Anonymous
Post 07/16/2012 12:49     Subject: How many of us make under 100K?
Living on less that $100k is absolutely doable, even here! Sure, you will be making less than a lot of other people in this area, but you can still have a nice life. Our HHI is around $95k. We own a home in a nice neighborhood, I have one child in day care, have excellent medical / dental, we save for retirement, have a college savings plan for our DD, and still get to go out and do fun things on the weekend. We also take one nice vacation a year. The trick is that you have to live within your means. Forget about keeping up with the Jones. Just budget a little.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2012 12:42     Subject: Re:How many of us make under 100K?
Anonymous wrote:To me, living pretty well means being able to save 40% of our income.


11:34 here. In the last three years, I ended my abusive marriage, got off welfare, more than doubled my salary and paid off substantial consumer debt, so my frame of reference is probably a little different than yours. DC and I are safe, healthy and our needs are met, with enough left over to spend a little on wants. We're living pretty well.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2012 12:00     Subject: How many of us make under 100K?
I think that a family of 4 living on less than $100k is do-able but you cannot live inside the beltway unless you rent a really cheap house/ condo or do not have a mortgage.

I am just posting from a house buying perspective and we are looking inside the beltway with a HHI of $165k and I am scared for the mortgage!
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2012 11:49     Subject: Re:How many of us make under 100K?
To me, living pretty well means being able to save 40% of our income.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2012 11:34     Subject: How many of us make under 100K?
$47K here. Was just approved for a new position that comes with a ~$9K bump in pay and I am SO excited and relieved. I'm supposed to get $7000/yr in child support, but usually only see about 50% of that and it goes straight to savings when I do.

Single mom, 28, 1 kid in DCPS preschool next year, we rent a small apt, I have a BA and about $20K in loans left. Aside from the student loans, the only debt I have is about $1000 in past medical bills (that I'm paying on) and I just sold my car.

I sock away $250/mo in savings right now and 5% of my income to retirement. We live pretty well.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2012 11:25     Subject: Re:How many of us make under 100K?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Did you all who make less than $100,000/year go to college? Or, perhaps I should ask, graduate from college?


You must be an idiot, or you are a teenager with big dreams that will come crashing down on your little naive head.



Probably the latter.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2012 11:23     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?


Uh, yeah. I did. With honors. And have a pretty swell job at a non-profit that allows me to sleep with a clean conscience at night.

Did you get your manners out of a box of $7 boutique popcorn?
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2012 11:23     Subject: How many of us make under 100K?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

+1. They are struggling because of the monthly payments for the Benz instead of the Honda, and mortgage for the $1.5M house instead of the $400k house.


we make a lot more than $100k, and are definitely struggling even though we rent a tiny apartment and have a fully paid for mazda3 (which was under $20k). It's the student loans and daycare tuition for 3 kids that get us.


Cry me a river about your tiny apartment that probably costs $4k a month and your student loans that you can actually pay instead of having to keep deferring them.

Anonymous
Post 07/16/2012 11:21     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?


You must be an idiot, or you are a teenager with big dreams that will come crashing down on your little naive head.

Anonymous
Post 07/16/2012 11:19     Subject: How many of us make under 100K?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
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.


np: I know how you feel that way, OP. When I made in the 70s, it was hard to comprehend, to. But people do tend to live up to their incomes, so it's not that uncommon to hear these complaints. I think the definition of "struggling" is different, however. People with higher incomes aren't really "struggling" to survive so much as "struggling" to have everything they want right now. Their choices aren't between say, food or the electric bill so much as between three summer camps for their children or a family vacation. They may also have tight liquid cash flow b/c while they are higher income, they also have higher fixed expenses (housing, cars). Yes, they could have chosen to have more more modest house or cars, but they didn't... So, not having that cash feels like a "struggle" even though they're perfectly well off.

This is me, anyway.


+1. They are struggling because of the monthly payments for the Benz instead of the Honda, and mortgage for the $1.5M house instead of the $400k house.


we make a lot more than $100k, and are definitely struggling even though we rent a tiny apartment and have a fully paid for mazda3 (which was under $20k). It's the student loans and daycare tuition for 3 kids that get us.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2012 11:14     Subject: How many of us make under 100K?
I lived in a "bad area" in another city at one time too. Now I miss it. At the time I did not realize how good we had it. It was another lower income sleepy suburb, but obviously one of those places where you know your neighbors, and where people are not trying to be a somebody. Nobody mentions their occupation or makes a display of money, even some had hidden away large amounts.
We were new to this area when we arrived and if I had it over again I would not hesitate to live in a more iffy area. But we are settled, and do not really stick out as the poorer follks. Or that is what I think.
Most of the weallthy do not want to socialize with those that have less than them. The few who do, I have not met them
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2012 11:11     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?


Get your head out of your ass. Most people without college degrees make closer to 20k. It takes a 2 income household just to get by. THAT is how most of the country lives.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2012 11:09     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?


How insulting. Have you not been reading the list?
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2012 11:02     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?


went to an Ivy. work at a non-profit. it's not all about $$. but, you sound like an asshole.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2012 10:41     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?


This has been asked and answered. The answer is yes.

How's that bubble you're living in?