I don't get the whole "fake rich $250k" thing. We make just under 200k and are more than comfortable

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In our area the rich is 600 k, nationally it's around 387k. Wtf is this 250k bs.

To be considered part of the 1 percent in this area, it takes a household income far above the national average of $387,000. The gateway for the region is $527,000. In the District, the top 1 percent of households bring in at least $617,000; in Montgomery County, more than $606,000; and in Fairfax County, $532,000, according to an analysis of census statistics by The Washington Post and Sentier Research, a firm that specializes in income data.

Http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-04-21/local/35451899_1_household-income-income-data-income-inequality

+1, obama needs to stop calling those above 250k rich it's very ignorant and short sighted.

It is not short-sighted and ignorant at all, but rather the complete opposite.
You don't have to be in the top 1% to be wealthy. Above $250K is rich anywhere. You strivers need to develop some perspective. (we have a HHI of about 120K and I don't think I'd complain if the "wealthy tax" threshold was lowered to where we are. People gotta stop being so damn greedy.)

Its not about greed. Its about what our family has worked hard to make and yes WE deserve it. Speak for yourself and please....donate some of your income to the government for me. Thats fine...you can call me greedy

But do you deserve to live in a great country which provides you with opportunity, security, and freedom? Maybe not.

\

Yes I work hard, and the government takes a ton of money from us to support the USA. Which is fine to a degree. But there are certain things that I do not want to pay for and continue to pay for and jacking up the tax rates constantly is ridiculous for many of us in this bracket that are small business. So please again, donate some of your hard earned income for me since I am so greedy....then I can be free to enjoy mine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But we also live in Silver Spring, send our kids to public, chose daycare over a nanny. We also only buy used (nice) cars. I guess by some standards I would be considered cheap;
I only need 4 pairs of jeans, I refuse to pay more than $60 for each pair
I would never spend $500 on a purse
We have a cleaning lady once a week and a landscaper
We go skiing and sometimes go to Europe and the Carribean (only every few years, our yearly trip is just md beaches)
We buy organic food
Our kids go to camps in the summer (through the county) and we are members of the local pool
We fund our 401k's and our kids 529's
I'm not really sure how much more we would need.
Obviously people make different choices, but it seems to me that once you start making better $ you start thinking you deserve a certain level of things "I work very hard therefore I deserve this $800 Banana Republic jacket" etc, I have done this myself.
It just seems like if you are having trouble living on this amount of $ then maybe you need to reassess your priorities
Wants vs needs

You live in silver spring which is not desirable therefore your housing costs are low. If you lived in a cheaper area such as georgia the equivalent silver spring area would contain people of much lower income vs median in comparison to dc's income vs median.

Not desirable says who? We make $300K and CHOOSE to live in SS because we find it HIGHLY DESIRABLE.

[Anonymous]

I think how you are doing financially has a lot to do with how old you are/when you bought your home. DH and I make just under 200K and also feel very comfortable in the day to day, but we bought a very small home in 2006 that has lost over 1/3 of its value so we're a little stuck and getting the cash to dig out of that is difficult. Had we been in a position to buy even a year or so earlier, we would be in a much different financial position. (And, our house is close in, walking distance to metro, in a good neighborhood, but neighbors have short saled until the price dropped drastically). We also have two young kids in DC daycare, which isn't cheap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
In our area the rich is 600 k, nationally it's around 387k. Wtf is this 250k bs.

To be considered part of the 1 percent in this area, it takes a household income far above the national average of $387,000. The gateway for the region is $527,000. In the District, the top 1 percent of households bring in at least $617,000; in Montgomery County, more than $606,000; and in Fairfax County, $532,000, according to an analysis of census statistics by The Washington Post and Sentier Research, a firm that specializes in income data.

Http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-04-21/loca...-income-data-income-inequality


+1, obama needs to stop calling those above 250k rich it's very ignorant and short sighted.


It is not short-sighted and ignorant at all, but rather the complete opposite.
You don't have to be in the top 1% to be wealthy. Above $250K is rich anywhere. You strivers need to develop some perspective. (we have a HHI of about 120K and I don't think I'd complain if the "wealthy tax" threshold was lowered to where we are. People gotta stop being so damn greedy.)


