Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I'll start. For my birthday or a special occasion or a romantic getaway, I celebrate by staying at an ultra luxurious hotel.

No wonder you're broke. What a tremendous waste of money.

You sound like fun.

I was a mystery shopper for luxury restaurants and hotels. My husband is a bit of a foodie so he looooooved that we could blow $200 on a dinner and get paid to write a review.

The level of detail they require on some of those reports can be painful, so I never did more than one every two weeks, but every once in a while it's nice to check out some of the fanciest restaurants in town.

Huh? We make $250k and celebrate birthdays with a cake at the kitchen table.

I think your title would have been better written as this: If you make under $100k -share your tips and tricks for living above your means

Anonymous wrote:
I'll start. For my birthday or a special occasion or a romantic getaway, I celebrate by staying at an ultra luxurious hotel.

No wonder you're broke. What a tremendous waste of money.

Anonymous wrote:If you make under $100k -share your tips and tricks

Not married.
No kids.
No car.
No cable.
I save way, way more than I spend.
Affordable, though smaller, apartment.
Eat at home often.
Visit home for vacation

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Despite the high COL and responsibilities ( family, kids) share your tips and tricks on how to still have a fun adventurous lifestyle, traveling and going out etc Just overall how you are making your income work for you!

I'll start. For my birthday or a special occasion or a romantic getaway, I celebrate by staying at an ultra luxurious hotel. I invite my friends. I usually refer to the list of AAA 4 and 5 diamond hotels and then look up the hotels that offer package deals. I reserve in advance for one or two nights. I actually get more for my money than just a standard reservation.

Share yours

That's one of the dumbest things to blow money on. Here is a tip for you: don't crave luxury, it has nothing to do with being adventurous or having a fun life. You can't take that marble lobby with you and it doesn't matter the day after. Unless you're one of those people who derive happiness from one-upping your friends on Instagram.

My tricks: Stay at clean, safe mid-range hotels in exciting destinations and spend money on experiences - learn sailing or scuba or go on a safari.

Agree with the above poster.

For starters, we (as a family of 6 living in the Va 'burbs - money saved right there) don't spend that type of money of birthdays or even take romantic getaways. And 4/5 star hotels? Um, I guess I dare not suggest Holiday Inn Express where you get free buffet breakfast in the morning.

Anonymous wrote:Despite the high COL and responsibilities ( family, kids) share your tips and tricks on how to still have a fun adventurous lifestyle, traveling and going out etc Just overall how you are making your income work for you!

I'll start. For my birthday or a special occasion or a romantic getaway, I celebrate by staying at an ultra luxurious hotel. I invite my friends. I usually refer to the list of AAA 4 and 5 diamond hotels and then look up the hotels that offer package deals. I reserve in advance for one or two nights. I actually get more for my money than just a standard reservation.

Share yours

That's one of the dumbest things to blow money on. Here is a tip for you: don't crave luxury, it has nothing to do with being adventurous or having a fun life. You can't take that marble lobby with you and it doesn't matter the day after. Unless you're one of those people who derive happiness from one-upping your friends on Instagram.

My tricks: Stay at clean, safe mid-range hotels in exciting destinations and spend money on experiences - learn sailing or scuba or go on a safari.

Anonymous wrote:$120K give or take, family of 4.

It's getting harder and harder, to be honest, because:
1. The kids are old enough to get into serious extra-curriculars, which are starting to become expensive, and that's not even counting possible future tutors and SAT prep and God knows what.
2. We are an international family and do our best to visit our parents abroad, while they're still alive. Airplane tickets are expensive, and they live in capital cities which have a MUCH higher cost of living than this area. So everything over there costs money.
3. We try to save by denying ourselves "frivolous" and "consumable" purchases - but this is not going to make us pay for college!

So... yes, sometimes I get depressed.
Other times, I am happy that we are sacrificing so much for the future of our children.

Always ask about financial aid/scholarship/discounts even when it is not advertised. There are very few times I haven't found that a group/class/team wasn't willing to work with me on cost - either by providing scholarships or payment plans.

Anonymous wrote:There are really no tips or tricks. We don't travel. I don't buy new clothes. We buy food based on what's on sale. I've taken DD on a plane ride once.

I have a pair of sneakers, a pair of flip flops and a pair of work shoes. Two of the three have holes in them. I don't really feel poor. I think of fancy things as "for other people."

There's a glass container on my dresser. When it gets full of coins, I pull out all the quarters, and then take what's left to Constar. Usually get a Starbucks credit. Last week I was at Starbucks waiting for my drink and a homeless guy walked in with a pint of ice cream and begged the barista to put some whipped cream on it for him. She did.

It's seeing things like that, that make me not feel poor.

Great to have some perspective. Compared to the people who feel poor but go to luxury hotels.

There are really no tips or tricks. We don't travel. I don't buy new clothes. We buy food based on what's on sale. I've taken DD on a plane ride once.

I have a pair of sneakers, a pair of flip flops and a pair of work shoes. Two of the three have holes in them. I don't really feel poor. I think of fancy things as "for other people."

There's a glass container on my dresser. When it gets full of coins, I pull out all the quarters, and then take what's left to Constar. Usually get a Starbucks credit. Last week I was at Starbucks waiting for my drink and a homeless guy walked in with a pint of ice cream and begged the barista to put some whipped cream on it for him. She did.

It's seeing things like that, that make me not feel poor.

$120K give or take, family of 4.

It's getting harder and harder, to be honest, because:
1. The kids are old enough to get into serious extra-curriculars, which are starting to become expensive, and that's not even counting possible future tutors and SAT prep and God knows what.
2. We are an international family and do our best to visit our parents abroad, while they're still alive. Airplane tickets are expensive, and they live in capital cities which have a MUCH higher cost of living than this area. So everything over there costs money.
3. We try to save by denying ourselves "frivolous" and "consumable" purchases - but this is not going to make us pay for college!

So... yes, sometimes I get depressed.
Other times, I am happy that we are sacrificing so much for the future of our children.

Anonymous wrote:Despite the high COL and responsibilities ( family, kids) share your tips and tricks on how to still have a fun adventurous lifestyle, traveling and going out etc Just overall how you are making your income work for you!

I'll start. For my birthday or a special occasion or a romantic getaway, I celebrate by staying at an ultra luxurious hotel. I invite my friends. I usually refer to the list of AAA 4 and 5 diamond hotels and then look up the hotels that offer package deals. I reserve in advance for one or two nights. I actually get more for my money than just a standard reservation.

Share yours

You'd do better using priceline.

It's no trick, but we eat at home a lot in order to spend $$ on weekend or week-long trips. I also buy most clothing on the secondary market - eBay, consignment shops, hand-me-downs from neighbors, etc. We are going on an 'adventure' trip in a few weeks and needed lots of gear & footwear. I started shopping about a month ago and spent less than $100 to outfit the 4 of us. I collect points using CCs and use them as soon as I can.

Huh? I don't stay in four / five star hotels. Bet I save more than you.

Despite the high COL and responsibilities ( family, kids) share your tips and tricks on how to still have a fun adventurous lifestyle, traveling and going out etc Just overall how you are making your income work for you!

I'll start. For my birthday or a special occasion or a romantic getaway, I celebrate by staying at an ultra luxurious hotel. I invite my friends. I usually refer to the list of AAA 4 and 5 diamond hotels and then look up the hotels that offer package deals. I reserve in advance for one or two nights. I actually get more for my money than just a standard reservation.

Share yours