Do many households here have $15 M net worth or more?

[Anonymous]

Why do you need to drive a Honda to "blend in" in Arlington? My luxury vehicle actually cost less than our family minivan. I bought it (used) because we enjoy driving it as our other car. Of course it costs more than our minivan in maintenance, but we knew that going in and we have the resources to cover it. Half of all the wealthy DC suburb population seems to drive luxury cars, regardless of income. Which is a whole other issue, but again, why do you need a Honda to "blend in" in Arlington? You might blend more with a Mercedes.

Anonymous wrote:Late 30s, $19m net worth.

We live in Arlington and and buy discount avocados. DH and I both drive 2004 honda civics to blend in.

We splurge on private jets at christmas, but mostly just splurge on economy plus.

I feel like all our neighbors are doing way better than us.

[Anonymous]

Just what suspected - either liars or mentally impaired on this forum. Who in the f@@k worth $20m and drives a beat up
Honda and shops at aldi? They should be driving a newer, safer vehicle and shopping at healthier supermarkets to safeguard and improve health. Mental illness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am mid 40s. My comp is $2.5m this year. It was a 3x over the last two years' numbers. My net worth is in that neighborhood too. I see very wealthy people's numbers as a regular part of my job. All of these $10m+ people either own/sold/run a LARGE company, they inherited it, or they overbilled it as attorneys. The end.

You’re mistaken! People on DCUM can easily save $15M by their early-40s to mid-50s on $200k-$450 HHI.

See this thread and other recent threads. It’s up from 2 years ago when it was a mere $5M.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just what suspected - either liars or mentally impaired on this forum. Who in the f@@k worth $20m and drives a beat up
Honda and shops at aldi? They should be driving a newer, safer vehicle and shopping at healthier supermarkets to safeguard and improve health. Mental illness.

DP. Until last year, I was driving a 14 year old car. Why? Because there was nothing wrong with it, and it suited my purpose. Namely, schlepping teens and the dog around, and for dog transport (one of the things I volunteer for). I don't need to buy a fancy Porsche only to fill it with dog hair. I also don't care for cars at all. As long as it's drivable and can get me from Point A to Point B in one piece, I'm good.

I don't shop at Aldi, but only because it's not terribly convenient. I think it's profoundly weird to think that there are "healthier supermarkets".

I think what wealth gets you is the ability to do whatever the hell you want, without thinking too deeply about it. For some people, it's buying fancy cars and taking private jets. For others, it's horses or dogs, or things that aren't expensive (not that I'm saying that horses aren't expensive).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am mid 40s. My comp is $2.5m this year. It was a 3x over the last two years' numbers. My net worth is in that neighborhood too. I see very wealthy people's numbers as a regular part of my job. All of these $10m+ people either own/sold/run a LARGE company, they inherited it, or they overbilled it as attorneys. The end.

You’re mistaken! People on DCUM can easily save $15M by their early-40s to mid-50s on $200k-$450 HHI.

See this thread and other recent threads. It’s up from 2 years ago when it was a mere $5M.

People are making a lot more than $200-450K these days… those #’s are the new middle class in HCOL areas after rampant inflation.

Lots more people making hundreds of thousands a year in RSUs too that they either hold (and sometimes get lucky, like Palantir) or sell immediately and put into VOO, which is up something like 200% the past 10 years.

Anyone who thinks the only people with # these days is doctors and lawyers is… not with the times. If anything those groups are falling behind except for surgeons and those who make big law equity partner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am mid 40s. My comp is $2.5m this year. It was a 3x over the last two years' numbers. My net worth is in that neighborhood too. I see very wealthy people's numbers as a regular part of my job. All of these $10m+ people either own/sold/run a LARGE company, they inherited it, or they overbilled it as attorneys. The end.

You’re mistaken! People on DCUM can easily save $15M by their early-40s to mid-50s on $200k-$450 HHI.

See this thread and other recent threads. It’s up from 2 years ago when it was a mere $5M.

People are making a lot more than $200-450K these days… those #’s are the new middle class in HCOL areas after rampant inflation.

Lots more people making hundreds of thousands a year in RSUs too that they either hold (and sometimes get lucky, like Palantir) or sell immediately and put into VOO, which is up something like 200% the past 10 years.

Anyone who thinks the only people with # these days is doctors and lawyers is… not with the times. If anything those groups are falling behind except for surgeons and those who make big law equity partner.

Please read the threads. Many, many people have said they have $15-20M on $200-450K lifetime HHI.

In DCUMlandia if you’re making more than that you should easily be worth $30-50M.

I don’t make the rules, I’m just explaining them (and am not even close to DCUMlandia wealth despite a high HHI, probably because I don’t shop at Aldi or have a 15yo Honda).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We’re both in our mid-50s and, on paper, our net worth is around $17M. If you exclude the house and 529s, we’re at roughly $14M in investable assets, with about $3M coming from a relatively recent inheritance. My spouse earns about $300K, I earn about $150K, and we both drive Hondas. We live in a nice neighborhood in a house we bought almost 20 years ago for under $1M.
Our lifestyle is pretty low-key. We shop at Aldi and Costco in Fairfax because they’re close and convenient. We don’t stress about spending a few hundred dollars when needed, but I recently passed on a $650 Canada Goose fleece because it just didn’t feel worth it. No luxury handbags, jewelry, or anything tempting to steal. We very much live a Millionaire Next Door kind of life, and most people would never guess our finances. I’m also noticeably cheaper than my spouse.

