Anonymous
03/17/2011 19:01
Subject: Down and Out on $250K/year....
Anonymous wrote:There is really no cure for delusional rich peoples' disorder, other than layoff or some other significant drop in income.
Maybe an earthquake will wake them up
Anonymous
03/17/2011 17:51
Subject: Down and Out on $250K/year....
Can't we just feel smug and superior to everyone else, no matter what our life choices are?
Ashburn, Woodbridge, Vienna, North Arlington, Upper Northwest, Columbia Heights, $100k HHI, $250k HHI, $500k HHI, we're all better than everyone else.
Ashburn, Woodbridge, Vienna, North Arlington, Upper Northwest, Columbia Heights, $100k HHI, $250k HHI, $500k HHI, we're all better than everyone else.
Anonymous
03/17/2011 17:37
Subject: Down and Out on $250K/year....
There is really no cure for delusional rich peoples' disorder, other than layoff or some other significant drop in income.
Anonymous
03/17/2011 17:33
Subject: Down and Out on $250K/year....
Anonymous wrote:Again, upper-middle class incomes can buy an expanded range of life choices that still fall short of extravagance.
Wealthy incomes can buy solid gold toilet seats for private jets-- or at least occasionally charter private jets with gold plated toilet seats. There are lots of people in America who can do this.
get real- using private jet use for a 'rich' threshold is absurd in any context....
Anonymous
03/17/2011 17:24
Subject: Down and Out on $250K/year....
Anonymous wrote:Again, upper-middle class incomes can buy an expanded range of life choices that still fall short of extravagance.
Wealthy incomes can buy solid gold toilet seats for private jets-- or at least occasionally charter private jets with gold plated toilet seats. There are lots of people in America who can do this.
You don't understand. The basic amenities that these 250K people describe, ARE extravagant to many, many Americans.
Anonymous
03/17/2011 17:13
Subject: Re:Down and Out on $250K/year....
All these 250kers who making expensive lifestyle choices and then complaining about being cash strapped are being ridiculous. I've made some of the same expensive lifestyle choices (decent size metro-accessible home in N Arlington) and as a result have less surplus cash, but I made it a choice, and still have plenty of discretionary income to not worry about things too much.
On the flip-side, I have colleagues who feel happier and more secure with ample surplus cash, so they choose to live out in Vienna and beyond. Point is that you cam have it either way...but sadly you can't have your cake and eat it too.
BTW- the federal Clerk example is also ridiculous. The qualifications required to be a federal government employee 100 years ago were possessed by a much smaller segment of Americans than today (e.g. high school let alone college graduates were a much smaller portion of the total population). There is no equivalency here...government service at the time would have been one of the most lucrative professional undertakings out there...
On the flip-side, I have colleagues who feel happier and more secure with ample surplus cash, so they choose to live out in Vienna and beyond. Point is that you cam have it either way...but sadly you can't have your cake and eat it too.
BTW- the federal Clerk example is also ridiculous. The qualifications required to be a federal government employee 100 years ago were possessed by a much smaller segment of Americans than today (e.g. high school let alone college graduates were a much smaller portion of the total population). There is no equivalency here...government service at the time would have been one of the most lucrative professional undertakings out there...
Anonymous
03/17/2011 12:19
Subject: Down and Out on $250K/year....
Again, upper-middle class incomes can buy an expanded range of life choices that still fall short of extravagance.
Wealthy incomes can buy solid gold toilet seats for private jets-- or at least occasionally charter private jets with gold plated toilet seats. There are lots of people in America who can do this.
Wealthy incomes can buy solid gold toilet seats for private jets-- or at least occasionally charter private jets with gold plated toilet seats. There are lots of people in America who can do this.
Anonymous
03/17/2011 11:30
Subject: Down and Out on $250K/year....
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:
Exactly. People are subtracting their home that they own in the city (cause you know, they don't like commuting), their well-paid nanny and private schools and then saying well I'm not rich because I don't have a ton of disposable income. When most people, even well paid professionals in this area, can't afford a home in the city and a well paid nanny, and STILL DON'T HAVE A TON OF DISPOSABLE INCOME.
