so who actually shops at Bloomingdales? Stays at 4/5 star resorts for $1000/night?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We will fly first class with miles if it's just the two of us but we would never pay that price. We can handle sitting in coach and it just seems extremely expensive.bratjer spend the money another way. Can also find fabulous hotels for less than $1000. We have to take two rooms with kids. I guess it is just about whether we think we could spend the money in a better way.

I only fly coach if it's a shuttle flight - like between LA and SF or Boston and NY. Anything longer and it's business class if not first.

[Anonymous]

You can enjoy Bloomies without breaking a budget. Make-up, underwear, some clothes, reasonable shoes. Sales are good. Same items don't go up from other retailers and the macy's coupons often exclude many brands.

Over thhe last few years we've found macy's to be cheaper than kohl's, target, etc. Just got a comforter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
i guess the moral of the story is that you can't under estimate how expensive kids really are.
When I was in my 20's I went to Europe a lot and stayed in low end hotels or hostels. Now a trip to Europe is a giant expense because airfare alone for 5 people is $5K. Instead of buying fish and chips for one, we're feeding 5.
It's remarkable how you can earn what by standard is a great income ($400K) and still be no where near being able to afford luxury goods (aside from an occasional anniversary-type splurge). Sure, i could buy the $3K handbag. I have the money in the bank.
but it will stress me out because I have 3 looming college tutions, and then there is grad school......

Kids just suck up an unbelievable amount of money. My oldest son is turning out to be a great soccer player who is crazy obsessed with the game (4th grade). He plays travel soccer. Our local program just cost us $3500 (all fees, tournaments, required winter training, required week of summer camp etc) for this year. And we didn't go
looking for the most expensive, high end program. He just tried out for the travel team of our rec league and suddenly we're paying $3500 over the course of the next 12 months. Our youngest loves the piano. So we're paying weekly lessons.
At $36/week plus recital that's another $2K/year. It just all adds up and so our baseline lifestyle remains unchanged from what it was 10 years ago.
We're making a very respectable income (which I and the government and just about everyone on the planet would actually say is a HIGH income) and splurges are few and very far between.

I can totally relate to this too and our income is quite a bit higher than the OP's (500k-750k depending on bonuses). I could easily buy myself a $3k purse but would never do so because we also have three kids and all the expenses they come along with. We deposit $1250 a month into EACH of their accounts. That's our big luxury, lol. And even then I feel like we should be doing more - saving to give them DPs for example. My big goal for them is to be able to choose a job based on interest rather than money. Plus we spend about $700 a month on their activities (includes private lessons). We do travel but so far it's to places like Disney World and other domestic cities like San Diego and San Francisco. We stay in rooms that are more like $400-500 a night. Still, it's nothing to complain about.

Ok THIS is insane. You are putting a combined $45k into your children's accounts and refuse to buy yourself a nice handbag? No one is making you do that. Get yourself a nice purse if you want one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a high HHI (somewhat higher than yours), though I suspect we are a bit closer in spending habits to you than to my siblings who have a similar HHI to mine. We prioritize savings much more than my siblings do. This is kind of sensible, since I think we will all receive a decent inheritance from our parents (sister will also get a huge one from her FIL and brother is younger with no kids and expects a lot of income growth). That said, I think their lifestyles are a little risky, they think we're just not enjoying our life enough.

That said, I do shop at Bloomingdale's/NM/Saks, but almost only ever on sale. We've also stayed at $1000/night hotels (only a couple of times), but using points + discounts received through our AmEx. I'm of the opinion that a lot of these "luxuries" are affordable with a little effort to bargain shop...but they are still splurges to us.

Same here. We are at about $550k HHI and we don't do anything extravagant. One kid in private, one in public. One kid going to college next year. Each year, we pay about $30k in taxes out of pocket. Don't get it. I shop high end, but always on sale. Recently bought a pair of Manolo's, but only because I getting an award and wanted really good shoes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We will fly first class with miles if it's just the two of us but we would never pay that price. We can handle sitting in coach and it just seems extremely expensive.bratjer spend the money another way. Can also find fabulous hotels for less than $1000. We have to take two rooms with kids. I guess it is just about whether we think we could spend the money in a better way.

I only fly coach if it's a shuttle flight - like between LA and SF or Boston and NY. Anything longer and it's business class if not first.

Hmm. I prefer to NOT fly first depending on the airport. I also prefer to go coach and book an exit row seat. No kids. No lap babies. No passed kids. No large lap baby next to me after paying for first or business. Been there done that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a high HHI (somewhat higher than yours), though I suspect we are a bit closer in spending habits to you than to my siblings who have a similar HHI to mine. We prioritize savings much more than my siblings do. This is kind of sensible, since I think we will all receive a decent inheritance from our parents (sister will also get a huge one from her FIL and brother is younger with no kids and expects a lot of income growth). That said, I think their lifestyles are a little risky, they think we're just not enjoying our life enough.

That said, I do shop at Bloomingdale's/NM/Saks, but almost only ever on sale. We've also stayed at $1000/night hotels (only a couple of times), but using points + discounts received through our AmEx. I'm of the opinion that a lot of these "luxuries" are affordable with a little effort to bargain shop...but they are still splurges to us.

Same here. We are at about $550k HHI and we don't do anything extravagant. One kid in private, one in public. One kid going to college next year. Each year, we pay about $30k in taxes out of pocket. Don't get it. I shop high end, but always on sale. Recently bought a pair of Manolo's, but only because I getting an award and wanted really good shoes.

You're spending a lot of your money on education. You could easily take the 25k plus you're spending on private and enjoy some nicer trips, more high end clothing and date nights.