Its not about greed. Its about what our family has worked hard to make and yes WE deserve it. Speak for yourself and please....donate some of your income to the government for me. Thats fine...you can call me greedy


But do you deserve to live in a great country which provides you with opportunity, security, and freedom? Maybe not.
\

Yes I work hard, and the government takes a ton of money from us to support the USA. Which is fine to a degree. But there are certain things that I do not want to pay for and continue to pay for and jacking up the tax rates constantly is ridiculous for many of us in this bracket that are small business. So please again, donate some of your hard earned income for me since I am so greedy....then I can be free to enjoy mine.

I don't want to pay for all the tax breaks small businesses get.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In our area the rich is 600 k, nationally it's around 387k. Wtf is this 250k bs.

To be considered part of the 1 percent in this area, it takes a household income far above the national average of $387,000. The gateway for the region is $527,000. In the District, the top 1 percent of households bring in at least $617,000; in Montgomery County, more than $606,000; and in Fairfax County, $532,000, according to an analysis of census statistics by The Washington Post and Sentier Research, a firm that specializes in income data.

Http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-04-21/local/35451899_1_household-income-income-data-income-inequality

+1, obama needs to stop calling those above 250k rich it's very ignorant and short sighted.

It is not short-sighted and ignorant at all, but rather the complete opposite.
You don't have to be in the top 1% to be wealthy. Above $250K is rich anywhere. You strivers need to develop some perspective. (we have a HHI of about 120K and I don't think I'd complain if the "wealthy tax" threshold was lowered to where we are. People gotta stop being so damn greedy.)

Its not about greed. Its about what our family has worked hard to make and yes WE deserve it. Speak for yourself and please....donate some of your income to the government for me. Thats fine...you can call me greedy

But do you deserve to live in a great country which provides you with opportunity, security, and freedom? Maybe not.

\

Yes I work hard, and the government takes a ton of money from us to support the USA. Which is fine to a degree. But there are certain things that I do not want to pay for and continue to pay for and jacking up the tax rates constantly is ridiculous for many of us in this bracket that are small business. So please again, donate some of your hard earned income for me since I am so greedy....then I can be free to enjoy mine.

What do you mean jacking up the tax rates constantly? The tax rate for the highest bracket is at the lowest point it has been in decades. During the Eisenhower era it was 90%. Wrap your head around that.

And it doesn't matter what "things" you do not want to pay for. Do you have any understanding about how public policy works? There are some things that the government provides that not everyone needs, but that benefit society as a whole in the long run. Vaccinations are an example. And are you an adult? Life is not about getting everything you want.

And can you name a country where you can get lower taxes and the same quality of life as the US? If you can, please go there.

[Anonymous]

there are a couple of funny comments in this thread:

That Banana sells $800 jackets
That London and Tokyo are "boring" cities to visit on vacation
that if you have a higher mortgage, your schools are better

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think how you are doing financially has a lot to do with how old you are/when you bought your home. DH and I make just under 200K and also feel very comfortable in the day to day, but we bought a very small home in 2006 that has lost over 1/3 of its value so we're a little stuck and getting the cash to dig out of that is difficult. Had we been in a position to buy even a year or so earlier, we would be in a much different financial position. (And, our house is close in, walking distance to metro, in a good neighborhood, but neighbors have short saled until the price dropped drastically). We also have two young kids in DC daycare, which isn't cheap.

So I am doing well financially because:
- I bought my house in 1996 and paid what I felt the house was worth
- I didn't choose to have kids

And you are to be pitied because
- you paid way too much for your house because you just had to have it right then even though by 2006 pretty much everyone knew housing prices were about to implode
- you chose to have two kids
- you choose to put them in daycare

I'm sorry, but if you and I make the same amount of money, we are doing the same financially. We just made different choices about how to spend our money.

