Anyone Here NOT Make $100K (yet)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am 33 and only make around $65K per year. I doubt I will ever see the $100K amount. Some days I am sad about this and feel like I should put more into my career. But then I remember how lucky I am to be able to have a comfortable, flexible job with very low stress so I can WAH. My kids are young (under 2) and I am able to drop off and pick up early and get everything done around the house, bills, etc so our lives aren't too stressful during the weekends.

Plus DH is a high earner (over $250K) so my salary is mostly for daycare, retirement and health insurance.

Sorry this doesn't count then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In my early 50's. Moved across country to became first year Fed months ago with a salary under 100K so we could take several vacations a year traveling 1st/business class overseas.

If you're making under $100k, how are you affording to fly first-class?

By using the money I made before I became a Fed.

What kind of work do you do? I would have thought if you made that much pre-gov't, you should have at least started at GS-14/15. But good for you if you're all set.

Could not apply for GS-14/15 because didn't have any government experience, none available when I was looking anyway. Co-workers from my past life think I burned out and retired. Co-workers in my present life do not know what I used to do.

[Anonymous]

I'm almost 42, work for a non-profit, and just got a $10K raise to $85K.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm almost 42, work for a non-profit, and just got a $10K raise to $85K.

That's a big raise....congrats!

[Anonymous]

I'm 32 and I make $94K, gov. I'll probably hit $100K at some point with step and COL increases over the next 5 years or so but probably will hover there for a while.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. An interesting pattern is starting to show. Many of us who are not at $100k by our 30s (or, in my case, finally at $100k at 50) did not have as a primary driver the ability to make lots of money. I admit this was/is me. I wanted to use my skills and be comfortable - food is great! - but I also wanted evenings free (other than the occasional work crisis).

The lawyer friend I mentioned, who made a ton early on (and who left me in the dust)? I knew her since we were 14, and even then she said she wanted to make a lot of money. Different strokes for different folks.

This shouldn't necessarily mean the drive the to make lots of money. A main factor to this "ability" is whether you're working in the right field in the right time as well.

I started making $100K before age 30. Money wasn't my primary driver. If it were, I would have gone into law. I went into engineering.

There's a laugh!

I'm not a lawyer. I majored in political science in college. I went in for adventure after graduation. Taking advantage of the end of the Cold War, I quit my Hill job and decamped to Eastern Europe. Started out making $25K, but was in it for the adventure not the money. Fast forward to today at 51, I'm still going living and working overseas, which was always my dream. I broke the $100K threshold probably ten years ago. Now make about $150K.

[Anonymous]

Adding, DW makes $140K. Adding in rental and investment income we clear $350K.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Adding, DW makes $140K. Adding in rental and investment income we clear $350K.

Excuuuuuuse meeeeeee.....but this is the thread for regular people earning under $100k. Go over to the other thread (or one of many other threads) where people are bragging about their incomes.

[Anonymous]

35 and I make $73k in higher Ed. DH contractor makes $58. No debt except mortgage, bought home in '09, and only having one kid makes life manageable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:HHI at my house is 220k both right near 110 doesnt seem like a lot compared to some around here, but we will retire pretty comfortably before we hit 60. Just over 10 years left pensions, ss, 401's will equal 17K each month.

What possessed you to post in this thread since OP is asking for those who do NOT make $100K?

so if the PP made 99K and a spouse also had 99 that was ok but 110 x 2 was not? I found this a relevant post. The OP didnt specify household income level

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:HHI at my house is 220k both right near 110 doesnt seem like a lot compared to some around here, but we will retire pretty comfortably before we hit 60. Just over 10 years left pensions, ss, 401's will equal 17K each month.

What possessed you to post in this thread since OP is asking for those who do NOT make $100K?

so if the PP made 99K and a spouse also had 99 that was ok but 110 x 2 was not? I found this a relevant post. The OP didnt specify household income level

I agree, I found this a relevant post. Now the 330k HHI income above, not so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a fed. GS11, making around $70k. I'm a single parent and bought a home a few years ago in DC. We're doing just fine.

How did you afford a house in DC?

DC Opens Doors and the low income tax abatement (I was making under 65k then and qualified), and I bought in a cheap but safe neighborhood. I could just barely afford to buy my house now, but instead I have a comfortable mortgage payment and I got really lucky with neighbors. You don't have to make 6 figures to live comfortably in DC, you just need to be prudent.

My child is also in elementary school, so daycare expenses are much lower.

I'm another Fed single parent. 77K, one elementary aged child. I purchased in DC through HPAP and qualified for tax abatement. I purchased making 48K in 2008.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a fed. GS11, making around $70k. I'm a single parent and bought a home a few years ago in DC. We're doing just fine.

How did you afford a house in DC?

DC Opens Doors and the low income tax abatement (I was making under 65k then and qualified), and I bought in a cheap but safe neighborhood. I could just barely afford to buy my house now, but instead I have a comfortable mortgage payment and I got really lucky with neighbors. You don't have to make 6 figures to live comfortably in DC, you just need to be prudent.

My child is also in elementary school, so daycare expenses are much lower.

I'm another Fed single parent. 77K, one elementary aged child. I purchased in DC through HPAP and qualified for tax abatement. I purchased making 48K in 2008.

PP here - that's great! I looked into HPAP but made over the threshold so I used the other 2 programs. It feels so good to own my own place (not to mention I couldn't afford to rent a bigger place, so buying was the best option).

[Anonymous]

I will never reach $100K. I'm a teacher. $100K is what I think of when I think of a rich person.

[Anonymous]

I made 100k at 32 in noprofit communications, but changed jobs a lot and negotiated. It was a benchmark i was focused on hitting. Now at $146k at a larger nonprofit. Next benchmark is becoming a vp, but i dont like the pressure and time commitment to achieve that in my particular org. Im a hard worker and punch above my weight generally, but i like to see my kids. Most of the female execs at my company have no kids.