Anonymous
08/04/2023 22:12
Subject: I hate being stuck at $230k HHI and feel poor AF
You need to share your budget if you want us to help you figure this out.
We make about $200K with two young kids (so we pay $30K+ a year for daycare/aftercare), max out both 401ks plus Roth IRAs plus 529s so about $65K a year towards retirement and college combined, and still feel like we are very well off with lots of money to spare and our after-tax savings keeps growing steadily. Our mortgage is smaller than yours but it's still $2200 a month. Where does all your money go?
We make about $200K with two young kids (so we pay $30K+ a year for daycare/aftercare), max out both 401ks plus Roth IRAs plus 529s so about $65K a year towards retirement and college combined, and still feel like we are very well off with lots of money to spare and our after-tax savings keeps growing steadily. Our mortgage is smaller than yours but it's still $2200 a month. Where does all your money go?
Anonymous
08/04/2023 22:11
Subject: I hate being stuck at $230k HHI and feel poor AF
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I make 150k and my spouse around 75k. After yearly bonuses, we pull in about 230k. It sucks. I constantly, constantly feel like we still have to watch our spending and can never relax and spend without worrying. Every time the car or house needs to be fixed, I cringe. Every time I go to the grocery store, I cringe spending $120.
We do not have an insane mortgage. We took out $540k, which is only 2.4x our income....not absurd. A lot of pain is self inflicted....I max out my 401k while my spouse puts away 13%. Yet I constantly feel stretched and feel like we live paycheck to paycheck too much. We have zero kids. I'm reading this forum and seeing people making $150k or so claiming they have $60k in saving for emergencies $700k+ in retirements, and no problems upgrading their house or paying for repairs. Wtf? How is this possible?
If we make this much and feel terrible about finances God help the rest of Americans and their median HHIs below $70k. Basically, no one is saving anything for retirement? I can't imagine needing a $1800 in car repairs and making $70k hhi.
Wow, I’m not sure what you’re doing wrong. We make $225k, have our kid in an excellent private school (full pay) and feel rich.
Wow, helpful!
Anonymous
08/04/2023 22:08
Subject: I hate being stuck at $230k HHI and feel poor AF
Anonymous wrote:I make 150k and my spouse around 75k. After yearly bonuses, we pull in about 230k. It sucks. I constantly, constantly feel like we still have to watch our spending and can never relax and spend without worrying. Every time the car or house needs to be fixed, I cringe. Every time I go to the grocery store, I cringe spending $120.
We do not have an insane mortgage. We took out $540k, which is only 2.4x our income....not absurd. A lot of pain is self inflicted....I max out my 401k while my spouse puts away 13%. Yet I constantly feel stretched and feel like we live paycheck to paycheck too much. We have zero kids. I'm reading this forum and seeing people making $150k or so claiming they have $60k in saving for emergencies $700k+ in retirements, and no problems upgrading their house or paying for repairs. Wtf? How is this possible?
If we make this much and feel terrible about finances God help the rest of Americans and their median HHIs below $70k. Basically, no one is saving anything for retirement? I can't imagine needing a $1800 in car repairs and making $70k hhi.
Wow, I’m not sure what you’re doing wrong. We make $225k, have our kid in an excellent private school (full pay) and feel rich.
Anonymous
08/04/2023 22:06
Subject: I hate being stuck at $230k HHI and feel poor AF
Anonymous wrote:Interesting. I'm a single mom to two college-aged kids, and we live off $110k/mo plus $1200/mo child support, which covers my mortgage.
I don't know how child support works, but if it is tax free, that's massive amounts of income.
My biweekly paycheck making around $150k.afyer tax is only $2478 after maxing 401k contributions, health care, etc. You have huge cash flow due to child support, assuming it is tax free.
Anonymous
08/04/2023 22:05
Subject: I hate being stuck at $230k HHI and feel poor AF
I’d be happy with 15k and a flex job. (In addition to the $$$ DH makes), and being with my kids the rest of the time.
240k sounds like a lot to manage.
Just be happy!
240k sounds like a lot to manage.
Just be happy!
Anonymous
08/04/2023 22:05
Subject: I hate being stuck at $230k HHI and feel poor AF
I live in Anacostia. I bought 17 years ago. We use DC Tag, financial aid, and the rest out of pocket. I made sure my kids went to schools that were affordable.Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Interesting. I'm a single mom to two college-aged kids, and we live off $110k/mo plus $1200/mo child support, which covers my mortgage.