If I choose to spend my entire paycheck on lottery tickets, am I justified in wanting a tax break because I have no money left to spend on food?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think how you are doing financially has a lot to do with how old you are/when you bought your home. DH and I make just under 200K and also feel very comfortable in the day to day, but we bought a very small home in 2006 that has lost over 1/3 of its value so we're a little stuck and getting the cash to dig out of that is difficult. Had we been in a position to buy even a year or so earlier, we would be in a much different financial position. (And, our house is close in, walking distance to metro, in a good neighborhood, but neighbors have short saled until the price dropped drastically). We also have two young kids in DC daycare, which isn't cheap.

So I am doing well financially because:
- I bought my house in 1996 and paid what I felt the house was worth
- I didn't choose to have kids

And you are to be pitied because
- you paid way too much for your house because you just had to have it right then even though by 2006 pretty much everyone knew housing prices were about to implode
- you chose to have two kids
- you choose to put them in daycare

I'm sorry, but if you and I make the same amount of money, we are doing the same financially. We just made different choices about how to spend our money.

If I choose to spend my entire paycheck on lottery tickets, am I justified in wanting a tax break because I have no money left to spend on food?

And there she is, the "I am better than everyone else because" TROLL. Wow is all I have to say. Watch out....a house may be on its way to fall on you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In our area the rich is 600 k, nationally it's around 387k. Wtf is this 250k bs.

To be considered part of the 1 percent in this area, it takes a household income far above the national average of $387,000. The gateway for the region is $527,000. In the District, the top 1 percent of households bring in at least $617,000; in Montgomery County, more than $606,000; and in Fairfax County, $532,000, according to an analysis of census statistics by The Washington Post and Sentier Research, a firm that specializes in income data.

Http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-04-21/local/35451899_1_household-income-income-data-income-inequality

+1, obama needs to stop calling those above 250k rich it's very ignorant and short sighted.

It is not short-sighted and ignorant at all, but rather the complete opposite.
You don't have to be in the top 1% to be wealthy. Above $250K is rich anywhere. You strivers need to develop some perspective. (we have a HHI of about 120K and I don't think I'd complain if the "wealthy tax" threshold was lowered to where we are. People gotta stop being so damn greedy.)

Its not about greed. Its about what our family has worked hard to make and yes WE deserve it. Speak for yourself and please....donate some of your income to the government for me. Thats fine...you can call me greedy

You're disgusting, and likely one of those who give mugs as teachers' holiday gifts, no bonus to your secretary and 20 bucks tips when you spend 400 on a bottle of wine at a restaurant.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, I'm happy to pay my share of taxes - and I do. But it's ridiculous that major corporations and millionaires pay less of a percentage in earnings than my family earning $160k a year. We live modestly, work hard, and make smart choices with our money (saving for retirement over vacations and expensive dinners out). But it's preposterous that I pay more in taxes as a percentage than my boss who earns about $2 million a year. Tired of the "job creators" excuse, too. I'm a capital creator - a worker bee - and my work is what makes my company money.

[Anonymous]

You know, I don't totally agree with the argument "I earned this money and it's all mine." Have you ever sat down and thought about all the advantages most of us with money had at one point or another? In many cases, we got here through a combination of family privileges, federal loans, public schools, etc. This isn't to deny that those working hard deserve to be rewarded, but just to make clear that the notion of a "self-made" man or woman is mostly myth
.

Please quit spouting this propaganda. Of all the "rich" people I know, only 2 inherited. The rest of us pulled ourselves up (some from the gutter) by making hard decisions, wise decisions and then continually working our asses off. It didn't happen by chance and the opportunities were not handed to us. I am so sick of the "you didn't build that" argument. It is "mostly a myth".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In our area the rich is 600 k, nationally it's around 387k. Wtf is this 250k bs.

To be considered part of the 1 percent in this area, it takes a household income far above the national average of $387,000. The gateway for the region is $527,000. In the District, the top 1 percent of households bring in at least $617,000; in Montgomery County, more than $606,000; and in Fairfax County, $532,000, according to an analysis of census statistics by The Washington Post and Sentier Research, a firm that specializes in income data.

Http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-04-21/local/35451899_1_household-income-income-data-income-inequality

+1, obama needs to stop calling those above 250k rich it's very ignorant and short sighted.

