How do households live on less than 100k a year?

[Anonymous]

We’re a little over $100K but we have 3 kids. Honestly, the biggest problem is daycare. We were lucky to purchase our home at a low rate years ago.

We do day trips and not vacations.

Drive very old cars and invest funds in fixing them.

Save for college but prioritize retirement. I probably don’t have enough, but we both save alot of our salaries towards that.

Because of that, we overpay on taxes and get a big refund. That’s helps.

We had family help when kids were infants, so that saved some.

We are not poor or close to it. We’re in the top 20%! So $100K is probably top 25%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We’re a little over $100K but we have 3 kids. Honestly, the biggest problem is daycare. We were lucky to purchase our home at a low rate years ago.

We do day trips and not vacations.

Drive very old cars and invest funds in fixing them.

Save for college but prioritize retirement. I probably don’t have enough, but we both save alot of our salaries towards that.

Because of that, we overpay on taxes and get a big refund. That’s helps.

We had family help when kids were infants, so that saved some.

We are not poor or close to it. We’re in the top 20%! So $100K is probably top 25%

Where do you live? That makes a difference

[Anonymous]

After FICA, social security, medicare, and state taxes, $100k becomes around $75k for most singles. That's $6,250 each month. Average rent is $2k a month, cell/internet/utilities is probably about $300-400 a month. Average car payment is $700. Average student loan is $500. That gets us to around $2000 left for the month for food, childcare, and other expenses. It seems affordable without childcare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re a little over $100K but we have 3 kids. Honestly, the biggest problem is daycare. We were lucky to purchase our home at a low rate years ago.

We do day trips and not vacations.

Drive very old cars and invest funds in fixing them.

Save for college but prioritize retirement. I probably don’t have enough, but we both save alot of our salaries towards that.

Because of that, we overpay on taxes and get a big refund. That’s helps.

We had family help when kids were infants, so that saved some.

We are not poor or close to it. We’re in the top 20%! So $100K is probably top 25%

Where do you live? That makes a difference

Boston suburbs. It’s not cheap here. But we do have Market Basket!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have $100k with 3 kids in Arlington. It's not terrible at all.

-We live in a small house rental but also own a small condo in College Park that DH lived in and paid off before we met.
-Vacations 1-2x year within driving distance, renting a cottage in the country for a few days. More often day trips like yesterday to Luray Caverns + dinner at a diner.
-Food is never Aldi. To get the good stuff but within out budget, I buy heirloom beans, grains, spices, meats from smaller suppliers - Rancho Gordo, Anson Mills, Polyface Farms.
-Clothes for kids only well made bought on end of season sale, mostly Hannan Anderson and Tea because convenient to be on their mailing lists and just wait. DH and I dress less well but I won't have my kids mistreated for looking poor.
-For recreation, cheap hobbies - exploring local parks, gardening, trips to little regional museums, etc.
-Older daughter takes 6 extracurriculars (1 sport + 4 arts, reading tutor) to supplement what I think is bland APS
-old car fully paid of with regular maintenance

I've no idea how but we live within budget. No debt, credit card set to auto-pay the balance in full monthly. Somehow we have enough cash for car repairs and legal emergencies. I've no idea how it's some kind of math magic. But so far so good.

I make 50k and my kids only wear Moncler and Golden Goose. Won't have them mistreated for looking poor!!! We also do 10 extracurriculars per kid.

Hannah and Tea cost $10-$15 new on sale, nothing especially extravagant about that. Worth the wait for sale because fabrics are sturdy and don't sag like target, old navy, etc.

And yes - extracurriculars are a tradeoff - put $ into college savings or spend on training while child is young? I thin training while young makes far more sense. I expect my kid to have competent marketable skills by the time she's 16 and largely on her own for college payments.

It’s low class and shortsighted to pay for Hannah and tea to impress others instead of college.

NP. We're in Arlington and our kids in MS and HS wear all Old Navy and no one makes fun of them for "looking poor." The kids today seem to dress very sloppily in comfy loungewear and athletic wear, which all looks pretty much the same.

They do play sports so we buy high quality athletic shoes (>$100).

- $300k HHI

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re a little over $100K but we have 3 kids. Honestly, the biggest problem is daycare. We were lucky to purchase our home at a low rate years ago.

We do day trips and not vacations.

Drive very old cars and invest funds in fixing them.

Save for college but prioritize retirement. I probably don’t have enough, but we both save alot of our salaries towards that.

Because of that, we overpay on taxes and get a big refund. That’s helps.

We had family help when kids were infants, so that saved some.

We are not poor or close to it. We’re in the top 20%! So $100K is probably top 25%

Where do you live? That makes a difference

Boston suburbs. It’s not cheap here. But we do have Market Basket!

