Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:50/50 but no one will admit it.
Then how do you know? I don't know my friends' and relatives' financial position and they don't know ours. I also know that some people get to write off their auto leases as a business expense.
I have eyes. I know about where everyone works. I know what freebies they get. I know about what they make from the internet. I doubt the military lets anyone write off a luxury car.
As for family ? If you pay attention, struggles slip out. No one calls to chit chat anymore. They ALL need something. KWIM ?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I don't think that many people I know personally are paycheck to paycheck but I do wonder about what a few people do w their money. Not bc it's my business but just bc I don't get their comments sometimes and it's not my place to ask. One is a 45-ish yr old single woman who was in biglaw for all of 3 yrs who STILL talks about the cut she took to go to the govt. I simply don't understand how the govt salary isn't enough esp since she doesn't seem extravagant - regular town home and car. But she went to law school at age 35, got a few grad degrees before that and had low-ish paying jobs, and bought the house after age 40. So I wonder if there's CC debt or school debt or just a general angst to play catch up on retirement and mortgage - while her peers who started at age 25 have longer investment horizons.
The bolded could easily be $200+K in student loans.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I think part of the rise in paycheck to paycheck living has to do with electronic banking. I know we manage our money so that we have very little left in checking before getting paid. We send a significant portion to a brokerage account, paying bills etc before we can even touch it.
I'm pretty sure you and the PP banking 10k in credit union realize that paycheck to paycheck doesn't mean - I can't access my money bc I save soooo much of it.
Of course. But I also would be in the category of living paycheck to paycheck!
Anonymous wrote:I am dying of curiosity to know how some of the people I know can afford the life they lead. For example,
We have friends (two teacher family) who have three kids in private school. I'm assuming that they get ridiculous financial aid or a family member is paying? The long and short is that it is 100% none of my business, but it doesn't stop me from being curious. And for the record, you never really know about anyone's finances. We live modestly, but have almost paid off our house and have a ridiculous amount of money saved. Do I judge people on my assumed understanding of their finances, yes. Do I try not to? Yes, of course.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I think part of the rise in paycheck to paycheck living has to do with electronic banking. I know we manage our money so that we have very little left in checking before getting paid. We send a significant portion to a brokerage account, paying bills etc before we can even touch it.
I'm pretty sure you and the PP banking 10k in credit union realize that paycheck to paycheck doesn't mean - I can't access my money bc I save soooo much of it.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I think part of the rise in paycheck to paycheck living has to do with electronic banking. I know we manage our money so that we have very little left in checking before getting paid. We send a significant portion to a brokerage account, paying bills etc before we can even touch it.
I'm pretty sure you and the PP banking 10k in credit union realize that paycheck to paycheck doesn't mean - I can't access my money bc I save soooo much of it.
Of course. But I also would be in the category of living paycheck to paycheck!
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I think part of the rise in paycheck to paycheck living has to do with electronic banking. I know we manage our money so that we have very little left in checking before getting paid. We send a significant portion to a brokerage account, paying bills etc before we can even touch it.
I'm pretty sure you and the PP banking 10k in credit union realize that paycheck to paycheck doesn't mean - I can't access my money bc I save soooo much of it.
Anonymous wrote:I think part of the rise in paycheck to paycheck living has to do with electronic banking. I know we manage our money so that we have very little left in checking before getting paid. We send a significant portion to a brokerage account, paying bills etc before we can even touch it.
Anonymous wrote:Not the general population, but people you actually know - friends/family/neighbors/coworkers - have car payments/leases, credit card debt, would need to go into debt for a home repair/major vacation, etc. ?
We live in a upper middle class (but not rich) neighborhood of $600-800K houses and I actually think A LOT of people lease cars, have home equity lines, credit card debt, etc. to live the lives they lead. Maybe 1/3. DH thinks this number is way too high.
WDYT?