Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If we go with approximately the middle of the middle class income distribution - say $120K for a family of 4 - I think the corresponding lifestyle is:

- home ownership, but no major renovations
- 2 cars with loans, buys cars used
- public school
- No issues covering monthly groceries, utilities; good insurance through work
- 1 vacation in driving distance each summer, vacation with flights every 3 years or so
- School sports, school music programs but minimal to no extra private lessons or club programs
- Savings to support moderate emergencies (new appliance, car repair) but not $10K+ expenses. No investments outside 401K and 529
- Minimal college savings; not enough to do 4 years at state flagship for both kids without loans
- Can buy new clothes, shoes as needed but shopping sales / TJ Maxx

This is accurate.

Anonymous wrote:Nanny instead of day care
Vacations at hotels instead of camping

Anonymous wrote:Y'all might enjoy the Paul Fussell book "Class: A Guide Through the American Class System." It's quite dated (early 80s), and there's no small amount of satire, but it covers the subject really well anyway.

It will explain to those folks on here claiming that having several million makes you UC isn't even close to accurate.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, you mention "lifestyle," so I'll stick to that. But "class" (a term I find kinda gross, but whatever) of course covers more than that -- most importantly values.

Imho MC covers almost everyone in the DMV. If you are UC your home is most likely gated and you don't need any wage income. If you are LC, your lifestyle probably includes needing assistance -- for example, I have friends who work really hard but still need Medicaid.

MC is everyone else. They live, like I said above, pretty much everywhere around here. They drive all kinds of cars, some, like DH, hate spending on cars (DH has a 14 year old Chevy Blazer), but many are weirdly class conscious and buy expensive, new cars every few years to telegraph -- I don't know, something. Think: All of those Porsche Cayennes. As far as kids' activities go, it's the MC that is obsessed with Ivies, SLACs, etc -- so most (well, at least parents who actually parent their kids) focus on kids' activities that will help them get ahead on college apps, socially, etc. This is super apparent with all of the posts here on DCUM about this.

I mean ... MC is incredibly broad (shrinking as it may be).

Totally bs drivel. OP meant true middle class people in the DMV, I would say households earning less that 250k HHI. I have a net worth of 8 million at 49 and will continue to work another 12 yrs, I am not UC but I am realistic enough to understand that I am not MC either, just because I work.

Ok .. so you know you aren't UC, and with a "net worth of 8 million at 49" (lol) you definitely aren't lc, and yet here you are going on about "I am not MC either, just because I work" ... so what on earth do you think you are?

This is what I meant about the MC being weirdly class conscious, lol. Being lumped in with people earn "less than 250k HHI" sets you off into a tizzy. Lol.

No but the life of a family of 4 where the two parents work and make 120k is much different than the Biglaw partner who makes 1.5-2.5 million. Biglaw partner is not UC yet either (although may be someday) but the lifestyle is not at all the same. In fact I doubt they have much if anything in common.