Check out sister thrift! Fun and great deals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Single mom of teen here, around $25k/yr HHI.
We are on Snap which brings in $350 per month for groceries; we are in a small subsidized apartment, free internet due to being on SNAP. No car loan, ex pays insurance plus all medical costs for kid. I have free medical insurance due to being low income.
It’s doable if you know how to manage the money and have well off relatives who can help with some things.

I lived like this for years minus snap. I thought we were doing great. I could not do it now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have $100k with 3 kids in Arlington. It's not terrible at all.

-We live in a small house rental but also own a small condo in College Park that DH lived in and paid off before we met.
-Vacations 1-2x year within driving distance, renting a cottage in the country for a few days. More often day trips like yesterday to Luray Caverns + dinner at a diner.
-Food is never Aldi. To get the good stuff but within out budget, I buy heirloom beans, grains, spices, meats from smaller suppliers - Rancho Gordo, Anson Mills, Polyface Farms.
-Clothes for kids only well made bought on end of season sale, mostly Hannan Anderson and Tea because convenient to be on their mailing lists and just wait. DH and I dress less well but I won't have my kids mistreated for looking poor.
-For recreation, cheap hobbies - exploring local parks, gardening, trips to little regional museums, etc.
-Older daughter takes 6 extracurriculars (1 sport + 4 arts, reading tutor) to supplement what I think is bland APS
-old car fully paid of with regular maintenance

I've no idea how but we live within budget. No debt, credit card set to auto-pay the balance in full monthly. Somehow we have enough cash for car repairs and legal emergencies. I've no idea how it's some kind of math magic. But so far so good.

I make 50k and my kids only wear Moncler and Golden Goose. Won't have them mistreated for looking poor!!! We also do 10 extracurriculars per kid.

Hannah and Tea cost $10-$15 new on sale, nothing especially extravagant about that. Worth the wait for sale because fabrics are sturdy and don't sag like target, old navy, etc.

And yes - extracurriculars are a tradeoff - put $ into college savings or spend on training while child is young? I thin training while young makes far more sense. I expect my kid to have competent marketable skills by the time she's 16 and largely on her own for college payments.

Lmao your kid still looks saggy. The sadness of being a poor kid with a striver mother.

Better than having a boorish, ugly harpy like you for a parent.

You think kids prefer Hannah and tea when they are too young to know or care over a college fund?

Look, you picked a weird point to bash the PP over. Hannah and Tea cost $10-15 maximum during their end of season sales, and the clothes last much better than Carter’s and can be resold or handed down. Her kids are not going to lack for college funds simply because Mom’s buying them a nicer brand (on sale).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have $100k with 3 kids in Arlington. It's not terrible at all.

-We live in a small house rental but also own a small condo in College Park that DH lived in and paid off before we met.
-Vacations 1-2x year within driving distance, renting a cottage in the country for a few days. More often day trips like yesterday to Luray Caverns + dinner at a diner.
-Food is never Aldi. To get the good stuff but within out budget, I buy heirloom beans, grains, spices, meats from smaller suppliers - Rancho Gordo, Anson Mills, Polyface Farms.
-Clothes for kids only well made bought on end of season sale, mostly Hannan Anderson and Tea because convenient to be on their mailing lists and just wait. DH and I dress less well but I won't have my kids mistreated for looking poor.
-For recreation, cheap hobbies - exploring local parks, gardening, trips to little regional museums, etc.
-Older daughter takes 6 extracurriculars (1 sport + 4 arts, reading tutor) to supplement what I think is bland APS
-old car fully paid of with regular maintenance

I've no idea how but we live within budget. No debt, credit card set to auto-pay the balance in full monthly. Somehow we have enough cash for car repairs and legal emergencies. I've no idea how it's some kind of math magic. But so far so good.

I make 50k and my kids only wear Moncler and Golden Goose. Won't have them mistreated for looking poor!!! We also do 10 extracurriculars per kid.

Hannah and Tea cost $10-$15 new on sale, nothing especially extravagant about that. Worth the wait for sale because fabrics are sturdy and don't sag like target, old navy, etc.

And yes - extracurriculars are a tradeoff - put $ into college savings or spend on training while child is young? I thin training while young makes far more sense. I expect my kid to have competent marketable skills by the time she's 16 and largely on her own for college payments.

It’s low class and shortsighted to pay for Hannah and tea to impress others instead of college.

LOL! The few hundred dollars she saves on clothes are not going to magically cover a tuition bill. DCUM will always nitpick on irrelevant issues to knock people down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We live in a tiny townhome in Alexandria. DH makes 100k, I stay home with our 3 kids. Schools are not great, so we homeschool the oldest. My husband drives an old car, but I had to buy a new minivan this year to fit three kids in car seats. We have no debt besides the mortgage. We think we’re pretty fortunate. We do watch what we buy, but I’m ok with that if it means I get to stay home with the kids. I had a very stressful, but high paying job before having kids.

