Get out there and see what it takes to land and keep a $225K job. If I were your husband I would be demoralized by your comments.

You should be able to do a $5000 mortgage, $2000 on cars, $1000 on childcare a month and still be fine. What are you spending on?

Happiness = Reality - Expectations

If you're so miserable, find a job or new friends. It's not that difficult.

Your social set really matters and impacts at least some happiness in your life. Try to find peers who are more on your income level.

Other than that, you seem really insecure and out of touch OP. I'm a SAHM and my husband makes close to what yours does, and I'm grateful and thankful that we're able to live well on one income, have absolutely everything we need and many of the things we want.

Get some damn perspective.

Are your friends dual income? Or did they ALL grow up rich - i.e. came into marriages with trust funds and down payments and no loans? If yes, where did you find these friends? Why don't you associate with people more like yourselves - 1 income and no family wealth? Or is it that you bought a house in some ritzy neighborhood and are now trying to chase your neighbors and kids' friends' parents and realizing they're in a materially different situation?

"Abundance is the enemy of gratitude"... or something like that.

Anonymous wrote:Studies have shown that people's happiness depends on their status relative to their peers, not relative to the entire global population.

then maybe get new peers?

Anonymous wrote:Get new friends. I hope for the sake of your marriage you don't share with your DH what you think of his salary.

+1 move and find new friends if this is how you feel. Or as others have stated, get a job.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:225k is very low

Many DCUMers pay more than that in taxes.

Nonsense like this clutters up threads.

The vast majority of DCUMers do not pay more than 225k in taxes. Additionally, using a basic tax estimator suggests a family of 4 with 2 kids in full time childcare, a mortgage, and retirement contributions would need to make roughly 800k to pay more than 225k in taxes. That's well into the top 1%, even in DC. The vast majority of people who visit this forum are not making 800,000 dollars a year. Take your troll elsewhere.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:225k with no daycare, extended care, or camp sounds amazing!!!

Maybe in Kentucky

Indeed! 225k is practically minimum wage in DC, right?

Troll score: 7/10

Anonymous wrote:225k with no daycare, extended care, or camp sounds amazing!!!

Maybe in Kentucky

Anonymous wrote:What do you do with all of that $? Seriously? I assume you do not have before or aftercare costs. Do not need to drop 10K over the summer for camps. Can menu plan so that you are not doing take out. Can shop sales for groceries and clothing. Are able to get the car in for scheduled maintenance when you should as opposed to 2 months later. Shop around for less expense tires when you need replacements.

Agree. You should be able to travel and go to concerts, games, events occasionally on that income. If not, you should get a job yourself. There is no reason for you not to work if kids are in school.

We make about that much. Our second child will start K next year. Over the past 6 years we have shelled out about 160K on daycare.

If you are a stay at home mom, where in the world is all your money going????

Studies have shown that people's happiness depends on their status relative to their peers, not relative to the entire global population.