you are a total dick

You'll always feel poor if you continue to compare yourself to others...

I personally struggle with this as well. I'm single in my mid 30s making mid-$200s, but I feel "poor" compared to several other friends my age making over $1M at this point. But, when I take a step back, I try to remind myself that: 1) I'm still doing okay, 2) You'll always lose the comparison game...there will always be someone making a lot more, 3) Money ultimately doesn't matter (as long as you make enough to support yourself/feed your family

My dad was a successful cardiologist who lost a battle to cancer at 65 a few years ago. Towards the end of his life, he didn't care about the thousands of lives he saved, the money/cars/material possessions he amassed... He felt his greatest accomplishment was raising 3 children who were independent, productive, and successful. On his deathbed, he didn't care about anything except for his family.

When I get caught up in making more money/comparing myself to others, I try to remind myself of my dad and that what I'm worrying about ultimately doesn't matter... It's hard day-to-day, no doubt.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Spend more, the 500k houses around here are terrible

That was my first thought. Whee do you live and how big is your house.

Mine too. I think (hope) you know that your net worth is more than fine, but a 500k house in the DC area will make you feel poor, especially if you're a keeping up with the Joneses type.

Oh geeze. Another one of these obnoxious I have more money than 99% of the world and still feel poor threads.

Clearly you do not feel poor, but by the same token you are not rich. The beauty of your situation you have all of the elements you need to generate extrodinarliy wealth during the next couple decades.

Try not to purchase a new and larger home than you need. Drive you automobiles for at least ten years. Invest wisely and regularly, and always remember the two rules of investing. Rule #1 Never lose money and Rule # 2 Never forget rule #1.

Here's some perspective: your post is so out of touch with the average person, both in America and DC, that I feel really angry reading it. Your lack of awareness for need vs. want, haves vs. have nots, and uncalibrated self-pity scale is disgusting.

Anonymous wrote:Spend more, the 500k houses around here are terrible

That was my first thought. Whee do you live and how big is your house.

Yes, you probably live in a very small stifling unhealthy bubble, OP, but your problem is that you seem to care about money and what it can buy and comparing yourself to others so much. Fix that issue and your "money issues" (in quotations because you don't have any money issues) will go away.

OP, what exactly do you want? Beyond keeping up with the Joneses, what about your lifestyle is dissatisfying to you. If you want a bigger/nicer house, it sounds like you have the means and the time horizon to sell your current house and take on a reasonable 15-year mortgage (which you'll have paid off by 56 even if you don't make any early payments on it) to upgrade. If that's not worth it to you, then stop complaining that others have something you could also have but don't want to make any sacrifices to attain.

What do you expect from DCUM, OP?

That is what I REALLY want to know.

Anonymous wrote:Then stop comparing yourselves to your friends. Someone will always have more than you. Good grief. Be thankful. You have it waaaay better than 95 to 99% of the people in this world.

I can't understand the "keeping up with the joneses" lifestyle. Seems exhausting and neverending.

95 to 99%????

He has it way better than 99% in the world. Period.
DC is SUCH a warped perspective.

Yes, you live in a bubble.

Then stop comparing yourselves to your friends. Someone will always have more than you. Good grief. Be thankful. You have it waaaay better than 95 to 99% of the people in this world.

I can't understand the "keeping up with the joneses" lifestyle. Seems exhausting and neverending.

Spend more, the 500k houses around here are terrible

Anonymous wrote:Ok - I'm sure I'll get a lot of grief. We just paid off our house. We have no debt and have 2.4M net worth. We have 1.6 M retirement, 500k. house equity, 200k college savings, 100k cash. I know we aren't poor but it seems like our friends are doing so much better. They have nicer homes, take better vacations and don't seem as concerned about money. We make about 235k combined and our salaries are equal. It seems like so many people make 200k each these days.

Please tell me that I live in a bubble.

Unless you audit your friends' balance sheets, you have no idea about their finances, only their expenditures.

Yes, you live in a bubble. It is not hard to find out how much more you have than most people and count your blessings.