Anonymous
Post 07/16/2012 10:27     Subject: How many of us make under 100K?
I do, but pretty close to $100K. Single mom. Salary with bonus comes to around $99K and I get about $15K in child support and take in $7K from a roommate in our spare bedroom.

I'm not hurting, but compared to most of my friends, I'm probably the poor one. (most are high earners, and quite a few are married to high earners.) Housing and preschool suck up a lot of income, so we don't really do vacations and I rarely buy clothes and keep cars a long time.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2012 10:25     Subject: Re:How many of us make under 100K?
Anonymous wrote:Did you all who make less than $100,000/year go to college? Or, perhaps I should ask, graduate from college?


seriously? You think college means an automatic six figure salary?

I have a BA from a top 25 university and a graduate degree. I never broke $50K after working FT for 10 years. I didn't chose a high paying field, even though I probably would have done fine in them. I chose the do-gooder life, not the path to the most money.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2012 10:16     Subject: Re:How many of us make under 100K?
Yes, I did go to college and grad school. As a teacher with an Ivy League degree, I will never smell $100,000. Not complaining, just noting that there are professions that require MA, but never pay well. Yes, 10 mos. a year job (we stay after the kids leave for the summer and go back earlier) and pension (if the state still has the $$ left), but even if you prorate, teaching is not a well-paying profession. No one would say people go into teaching for the money.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2012 10:12     Subject: Re:How many of us make under 100K?
Did you all who make less than $100,000/year go to college? Or, perhaps I should ask, graduate from college?
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2012 10:12     Subject: Re:How many of us make under 100K?
Did you all who make less than $100,000/year go to college?
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2012 09:57     Subject: How many of us make under 100K?
$80K, single parent with one child, who is out of day care. I made less when she was in day care and saved nothing then. I'm struggling to save for both retirement and college and don't have nearly enough for either. Health care just went up another $100 a month, more than my raise this year.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2012 09:30     Subject: How many of us make under 100K?
We're under $100k. Family of four living inside the beltway in a brick rambler. You know, chain link fencing, no garage, brick rambler, house poor.

Living in this area it is really easy to be stressed about money all the time and feel poor. We try to stay focused on the fact that we are rich in so many ways.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2012 09:06     Subject: How many of us make under 100K?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I honestly don't know how you live here on that. We make twice that and I feel like it's a constant struggle. Color me impressed!


See, these comments baffle me. You're living in a different universe to me if you feel like you're struggling on over 140K.


Doesn't it depend on if you have a mortgage or if you rent, and if you are trying to save for both retirement and college at the same time? On 70K, I wouldn't try to save a dime. AT 140K, I'd try to save, and that might make it seem like a struggle.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2012 08:54     Subject: Re:How many of us make under 100K?
Librarian.. I've worked for 20 years and have never gone over $100,000. I guess I'm just lucky to have a job in my field. Upper Management administrative knock knock blowhards who know nothing about what I do and would like to see my unit cut, make $250,000. Very frustrating. I still like it though.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2012 08:05     Subject: Re:How many of us make under 100K?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Another teacher here who makes around $45K per year. I have a school aged DD. The summer vacation is nice for about 2 weeks until I start worrying about the bills. I have my credit union stretch my paycheck over 12 months but that makes some months a bit too close for comfort. The only job I can find in the summer that is actually worth it is tutoring and it is competitive out there. There are plenty of tutors and tutoring companies to choose from. We still live relatively well. I may never own a home here but we like where we live and we are surrounded by down to earth families with good work ethics. My DD doesn't go to school with kids who get whatever they want so she doesn't come home asking for her own iPad, ski trips, etc.


May I ask where you live? Sounds good to me



We live in Alexandria off of Rt. 1. I know many people would call it a "bad neighborhood" but we've never felt unsafe here. We live around immigrants mostly who are very hard-working people. Many have more than one job. Some are even highly educated but had to take low paying jobs when they came to the U.S. Our one neighbor was a pediatrician in his home counntry but now works as a home health care nurse. You couldn't pay me to live in the neighborhoods where I tutor. I nannied for one of these families a few summers ago and the neighbors were so uppity, it was really disgusting. The family I nannied for was very nice but they said they don't even know the people on their street and they didn't want to! My DD thinks it is a treat to go out to eat or to see a movie and I like it that way. I grew up that way too. Too much money just causes problems (just like too little money does). I think we are in the sweet spot.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2012 02:50     Subject: How many of us make under 100K?
Single mom
$85k
IT
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2012 02:24     Subject: How many of us make under 100K?
I have a BA & make 60K. Wife is a SAHM.
I'm currently working on my MA and hope to get a higher paying job in a couple of years. Once our youngest starts kindergarten, my wife will go back to work as well.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2012 02:11     Subject: Re:How many of us make under 100K?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Curious to know if the folks making under 100k have student loans and how much? Did you pursue advanced degrees?


Many people earn who earn under 100K have advanced degrees.

I have a BA and an MA. I had to work my way through college and also took out loans (no college fund and very little parental support). I have about 50K in loans.


I have a BA and an MA (from a top tier program). I make under 50k but expect to increase this to 75k or more in the next 5 years. I have 20k left (or so) in loans and and saving up to pay them off asap. No other major debt.


$13k. I work pt from home. DH makes $120k. I have an MS but paid off my student loans last year. 2 young children, one of whom is in daycare. Just keeping up my skills before returning ft.
Anonymous
Post 07/15/2012 22:42     Subject: How many of us make under 100K?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I'm a teacher- I will never make 100K.


Yes, but you get summers off and huge breaks throughout the year, not a bad deal really.


Don't forget good paid for insurance and pensions. If you factor in writing ssd teachers do get paid over 100k


I wasn't aware benefits were that much, and I was aware that pensions and benefits paid the bills...


You weren't aware because they aren't.


Yep. I was being sarcastic.
Anonymous
Post 07/15/2012 22:40     Subject: How many of us make under 100K?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I'm a teacher- I will never make 100K.


Yes, but you get summers off and huge breaks throughout the year, not a bad deal really.


Don't forget good paid for insurance and pensions. If you factor in writing ssd teachers do get paid over 100k


I wasn't aware benefits were that much, and I was aware that pensions and benefits paid the bills...


You weren't aware because they aren't.[/quote]

I have to tell you, several years ago our family health insurance (PPO) cost us nearly 25k annually. You better believe I now appreciate having a job with health/dental insurance and other benefits. It is a HUGE factor, especially with kids.