Outside of the private school you probably have a large mortgage. You probably also have two wage earners and some sort of childcare. None of this helps.

We make less than you (400k) but will send kids to public, have a very low mortgage and only one car.

[Anonymous]

My cousin thinks nothing of staying in $1000/nt hotels. His wife buys Chanel and Laboutin accessories casually the way I buy from PayLess. I have no idea how they afford it given what I know about his job (wife doesn't work). We suspect money laundering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We leave tomorrow for a high-end resort and will be on the Club floor. Hope it makes a dent in our daily burn rate!

I have a picky eater who turns his nose up at the food the rest of us enjoy at dinner. Then he's hungry at 10pm and I'm stuck with Doritos from the vending machine. A cheese & cracker tray would be preferable!

Really depends on the hotel. We stayed at a Marriott in Mexico in the Club level and there was very little my picky son would eat. Lots of "fancy sandwiches" and apps. More simple would have been better.

I think there is a healthy medium between a bag of doritos and finger sandwiches. you know?

Omg how ridiculous! Just have the kid go to bed hungry, duh. You are enabling.

Seriously. My child used to try to pull this too. He wouldn't eat at dinner time and then right before bedtime he whined about being hungry. The first few times I felt badly about him going to bed hungry so I gave in and let him have something. Then it turned into a more frequent habit. I wised up. The next time he went to bed hungry. The pattern stopped there. I'm not traipsing around at 10pm on vacation trying to find a vending machine so he can eat Doritos. He's playing you. Big time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We make over a million a year combined and truthfully we are not nearly as wealthy as many of our friends. We love to travel but don't fly first class or pay $1000 a night. Our friends have homes in Nantucket with Jeeps and Range Rovers in the driveways just to use in the summer. They donate hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to charities. I feel average most of the time. Sad I know. Flame away.

At what income level would you feel comfortable flying business/first (at least international) or pay $1000/night?

We don't spend that much on hotels, but we almost always fly first - I appreciate the room and it is a luxury we enjoy. Don't travel a ton so its not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things

[Anonymous]

We have a HHI around 400k. My spending philosophy is that I would rather go high end or low end. Middle of the road purchases are, to me, where the return on the dollar is not worth it.

My DH and I go to one concert per year, but we buy seats in the pit. We take a real vacation every other year rather than every year, so when we go, we can have exactly what we want. (Four Seasons, for example). On the off years, we just take the kids on a road trip to see family for a week and keep the spending to a minimum.

We don't eat anymore at middling places like Chilis, where we can blow $80 without even thinking about it. We nixed that 4 x a month habit and instead plan for one really great dinner out once a month.

[Anonymous]

Credit card miles for expensive hotels (my brother owns 2 restaurants, racks up the points for business expenditures, and enjoys the rewards!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a HHI around 400k. My spending philosophy is that I would rather go high end or low end. Middle of the road purchases are, to me, where the return on the dollar is not worth it.

My DH and I go to one concert per year, but we buy seats in the pit. We take a real vacation every other year rather than every year, so when we go, we can have exactly what we want. (Four Seasons, for example). On the off years, we just take the kids on a road trip to see family for a week and keep the spending to a minimum.

We don't eat anymore at middling places like Chilis, where we can blow $80 without even thinking about it. We nixed that 4 x a month habit and instead plan for one really great dinner out once a month.

Completely agree. I've stopped staying at ritz properties because they don't offer the return anymore. It's aman or a Hilton garden inn. Anything in between is a waste of money. We went to one event at the Kennedy center this season and purchased box seats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have two kids and we live this lifestyle. DH and I both work but my parents (who hit it big in the business world) are the ones bankrolling our lifestyle. I mean, we buy clothes are regular stores too, and I too would balk at a $3000 dress, but most of my handbags/coats/shoes/watches etc are hideously expensive and we always fly business and stay in $1000/night type places.

You go girl! I'm jealous!

You're jealous because mommy and daddy are bankrolling the lifestyle of married adults, no doubt with strings attached? Sad?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have two kids and we live this lifestyle. DH and I both work but my parents (who hit it big in the business world) are the ones bankrolling our lifestyle. I mean, we buy clothes are regular stores too, and I too would balk at a $3000 dress, but most of my handbags/coats/shoes/watches etc are hideously expensive and we always fly business and stay in $1000/night type places.

You go girl! I'm jealous!

You're jealous because mommy and daddy are bankrolling the lifestyle of married adults, no doubt with strings attached? Sad?

Wow, what a bitter and judgmental response! Sounds like we found the real jealous one here. Seriously, why do people care if others get huge financial help from their parents, and how does anyone know if that help comes with "strings attached?" PP is not bragging- she is being honest about it. Also, it's the parents' money and they can do what they want with it. It's only natural that they would spend it on their kids and grandkids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have two kids and we live this lifestyle. DH and I both work but my parents (who hit it big in the business world) are the ones bankrolling our lifestyle. I mean, we buy clothes are regular stores too, and I too would balk at a $3000 dress, but most of my handbags/coats/shoes/watches etc are hideously expensive and we always fly business and stay in $1000/night type places.

You go girl! I'm jealous!

You're jealous because mommy and daddy are bankrolling the lifestyle of married adults, no doubt with strings attached? Sad?

Wow, what a bitter and judgmental response! Sounds like we found the real jealous one here. Seriously, why do people care if others get huge financial help from their parents, and how does anyone know if that help comes with "strings attached?" PP is not bragging - she is being honest about it. Also, it's the parents' money and they can do what they want with it. It's only natural that they would spend it on their kids and grandkids.

Independence is a good trait to have.