Where do you live? And how are you paying for college?
Anonymous
08/04/2023 22:03
Subject: I hate being stuck at $230k HHI and feel poor AF
Anonymous wrote:Interesting. I'm a single mom to two college-aged kids, and we live off $110k/mo plus $1200/mo child support, which covers my mortgage.
Where do you live? And how are you paying for college?
Anonymous
08/04/2023 22:01
Subject: I hate being stuck at $230k HHI and feel poor AF
Interesting. I'm a single mom to two college-aged kids, and we live off $110k/mo plus $1200/mo child support, which covers my mortgage.
Anonymous
08/04/2023 21:58
Subject: I hate being stuck at $230k HHI and feel poor AF
Yea, no. I have a daughter in her 30s married to a guy the same age. They live in a nice DMV suburb and are childless by choice. They make slightly more than you, very slightly, have a larger mortgage, and are more than fine. She’s very happy about their financial situation and tells me they can pretty much do whatever they want.
Anonymous
08/04/2023 21:57
Subject: I hate being stuck at $230k HHI and feel poor AF
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Yawn. Your house was too expensive. You have plenty of money. We make far less and bought a house much less than yours and are plenty comfortable.
Aaaaaand the posters from flyover country who can get a McMansion for 400k have arrived….
Yeah, our house is 1860 sqft, 3 br 2 ba on less than .1 acres. It's not some mansion but some 1940s cape cod.
Anonymous
08/04/2023 21:55
Subject: I hate being stuck at $230k HHI and feel poor AF
Anonymous wrote:Yawn. Your house was too expensive. You have plenty of money. We make far less and bought a house much less than yours and are plenty comfortable.
Explain how 2.4x hhi mortgage is too expensive.
Anonymous
08/04/2023 21:55
Subject: I hate being stuck at $230k HHI and feel poor AF
Anonymous wrote:Yawn. Your house was too expensive. You have plenty of money. We make far less and bought a house much less than yours and are plenty comfortable.
Aaaaaand the posters from flyover country who can get a McMansion for 400k have arrived….
Anonymous
08/04/2023 21:54
Subject: I hate being stuck at $230k HHI and feel poor AF
This has got to be a troll. No kids and 230 HHI is plenty! Do you have tons of student debt?
Anonymous
08/04/2023 21:53
Subject: I hate being stuck at $230k HHI and feel poor AF
Yawn. Your house was too expensive. You have plenty of money. We make far less and bought a house much less than yours and are plenty comfortable.
Anonymous
08/04/2023 21:52
Subject: I hate being stuck at $230k HHI and feel poor AF
I make 150k and my spouse around 75k. After yearly bonuses, we pull in about 230k. It sucks. I constantly, constantly feel like we still have to watch our spending and can never relax and spend without worrying. Every time the car or house needs to be fixed, I cringe. Every time I go to the grocery store, I cringe spending $120.
We do not have an insane mortgage. We took out $540k, which is only 2.4x our income....not absurd. A lot of pain is self inflicted....I max out my 401k while my spouse puts away 13%. Yet I constantly feel stretched and feel like we live paycheck to paycheck too much. We have zero kids. I'm reading this forum and seeing people making $150k or so claiming they have $60k in saving for emergencies $700k+ in retirements, and no problems upgrading their house or paying for repairs. Wtf? How is this possible?
If we make this much and feel terrible about finances God help the rest of Americans and their median HHIs below $70k. Basically, no one is saving anything for retirement? I can't imagine needing a $1800 in car repairs and making $70k hhi.
We do not have an insane mortgage. We took out $540k, which is only 2.4x our income....not absurd. A lot of pain is self inflicted....I max out my 401k while my spouse puts away 13%. Yet I constantly feel stretched and feel like we live paycheck to paycheck too much. We have zero kids. I'm reading this forum and seeing people making $150k or so claiming they have $60k in saving for emergencies $700k+ in retirements, and no problems upgrading their house or paying for repairs. Wtf? How is this possible?
If we make this much and feel terrible about finances God help the rest of Americans and their median HHIs below $70k. Basically, no one is saving anything for retirement? I can't imagine needing a $1800 in car repairs and making $70k hhi.