Why don't rich people realize that they are rich?

[Anonymous]

It is crazy to see people making 250K and up think they are middle class. Maybe money is tied up in investments, tuition, or paying off loans, but if you have money to be paying on those things, and still have your bills paid, then you are not middle class. Admit it - you are rich! Stop complaining that your child got into a top school or that you only have 2 million dollars. Boo hoo!

[Anonymous]

To be fair, there are shades of gray between middle class and rich.

[Anonymous]

There just seems to be so much complaining from the super-privileged DCUMs. Do they not realize how good they have it? Why are they not happy? What would they do if their incomes were reduced to under 100K? Would they know how to survive on a real middle class income?

[Anonymous]

They might become less offended by the notion of stealing toilet paper.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They might become less offended by the notion of stealing toilet paper.

?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They might become less offended by the notion of stealing toilet paper.

?

See "money lows" thread.

[Anonymous]

Isn't it human nature to think the grass is greener on the other side and not realize or appreciate what they have?

[Anonymous]

I have noticed this too. I guess we all get used to our incomes and don't appreciate where our money goes. For example, I make significantly less than 100k. But I used to have meat at almost every meal. Had Direct TV. Took an annual vacation. Am used to buying what I need, when I need it.

Lately things have gotten tight. So I've had to start reevaluating this. Eating spaghetti without meat a lot more. Canceled the cable tv. No vacation this year. etc. etc.

I think the people you are talking about think it's normal/reasonable to have two or three vacations a year - and we're talking airfare for four to Tortola or St. Johns or a week at Disney, not driving to the Outer banks for a week. I saw the $400k lady who is getting a divorce mentioned that she pays her nanny $1000 a week! WOW! That's about twice as much as I pay for my perfectly nice daycare. I'm sure she "has to" dress nicely for her job so the money she spends on shoes, clothes, hair, beauty products, etc. seems necessary.

It's only when you run out of money and have to start making painful choices about what's REALLY important that it dawns on you how lucky you were. And you start to really think about how on earth do other people do it when instead of being a single mom making $400k, you are a single mom making $40k?

I think (hope) I've become more compassionate as a result of my recent financial difficulties. I hope someday (probably after my kids get out of daycare! $$$) I am in a position to help others in similar - or worse - straits.

[Anonymous]

"Middle class" is a broad designation made much harder to understand because plenty of educated professionals are poorly paid. I'm not sure the term is even so relevant these days as it had been when blue collar workers could be lower-middle class and the pay disparities between the professions weren't so profound. But if you look at lifestyle expectations, in this area, $250 K buys you "upper-middle class" and certainly isn't jet money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have noticed this too. I guess we all get used to our incomes and don't appreciate where our money goes. For example, I make significantly less than 100k. But I used to have meat at almost every meal. Had Direct TV. Took an annual vacation. Am used to buying what I need, when I need it.

Lately things have gotten tight. So I've had to start reevaluating this. Eating spaghetti without meat a lot more. Canceled the cable tv. No vacation this year. etc. etc.

I think the people you are talking about think it's normal/reasonable to have two or three vacations a year - and we're talking airfare for four to Tortola or St. Johns or a week at Disney, not driving to the Outer banks for a week. I saw the $400k lady who is getting a divorce mentioned that she pays her nanny $1000 a week! WOW! That's about twice as much as I pay for my perfectly nice daycare. I'm sure she "has to" dress nicely for her job so the money she spends on shoes, clothes, hair, beauty products, etc. seems necessary.

It's only when you run out of money and have to start making painful choices about what's REALLY important that it dawns on you how lucky you were. And you start to really think about how on earth do other people do it when instead of being a single mom making $400k, you are a single mom making $40k?

I think (hope) I've become more compassionate as a result of my recent financial difficulties. I hope someday (probably after my kids get out of daycare! $$$) I am in a position to help others in similar - or worse - straits.

It's nice to see not everyone has a warped sense of reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have noticed this too. I guess we all get used to our incomes and don't appreciate where our money goes. For example, I make significantly less than 100k. But I used to have meat at almost every meal. Had Direct TV. Took an annual vacation. Am used to buying what I need, when I need it.

Lately things have gotten tight. So I've had to start reevaluating this. Eating spaghetti without meat a lot more. Canceled the cable tv. No vacation this year. etc. etc.

I think the people you are talking about think it's normal/reasonable to have two or three vacations a year - and we're talking airfare for four to Tortola or St. Johns or a week at Disney, not driving to the Outer banks for a week. I saw the $400k lady who is getting a divorce mentioned that she pays her nanny $1000 a week! WOW! That's about twice as much as I pay for my perfectly nice daycare. I'm sure she "has to" dress nicely for her job so the money she spends on shoes, clothes, hair, beauty products, etc. seems necessary.

It's only when you run out of money and have to start making painful choices about what's REALLY important that it dawns on you how lucky you were. And you start to really think about how on earth do other people do it when instead of being a single mom making $400k, you are a single mom making $40k?

I think (hope) I've become more compassionate as a result of my recent financial difficulties. I hope someday (probably after my kids get out of daycare! $$$) I am in a position to help others in similar - or worse - straits.

It's nice to see not everyone has a warped sense of reality.

Reality is always relative.

[Anonymous]

I know it depends on your point of view but I really don't think of a 250k income in this area as rich. I think maybe a million is rich, maybe even 500k. 250k is absolutely well off but not rich by any means.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know it depends on your point of view but I really don't think of a 250k income in this area as rich. I think maybe a million is rich, maybe even 500k. 250k is absolutely well off but not rich by any means.

If people are capable of living on $50k in this area, then $250K is rich. What do you consider your nanny, or hairdresser, or mechanic to be?

[Anonymous]

You also assume that just because someone posts a question asking for people with similar experiences, that means they are complaining or don't think they are rich. There are a few $250K posters comlaining in the private school thread about affording school, but most of the posts are along the lines of how did you rejigger your budget for this? Same thing with the person getting a divorce. Real questions for real changes in their circumstances. Not a complaint that they are not "rich."

[Anonymous]

I make around $150K and my husband around 70K so that puts us at almost $250k. We have one -- one -- car and a house that has 1300 square feet. I'm not complaining about our lifestyle and wouldn't dream of comparing myself to people who are struggling. But rich? C'mon... Not with the cost of living in this city.