I’m impressed you were able to buy a minivan in cash! Did you have savings from when income was higher? Will you go back to work at some point? Also wondering what your DH didn’t opt to stay home if you earned more?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
We're a family of four living on 100K a year in close-in DC burbs. Kids go/went to public school. One is in college.

This board is a bubble.

Boomers and gen-x live in a bubble. You have no idea how much costs have skyrocketed since you were starting out decades ago.

You're talking to me, with my college freshman? DO YOU KNOW WHAT COLLEGE TUITION IS, YOU BLITHERING IDIOT? Don't talk to me about costs that have skyrocketed. I am aware, thank you. And I'm 40, so not as old as you think.

You had a baby at 21? Well that's your first problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You don't have to live on that, OP. You can be a government employee - I know many that make at least $150k each and they are not that qualified. Look up the salaries, it is all public information.

Their household makes over $300k, and they both work from home!

I’m a fed with 25 years service and PhD and make 140k only now with this year’s raise. Please stop spouting nonsense that it’s easy to get a 150k federal job.

Yes, what is this myth govt employees make at least $150K? All of them? I make half of that. 5 years ago I made even less and still managed to raise three kids in this area.

+ 1 agree 100%. It's hilarious to see non feds come on here and spout rubbish about how easy it is to get into federal service and make a gazillion bucks.

I moved here 18 years ago with a Phd to start a federal job making 57K. Now I am at senior levels but only after so many years of hard work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have $100k with 3 kids in Arlington. It's not terrible at all.

-We live in a small house rental but also own a small condo in College Park that DH lived in and paid off before we met.
-Vacations 1-2x year within driving distance, renting a cottage in the country for a few days. More often day trips like yesterday to Luray Caverns + dinner at a diner.
-Food is never Aldi. To get the good stuff but within out budget, I buy heirloom beans, grains, spices, meats from smaller suppliers - Rancho Gordo, Anson Mills, Polyface Farms.
-Clothes for kids only well made bought on end of season sale, mostly Hannan Anderson and Tea because convenient to be on their mailing lists and just wait. DH and I dress less well but I won't have my kids mistreated for looking poor.
-For recreation, cheap hobbies - exploring local parks, gardening, trips to little regional museums, etc.
-Older daughter takes 6 extracurriculars (1 sport + 4 arts, reading tutor) to supplement what I think is bland APS
-old car fully paid of with regular maintenance

I've no idea how but we live within budget. No debt, credit card set to auto-pay the balance in full monthly. Somehow we have enough cash for car repairs and legal emergencies. I've no idea how it's some kind of math magic. But so far so good.

Do you eat out at restaurants? Do beauty treatments? Hair color? Lasers? Does your husband have a watch? Where do YOU get your clothing from? No is no equivalent to $10 high end adult clothes. What are your ages and what do you present as in person? Something is missing here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:After FICA, social security, medicare, and state taxes, $100k becomes around $75k for most singles. That's $6,250 each month. Average rent is $2k a month, cell/internet/utilities is probably about $300-400 a month. Average car payment is $700. Average student loan is $500. That gets us to around $2000 left for the month for food, childcare, and other expenses. It seems affordable without childcare.

Only unwise people take $700 car notes and have that kind of student loan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have $100k with 3 kids in Arlington. It's not terrible at all.

-We live in a small house rental but also own a small condo in College Park that DH lived in and paid off before we met.
-Vacations 1-2x year within driving distance, renting a cottage in the country for a few days. More often day trips like yesterday to Luray Caverns + dinner at a diner.
-Food is never Aldi. To get the good stuff but within out budget, I buy heirloom beans, grains, spices, meats from smaller suppliers - Rancho Gordo, Anson Mills, Polyface Farms.
-Clothes for kids only well made bought on end of season sale, mostly Hannan Anderson and Tea because convenient to be on their mailing lists and just wait. DH and I dress less well but I won't have my kids mistreated for looking poor.
-For recreation, cheap hobbies - exploring local parks, gardening, trips to little regional museums, etc.
-Older daughter takes 6 extracurriculars (1 sport + 4 arts, reading tutor) to supplement what I think is bland APS
-old car fully paid of with regular maintenance

I've no idea how but we live within budget. No debt, credit card set to auto-pay the balance in full monthly. Somehow we have enough cash for car repairs and legal emergencies. I've no idea how it's some kind of math magic. But so far so good.

Do you eat out at restaurants? Do beauty treatments? Hair color? Lasers? Does your husband have a watch? Where do YOU get your clothing from? No is no equivalent to $10 high end adult clothes. What are your ages and what do you present as in person? Something is missing here.

There is no way they are doing high end and living that lifestyle with a tutor and such.

But, I don't do beauty treatments, color my hair at home, not sure what you mean by lasers so that's a no, and we do eat out some. And, get our clothing all over from discount stores, walmart, and other brands online when I see clearances. They are spending everything they have a not saving. Spending that on young kids clothing makes no sense. And, I'm assuming they are doing rec.department sports as most are very expensive when you hit club sports.