It is not short-sighted and ignorant at all, but rather the complete opposite.
You don't have to be in the top 1% to be wealthy. Above $250K is rich anywhere. You strivers need to develop some perspective. (we have a HHI of about 120K and I don't think I'd complain if the "wealthy tax" threshold was lowered to where we are. People gotta stop being so damn greedy.)

Its not about greed. Its about what our family has worked hard to make and yes WE deserve it. Speak for yourself and please....donate some of your income to the government for me. Thats fine...you can call me greedy

You're disgusting, and likely one of those who give mugs as teachers' holiday gifts, no bonus to your secretary and 20 bucks tips when you spend 400 on a bottle of wine at a restaurant.

Ahahahaha oh yes...you got me. Caught me red handed. I am EXACTLY everything you stated above. Thanks for the laugh lady!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You know, I don't totally agree with the argument "I earned this money and it's all mine." Have you ever sat down and thought about all the advantages most of us with money had at one point or another? In many cases, we got here through a combination of family privileges, federal loans, public schools, etc. This isn't to deny that those working hard deserve to be rewarded, but just to make clear that the notion of a "self-made" man or woman is mostly myth
.

Please quit spouting this propaganda. Of all the "rich" people I know, only 2 inherited. The rest of us pulled ourselves up (some from the gutter) by making hard decisions, wise decisions and then continually working our asses off. It didn't happen by chance and the opportunities were not handed to us. I am so sick of the "you didn't build that" argument. It is "mostly a myth".

Of the rich people you know, how many went to public school? Public college? Took out federal student loans? And that's just for starters...did they benefit from living in a safe country with good infrastructure? I could go on, but perhaps you've considered that sucess doesn't happen in a vacuum.

Oh, and my housekeeper makes hard decisions and works her ass off. Weird how she's not rich.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

You know, I don't totally agree with the argument "I earned this money and it's all mine." Have you ever sat down and thought about all the advantages most of us with money had at one point or another? In many cases, we got here through a combination of family privileges, federal loans, public schools, etc. This isn't to deny that those working hard deserve to be rewarded, but just to make clear that the notion of a "self-made" man or woman is mostly myth
.

Please quit spouting this propaganda. Of all the "rich" people I know, only 2 inherited. The rest of us pulled ourselves up (some from the gutter) by making hard decisions, wise decisions and then continually working our asses off. It didn't happen by chance and the opportunities were not handed to us. I am so sick of the "you didn't build that" argument. It is "mostly a myth".

Of the rich people you know, how many went to public school? Public college? Took out federal student loans? And that's just for starters...did they benefit from living in a safe country with good infrastructure? I could go on, but perhaps you've considered that sucess doesn't happen in a vacuum.

Oh, and my housekeeper makes hard decisions and works her ass off. Weird how she's not rich.

market forces and demand determine a person's worth (salary)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well OP I like to buy nice things with the money I work hard for. Same goes for DH.

I prefer $150 jeans. So what, its my money.

We all make choices and just because I choose to enjoy my money and spend it on things that we can afford but are expensive, does not meanI should be taxed the hell out my earnings.

We are right under $250k and sure we are comfortable but not rich.

You're not in the top 1%, but I still think you're a perfect example of the people in this article:

http://gawker.com/5885705/the-top-1-must-stop-insisting-theyre-not-rich-right-this-instant

You can't complain that you're not doing well just because you don't have that much money left after you spend it on expensive jeans.

And just because you shop at the Dollar store does not mean that you can say that you have all the money you need. See its funny how it goes both ways huh?

Um, no it doesn't. Because if that person buys all she needs from cheaper outlets then she can easily say she has all the money she needs. You don't "need" $150 jeans. Push away the extra ice cream and you will look great in $30 jeans.
,
That article is completely right. I saw this all the time when I lived in DC -- people work all the time and are miserable with their jobs, so in an effort to make themselves feel better they buy expensive toys. One office I worked in was full of miserable people with very fancy wine cellars and sports cars, and partners constantly attempting to one-up each other. So childish!

Excuse you?....You are the one saying things are childish? You just attempted to call me fat by stating the above and you think that is OK? You are a the miserable bitch.

Name calling is childish. 1st pp wins.