definition of living well is based primarily on things you can't have, then you're always going to see yourself as living like a pauper. That's not the way we see the world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok--ignoring the fact that you are in Deleware suburbs--is $300-400 on food and a $100K home really "living like Kings"?

I suppose it depends on what you consider to be a good life. We have unlimited access to healthy food, we love our home, and have all of our needs met and then some.

good for you OP-I'm impressed at the amount you are donating to charity

Thank you! We decided a few years ago to shoot for 10%+, and have kept it up ever since, mostly to international charities since the money goes so much farther. We're very happy with it.

But you are in the income level of the folks charities give money too. Heck in NYS poor families making under 120k a year the state university is free. And an income of 500k or less gets you the middle class tax relief. In 1974 my Uncle made 100k

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok--ignoring the fact that you are in Deleware suburbs--is $300-400 on food and a $100K home really "living like Kings"?

I suppose it depends on what you consider to be a good life. We have unlimited access to healthy food, we love our home, and have all of our needs met and then some.

good for you OP-I'm impressed at the amount you are donating to charity

Thank you! We decided a few years ago to shoot for 10%+, and have kept it up ever since, mostly to international charities since the money goes so much farther. We're very happy with it.

But you are in the income level of the folks charities give money too.

The median HHI is 50k. A 100k HHI is in the top 20% of income. Which charities, exactly, are giving money primarily to families making 100k?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But living simply and scrimping and saving does not equal living like kings. Your post is mistitled.

I don't see any scrimping in our lifestyle. I also don't think living well means spending every last dollar and then some; by definition, if you aren't doing that, you're saving. And regarding simple living--we're living a life that makes us happy, all of our needs are met, and we don't have too many wants. If your definition of living well is based primarily on things you can't have, then you're always going to see yourself as living like a pauper. That's not the way we see the world.

You don't see any scrimping, yet you're planning to cram 3 kids into each bedroom? And not plan to pay for your kids colleges?

OK.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I put 24k in 401k, 10k, 529 and 2k flex spending and save outside the tax deferred investment investments. A 100k household income I have to live in my parking spot.

Which, in DC, would cost you about $40,000.

which shows how crazy cheap DC is. Spots in Manhattan sell for one million. https://www.google.com/amp/nypost.com/2012/05/20/the-1-million-parking-space/amp/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But living simply and scrimping and saving does not equal living like kings. Your post is mistitled.

I don't see any scrimping in our lifestyle. I also don't think living well means spending every last dollar and then some; by definition, if you aren't doing that, you're saving. And regarding simple living--we're living a life that makes us happy, all of our needs are met, and we don't have too many wants. If your definition of living well is based primarily on things you can't have, then you're always going to see yourself as living like a pauper. That's not the way we see the world.

You don't see any scrimping, yet you're planning to cram 3 kids into each bedroom?

To us it isn't scrimping to live the way most of the world (and the richest country on Earth) lives; that's living in a way that's respectful of the world's resources.

And not plan to pay for your kids colleges?

We already addressed this one, presuming you aren't trolling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But living simply and scrimping and saving does not equal living like kings. Your post is mistitled.

I don't see any scrimping in our lifestyle. I also don't think living well means spending every last dollar and then some; by definition, if you aren't doing that, you're saving. And regarding simple living--we're living a life that makes us happy, all of our needs are met, and we don't have too many wants. If your definition of living well is based primarily on things you can't have, then you're always going to see yourself as living like a pauper. That's not the way we see the world.

You don't see any scrimping, yet you're planning to cram 3 kids into each bedroom? And not plan to pay for your kids colleges?

OK.

+1, why have that many kids and not pay for college and give them a good start to life. You aren't living well. Why are you giving so much away given you have very little in savings?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But living simply and scrimping and saving does not equal living like kings. Your post is mistitled.

I don't see any scrimping in our lifestyle. I also don't think living well means spending every last dollar and then some; by definition, if you aren't doing that, you're saving. And regarding simple living--we're living a life that makes us happy, all of our needs are met, and we don't have too many wants. If your definition of living well is based primarily on things you can't have, then you're always going to see yourself as living like a pauper. That's not the way we see the world.

You don't see any scrimping, yet you're planning to cram 3 kids into each bedroom?

To us it isn't scrimping to live the way most of the world (and the richest country on Earth) lives; that's living in a way that's respectful of the world's resources.

And not plan to pay for your kids colleges?

We already addressed this one, presuming you aren't trolling.

4 kids in a developed nation is just about the least respectful choice a human being could make toward the Earth's resources. As an individual it's hard to imagine a way you could be more ecologically wasteful, and I'm not being hyperbolic.