Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our income is close to that and I do feel middle class living in Arlington. Of course I understand that 350k is much more than the vast majority of Americans make, but it doesn't feel like that living here. We are paying off student loans, live in one of the few small, original homes in our neighborhood and drive modest used cars. I SAH but we don't take vacations except to visit family, don't buy fancy gadgets or clothes or whatever.

You should try doing the exact same thing except with working parents and the daycare shuffle. Unless your your DH routinely works 80 hr weeks, your household labor is less than a dual working parents, and have half the commute, for the same money. I mean, you don't work, how is that not upper class life?

There are plenty of people who don't work and it doesn't mean they are wealthy or poor.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_independence

"Financial independence is the state of having sufficient personal wealth to live, without having to work actively for basic necessities."

Her husband works. They aren't financially independent.

It's all about net worth, not income.

Anonymous wrote:Our income is close to that and I do feel middle class living in Arlington. Of course I understand that 350k is much more than the vast majority of Americans make, but it doesn't feel like that living here. We are paying off student loans, live in one of the few small, original homes in our neighborhood and drive modest used cars. I SAH but we don't take vacations except to visit family, don't buy fancy gadgets or clothes or whatever.

That's your splurge - your a SAHM in Arlington! Duh

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our income is close to that and I do feel middle class living in Arlington. Of course I understand that 350k is much more than the vast majority of Americans make, but it doesn't feel like that living here. We are paying off student loans, live in one of the few small, original homes in our neighborhood and drive modest used cars. I SAH but we don't take vacations except to visit family, don't buy fancy gadgets or clothes or whatever.

You should try doing the exact same thing except with working parents and the daycare shuffle. Unless your your DH routinely works 80 hr weeks, your household labor is less than a dual working parents, and have half the commute, for the same money. I mean, you don't work, how is that not upper class life?

There are plenty of people who don't work and it doesn't mean they are wealthy or poor.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_independence

"Financial independence is the state of having sufficient personal wealth to live, without having to work actively for basic necessities."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our income is close to that and I do feel middle class living in Arlington. Of course I understand that 350k is much more than the vast majority of Americans make, but it doesn't feel like that living here. We are paying off student loans, live in one of the few small, original homes in our neighborhood and drive modest used cars. I SAH but we don't take vacations except to visit family, don't buy fancy gadgets or clothes or whatever.

You should try doing the exact same thing except with working parents and the daycare shuffle. Unless your your DH routinely works 80 hr weeks, your household labor is less than a dual working parents, and have half the commute, for the same money. I mean, you don't work, how is that not upper class life?

There are plenty of people who don't work and it doesn't mean they are wealthy or poor.

Anonymous wrote:Our income is close to that and I do feel middle class living in Arlington. Of course I understand that 350k is much more than the vast majority of Americans make, but it doesn't feel like that living here. We are paying off student loans, live in one of the few small, original homes in our neighborhood and drive modest used cars. I SAH but we don't take vacations except to visit family, don't buy fancy gadgets or clothes or whatever.

You should try doing the exact same thing except with working parents and the daycare shuffle. Unless your your DH routinely works 80 hr weeks, your household labor is less than a dual working parents, and have half the commute, for the same money. I mean, you don't work, how is that not upper class life?

HUD of all organizations says $100k in parts of SF is low income. So it's not out of the question that you can make $350k in some high COL areas and still be middle class.

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2017/04/24/bay-area-low-income-100000-san-francisco-san-mateo-county-hud/

Anonymous wrote:Our income is close to that and I do feel middle class living in Arlington. Of course I understand that 350k is much more than the vast majority of Americans make, but it doesn't feel like that living here. We are paying off student loans, live in one of the few small, original homes in our neighborhood and drive modest used cars. I SAH but we don't take vacations except to visit family, don't buy fancy gadgets or clothes or whatever.

You feel middle class bevause you're living a middle class life.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our income is close to that and I do feel middle class living in Arlington. Of course I understand that 350k is much more than the vast majority of Americans make, but it doesn't feel like that living here. We are paying off student loans, live in one of the few small, original homes in our neighborhood and drive modest used cars. I SAH but we don't take vacations except to visit family, don't buy fancy gadgets or clothes or whatever.

You can feel however you like as long as you understand that you're a 1% household. As noted above, most billionaires feel poor compared to Jeff Bezos.

You have to make over 550k to be part of the one percent in dc. I assume it's less in Virginia.

Anonymous wrote:Our income is close to that and I do feel middle class living in Arlington. Of course I understand that 350k is much more than the vast majority of Americans make, but it doesn't feel like that living here. We are paying off student loans, live in one of the few small, original homes in our neighborhood and drive modest used cars. I SAH but we don't take vacations except to visit family, don't buy fancy gadgets or clothes or whatever.

You can feel however you like as long as you understand that you're a 1% household. As noted above, most billionaires feel poor compared to Jeff Bezos.

Your class/status means nothing unless you are financially secure.

Doesn't matter how much you make or where you live.

Do you wear a hello, I'm upper middle class sticker on your outfit daily ? Or do you just flaunt the hell out ?

Nobody cares. Unless you come from some turd world shit hole and you think bragging might get you something ?

I seriously can never figure these posts out. It's considered bad manners to speak of wealth. Old money knows this. New money is clueless. And vulgar.

You are a waste of skin if you don't know.

Our income is close to that and I do feel middle class living in Arlington. Of course I understand that 350k is much more than the vast majority of Americans make, but it doesn't feel like that living here. We are paying off student loans, live in one of the few small, original homes in our neighborhood and drive modest used cars. I SAH but we don't take vacations except to visit family, don't buy fancy gadgets or clothes or whatever.

I hear Mark Zuckerberg feels solidly middle class whenever he finds himself in a room with Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and the Koch brothers. Buffet, though, is just grateful to be UMC.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in Arlington and make $550k.

There are rich and richer in our neighborhood. We are average income in our neighborhood. Some make much less, but bought early when houses were half what they are worth now or had family help with house purchase.

Continue to be mystified by the DCUM belief that if you have any neighbors that are richer than you, you are by definition middle class. If you live in an incredibly expensive neighborhood with a lot of rich people, it tends to prove the frigging opposite.

Exactly this!!!!