Here's how I come up with "Don't feel rich". I live in a house that in the early 1920s was owned by a clerk in the interior department. It's the same house. Maybe with stainless steel appliances, but it's a medium sized house with no closet space in a safe neighborhood. I send my two kids to schools which are "good". Which is probably what the clerk in the interior department was able to do with public school education. But I can't do it with public school. I prioritize time at home (and consequently a bigger mortgage) to commuting. I don't want the stress of it. I'm a single mom and I don't want to stress about getting home to the babysitter in time as I sit on 66 or 270.
I know I'm rich by money standards (250K exactly). But I look at my life, and I don't feel that much better off than the clerk who owned my house 100 years ago. He could walk to work, have a house large enough for the family (but not big), send his kids to a safe, good school, and feel like his kids were cared for when they weren't in school (in his case, by his wife). That's about all I have. It's just that those things are ridiculously expensive these days. Child care is horrendously expensive, but if you work, you need to PAY someone to take care of your children. Private school is incredibly expensive, but if your schools suck, you need to pay for schools. If I spent my money differently (living in the suburbs with a 1 hour commute every morning and evening) I could definitely feel "rich". But I don't want to live that way.
but you admit you made a choice because you have the money to do so. many people do not. so what if you don't "feel" rich? count your blessings and stop complaining about how "little" your money gets you in one of the most expensive cities in the country.
Anonymous
03/17/2011 11:19
Subject: Down and Out on $250K/year....
Anonymous wrote:
Exactly. People are subtracting their home that they own in the city (cause you know, they don't like commuting), their well-paid nanny and private schools and then saying well I'm not rich because I don't have a ton of disposable income. When most people, even well paid professionals in this area, can't afford a home in the city and a well paid nanny, and STILL DON'T HAVE A TON OF DISPOSABLE INCOME.
Here's how I come up with "Don't feel rich". I live in a house that in the early 1920s was owned by a clerk in the interior department. It's the same house. Maybe with stainless steel appliances, but it's a medium sized house with no closet space in a safe neighborhood. I send my two kids to schools which are "good". Which is probably what the clerk in the interior department was able to do with public school education. But I can't do it with public school. I prioritize time at home (and consequently a bigger mortgage) to commuting. I don't want the stress of it. I'm a single mom and I don't want to stress about getting home to the babysitter in time as I sit on 66 or 270.
I know I'm rich by money standards (250K exactly). But I look at my life, and I don't feel that much better off than the clerk who owned my house 100 years ago. He could walk to work, have a house large enough for the family (but not big), send his kids to a safe, good school, and feel like his kids were cared for when they weren't in school (in his case, by his wife). That's about all I have. It's just that those things are ridiculously expensive these days. Child care is horrendously expensive, but if you work, you need to PAY someone to take care of your children. Private school is incredibly expensive, but if your schools suck, you need to pay for schools. If I spent my money differently (living in the suburbs with a 1 hour commute every morning and evening) I could definitely feel "rich". But I don't want to live that way.
Anonymous
03/17/2011 11:00
Subject: Down and Out on $250K/year....
Our HHI is more than $250K and we aren't paying for private school. We are saving like crazy for retirement, emergencies, retirement, kids' college, retirement, and retirement. We don't have much left over.
I am willing to declare us rich, as in "tax the rich," if it will help balance the budget. I just want to know that we won't be the only ones taking a hit, and that the money will go to helping people who need (rather than want) help.
I am willing to declare us rich, as in "tax the rich," if it will help balance the budget. I just want to know that we won't be the only ones taking a hit, and that the money will go to helping people who need (rather than want) help.
Anonymous
03/17/2011 10:48
Subject: Down and Out on $250K/year....
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Having thoughts of belonging to the middle class while you afford a nanny, a near million dollar mortgage, and private school is clearly a symptom of delusional rich people's disorder.
Exactly. People are subtracting their home that they own in the city (cause you know, they don't like commuting), their well-paid nanny and private schools and then saying well I'm not rich because I don't have a ton of disposable income. When most people, even well paid professionals in this area, can't afford a home in the city and a well paid nanny, and STILL DON'T HAVE A TON OF DISPOSABLE INCOME.
I'm another 160K HHI, and we are doing just fine, but we can't afford a house in the city and we do daycare (it's high priced, but cheaper than a decently paid nanny). I realize we are doing better than most because we own a home close in that has retained a decent amount of value, we have good health insurance, and we are contributing to retirement, college, and other savings. I know we aren't rich but we are doing damn good. If we were making 250K we'd be doing better, even if we decided to get a nanny and move in the city. We'd still be doing better.
