Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:210K. DH: 170K, Me: 40K

PT? Would seem somewhat pointless to pay FT daycare at that salary, assuming you have kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We lived on $65K/year (my salary) for the 3 years my DH was in law school. Maxed out retirement, traveled every year (internationally), saved at least $15K/year for down payment. We shopped at WF and had a cheap, no frills apt with no cable, but lots of other entertainment.

I don't get people who need $200K to get by (though we make that now, we bank a LOT). Our mortgage now is only a little more than our rent used to be. Our DC costs us a little extra ($2000/month), but that's why we waited until we made more to have a kid, and we still save a ton.

Are all y'all living high on the hog? What am I doing right/wrong here?

Where are you living that your mortgage payment is only a little more than your rent used to be? You say your rent during this period was $800 ... If your mortgage is near $800, then I can definitely see why you don't get people who need $200k to get by. Plus, based on your previous follow-up responses, it sounds like you had some special circumstances when you were living on $65k - free medical insurance, only doing 1/2 of retirement, being able to stay with friends when travelling.

Again, I am unaware of how I only did 1/2 of retirement? I paid up to the limit, as I was the only one employed. As for mortgage, we bought before the bubble (and recall the downpayment fund, we saved a lot!).

And yes, vacationing with friends and family may be cheating...but it's fun, and I wouldn't drop $5K on a cruise when that money would be better served elsewhere. We still travel this way -- it's a better way of seeing the culture of the countries. Someday when I'm a broken-down old lady, though, I plan to sit on a beach/ship and have people serve me!

The medical IS lucky, though...I guess I assume most people around here earning that little are not working for private industries or giant corporations. I am fortunate to still have this benefit. I think it was more common then (this was 8-10 years ago).

If you purchased a home pre-bubble, that means you were renting back in the 80s or early 90s, living off 65k/yr. Of course internatioinal travel was 2K, plane tickets were not 1K, plus back when Michael Jackson's hair caught fire.

Bought in 2002, for $240K, with a $104K downpayment. Monthly payment was just over $1000, but we refi'ed recently, as it was at 6.5% originally.

You are right that international travel was so much cheaper then than now, but there WAS a bubble in that, too (though I remember some great rates post-911). Ouch, MJ reference, am I that old?

Anonymous wrote:Another "poor" family
Both of us work for an NGO
Ages:29
Expecting our first baby
Me:40K
Him:42K -consultant (will decrease by 2013 to 30k)

School debt $25k
Rent in DC: $1500

I am honestly amazed at reading how much other couples make, but hey one is to leave within their limits, we don't earn too much therefore try to spend accordingly to our means, travel internationally (in a budget) twice a year, and eat out a least once to twice per week. One of us will be a stay home once the baby is born, so our income will be impacted, but strongly belief baby will benefit from it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Me: 107,000
him: 140,000

mortgage: 7200.

very painful

that is actually doable. basically you are living the lifestyle of a $110K HHI with an awesome house. problem is you don't have much of a safety net and expensive houses can have expensive utitlities and repairs. good luck. I am in a similar boat.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:210K. DH: 170K, Me: 40K

PT? Would seem somewhat pointless to pay FT daycare at that salary, assuming you have kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$80k me
DH is full-time student who brings in ~$15-20k in loans a year and made a whopping $3k over summer/winter break in income.

2 kids in full-time daycare.

Beat that.

Wow. Hats off to you. Hopefully DH's schooling will 'pay off' literally, in a short time : )
Where do you live, what is your mortgage or rent?