We do travel more now, largely because we’re required to take inherited IRA distributions over a 10-year period, but our trips tend to be overseas Airbnbs rather than high-end hotels. Investing-wise, we’re almost entirely in passive index funds (mostly VTI and Fidelity equivalents). I’m comfortable managing our own investments, but we were “only” around $8M pre-COVID, so the growth has made me pause and wonder if we should be working with a financial advisor.
That said, the advisory fees alone would exceed my annual salary, and given my background and bias toward low-cost index investing, I’m skeptical they’d add enough value to justify it. My bigger concern right now isn’t the overall market so much as whether AI-related valuations are getting overheated.

Many of our kids’ friends have parents who are retired and likely wealthier than we are, which adds some perspective. Overall, we’re comfortable, cautious, and probably more frugal than our balance sheet suggests.

Thanks for posting this about using index funds to build wealth. We are a bit older than you and don't have as much money as you, but it still seems like quite a lot to me as I came from low-income family.

Anyway, I have half of my liquid assets in a Vanguard 500 index fund and half in an actively managed Vanguard fund as a "set and forget" money management style. Both the index fund and the actively managed fund are doing very well. By contrast, my husband is more actively investing and trading, his money. After 25 years of this, we are both happy with our different styles and aren't interested in changing. No regrets. Your comment about low-cost index investing makes me feel even more confident that I should continue this way. If someone with as much $ as you is OK with that, why should I try something different?

[Anonymous]

All of these constant threads that ask people to self-report income are boring. Statistics exist.

This whole thing where we elevate wealthy people in our minds is silly.

That said, I do know many multi-millionaires with broke down old Toyotas or Hondas. It's all about priorities.

In my experience, WASPy millionaires (regardless of overall wealth) seem to be more rather than less likely to have ugly cars.

Also, they wear wool flannel shirts from thirty years ago (or longer) until their dying days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just what suspected - either liars or mentally impaired on this forum. Who in the f@@k worth $20m and drives a beat up
Honda and shops at aldi? They should be driving a newer, safer vehicle and shopping at healthier supermarkets to safeguard and improve health. Mental illness.

Someone forgot to share your wisdom with Sam Walton.

Of course, there's also a different thread demonizing him for the way his frugality and business sense built a fabulously successful international company.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just what suspected - either liars or mentally impaired on this forum. Who in the f@@k worth $20m and drives a beat up
Honda and shops at aldi? They should be driving a newer, safer vehicle and shopping at healthier supermarkets to safeguard and improve health. Mental illness.

Someone forgot to share your wisdom with Sam Walton.

Of course, there's also a different thread demonizing him for the way his frugality and business sense built a fabulously successful international company.

Ahhh...it takes more than being ultra frugal to create a WalMart. Don't kid yourself but hey, you be you if that makes you feel good. Most losers here are just cheap, they are not going to create anything other than leave a pile of cash for their heirs to waste and blow away. Sam Walton, BTW lived a lavish life owning several private jets....far cry from the folklore you hear about him driving a beat up pickup, etc.

[Anonymous]

We are well over 15m. I won't say what industry my husband is in, but I do not work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just what suspected - either liars or mentally impaired on this forum. Who in the f@@k worth $20m and drives a beat up
Honda and shops at aldi? They should be driving a newer, safer vehicle and shopping at healthier supermarkets to safeguard and improve health. Mental illness.

Funny. I have $16m and we do have a beat up Honda but it’s an extra car. Our main car is a high end SUV. We are not flashy but will spend money on some things (2nd home, hone renovations, travel, etc). I don’t shop at Aldi, but only because there isn’t one near me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just what suspected - either liars or mentally impaired on this forum. Who in the f@@k worth $20m and drives a beat up
Honda and shops at aldi? They should be driving a newer, safer vehicle and shopping at healthier supermarkets to safeguard and improve health. Mental illness.

Funny. I have $16m and we do have a beat up Honda but it’s an extra car. Our main car is a high end SUV. We are not flashy but will spend money on some things (2nd home, hone renovations, travel, etc). I don’t shop at Aldi, but only because there isn’t one near me.

We're at $12m, but that's because we recently dropped $6m on two different properties in different high end locations. We'd also have more but had two kids in private from K-college graduation. Everyone pays for what they value. We're fine with our choices.

I shop at Lidl, no Aldi near me or I'd do that too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Late 30s, $19m net worth.

We live in Arlington and and buy discount avocados. DH and I both drive 2004 honda civics to blend in.

We splurge on private jets at christmas, but mostly just splurge on economy plus.

I feel like all our neighbors are doing way better than us.

It looks like you're dealing with some mental health issues. You worry too much about others' opinions of you. You need to live your life according to your own rules.

Drive a Honda because it's the car you truly like, not just because you are following what your neighbors are doing.

You have enough money to create the life you desire.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Late 30s, $19m net worth.

We live in Arlington and and buy discount avocados. DH and I both drive 2004 honda civics to blend in.

We splurge on private jets at christmas, but mostly just splurge on economy plus.

I feel like all our neighbors are doing way better than us.

It looks like you're dealing with some mental health issues. You worry too much about others' opinions of you. You need to live your life according to your own rules.

Drive a Honda because it's the car you truly like, not just because you are following what your neighbors are doing.

You have enough money to create the life you desire.

It was clearly a troll… “discount avocados”