Look, we live in a condo in the District and use public schools on about $125K, but what you're describing is the difference between middle income and upper-middle class.
Anonymous
03/17/2011 10:29
Subject: Down and Out on $250K/year....
Anonymous wrote:Having thoughts of belonging to the middle class while you afford a nanny, a near million dollar mortgage, and private school is clearly a symptom of delusional rich people's disorder.
Exactly. People are subtracting their home that they own in the city (cause you know, they don't like commuting), their well-paid nanny and private schools and then saying well I'm not rich because I don't have a ton of disposable income. When most people, even well paid professionals in this area, can't afford a home in the city and a well paid nanny, and STILL DON'T HAVE A TON OF DISPOSABLE INCOME.
I'm another 160K HHI, and we are doing just fine, but we can't afford a house in the city and we do daycare (it's high priced, but cheaper than a decently paid nanny). I realize we are doing better than most because we own a home close in that has retained a decent amount of value, we have good health insurance, and we are contributing to retirement, college, and other savings. I know we aren't rich but we are doing damn good. If we were making 250K we'd be doing better, even if we decided to get a nanny and move in the city. We'd still be doing better.
Anonymous
03/17/2011 10:23
Subject: Down and Out on $250K/year....
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Having thoughts of belonging to the middle class while you afford a nanny, a near million dollar mortgage, and private school is clearly a symptom of delusional rich people's disorder.
amen and amen.
The total self absorption and delusion of people on this thread that think they're not wealthy while they manage to pay thousands (in fact more than the average American takes home in a YEAR!) for private school, etc is downright depressing. Is this who I live around in DC?
I can't afford any of these things, but I would agree that they're trappings of an upper-middle class lifestyle for working parents in a high cost of living metropolitan area.
Comparisons to "the average American" just aren't relevant. "The average American" lives with a completely different cost of living and likely has considerably less professional preparation. He probably also lives under the assumption that almost no one is gold plated toilet seat wealthy, so upper-middle class people are "wealthy" by default because they're merely wealthier than he is. But CEOs, athletes, actors... that's wealthy.
Anonymous
03/17/2011 10:23
Subject: Down and Out on $250K/year....
I'm not complaining at all about our lifestyle. I'm taking issue with being labeled rich. I have a few friends who I would consider rich but it's because they have trust funds and family wealth. We just earn nice salaries.
Again, my kids are young so there is no public school option at their age beyond a few co-ops. Childcare is a necessity so I send them to preschool and then the nanny cares for them until one of us gets home.
To the PP who asked about our public school - again, kids aren't old enough to attend yet but if they were I would rather not send them. Yes, believe it or not our house was expensive but the school is not good. By objective standards. are you at all knowledgable about DC public schools? Open a newspaper.
And to other PP, no I don't have a million dollar mortgage. We put down a lot of money to have a smaller mortgage. Folks - I'm not complaining; I'm just giving you the facts.
Again, my kids are young so there is no public school option at their age beyond a few co-ops. Childcare is a necessity so I send them to preschool and then the nanny cares for them until one of us gets home.
To the PP who asked about our public school - again, kids aren't old enough to attend yet but if they were I would rather not send them. Yes, believe it or not our house was expensive but the school is not good. By objective standards. are you at all knowledgable about DC public schools? Open a newspaper.
And to other PP, no I don't have a million dollar mortgage. We put down a lot of money to have a smaller mortgage. Folks - I'm not complaining; I'm just giving you the facts.
Anonymous
03/17/2011 10:18
Subject: Down and Out on $250K/year....
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I don't get. We make 160K combined. We have a decent house in Vienna, two nice cars, a boat.
We pay for preschool, eat out a few times a week, have a decent wardrobe, some nice things.
I feel pretty "rich." Can't see how I would be complaining at all at the 250K level.
Wow.
If you are maxing out your retirement, are adequately insured with life and long-term disability, and are contributing the max for college expenses, and have a emergency fund of a years salary, then yes, Wow, you guys are doing great.
LOL of course a family making $160K per year isn't putting $33,000 per year away for retirement, plus another $7K for college. That's why people who know how much the future will cost don't feel rich, and why very middle income people for the DC region feel rich - taking into account only today's financial needs.