Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow, that’s eye opening. I knew the numbers were low, but didn’t realize it was that low. Easy to forget the number of people living paycheck to paycheck.

OP here. Yes, we have a real problem facing us, as a nation. The vast majority of people are unprepared for retirement, and with the disappearance of pensions in the private sector, they will have nothing but social security - and that's not enough.

People have been living on just their social security checks for a long time. It isn't fun but this isn't a new thing, either.

How can they live on $1200 a month? Even if their home is paid off, they can have property tax of $500 a month. And then there's food, utilities, gas money and car expenses, Medicare premiums, household stuff, and more.

LOL property taxes for most people in this country are nowhere near $500 a month.

Anonymous wrote:OP- you should have titled this post: “Come in Poors Seeking Validation.” The poors have a defeatist mentality, which is why they are poor to begin with. The fact that many pps feel good by comparing themselves to the national average is reflective of this mentality. Who does that? My parents who had gov jobs have $2 million in liquid savings- just by not spending all of their money every month. If you live in DMV - not out in Poorsville or Manasshole and you dont have $2 million by age 50, you are an abject economic failure imo.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Thanks. OP here. I posted this as a result of an annoying parallel thread in which people are insulting college graduates who havent amassed $2 million by age 40 as being irresponsible and "flushing money down the toilet."

Nice to know there are some normal people on DCUM, too.

Yeah. That "flushing money down the toilet" comment pissed me off. But then I remember that it comes from an elitist snob and all is right with the world again.

Thanks again. You must be the "normal" one on that other thread. I started this one to see if I could get feedback from the "real" people, and I did. I just need to put things in better perspective, as you did, and remember that people making those comments are elitist snobs indeed. Feeling better now!

You're taking this way to personally, OP. Keep doing what you're doing. It seems like the only thing that has made you better is to have others affirm for you that others are elitist snobs. That doesn't say very good things about you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My property taxes are $1000 a month

And where do you live? Do you think most of America lives in a home like yours?

Toronto
No, but i don't know anyone who pays under $500.

You need to get out more.

The median property tax in FL (lots of seniors) is $1,773 -- A YEAR and no income tax.

Texas is considered a high property tax state and average is $2,275 -- A YEAR and no income tax.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow, that’s eye opening. I knew the numbers were low, but didn’t realize it was that low. Easy to forget the number of people living paycheck to paycheck.

OP here. Yes, we have a real problem facing us, as a nation. The vast majority of people are unprepared for retirement, and with the disappearance of pensions in the private sector, they will have nothing but social security - and that's not enough.

People have been living on just their social security checks for a long time. It isn't fun but this isn't a new thing, either.

How can they live on $1200 a month? Even if their home is paid off, they can have property tax of $500 a month. And then there's food, utilities, gas money and car expenses, Medicare premiums, household stuff, and more.

The same way they scrape by on min wage during their working years. I grew up like this and most of my family lives like this. Everyone bunks together in one house that granny or great-granny paid off years ago. It's falling apart. People do without. Working age people try to get disability checks.

This. My ILs had retirement savings of $10,000 purely from selling a small business. They stayed in their small, paid off home with low property taxes in a small city and spent most of their time watching TV. This is normal to them. Both have passed away and fortunately did not have to suffer through a long time of illness/disability.

My parents are much better off and with my dad now in his early 80s and health declining they are now shifting from travel and fun to estate planning so they just gave us $50K for our two kids' college funds. It really worried my DH because he doesn't want them to run out of money. He finds it hard to understand that my parents have plenty of money from a lifetime of living frugally and investing well. They sent him $50 for his birthday and he said they shouldn't, they should save the money for themselves.

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:So for my wife and I (54 & 51, respectively), our $350K doesn't look so bad.

Compared to normal, middle America -- nope, not bad at all. On DCUM -- OMG I don't know how you sleep at night bc these people had 350k saved up individually while single at age 30.

yea, and and the average american is a fat pig. Should I be proud that I'm a size 14 and not yet insulin resistant?

i'm not really thrilled to get the award for being the tallest midget.

So then go save up to make sure you have $3 million or $5mil or $10 mil at age 51. Leave the people alone who have only managed to amass 350k. You've already "won" compared to them. How insecure are you that you need validation after you already have much much more than them?

what are you even talking about? I'm 40 and have 500K, i will be no where near 3M by 51. And who exactly am I bothering? I don't give one single solitary fuck how much or little anyone else has. However, I'm not at all comforted by being an average American in any way shape or form.

An average American is a high school graduate, earning around $35,000, living in a modest $200k home (or renting), and maybe....just maybe....has $5,000 or $10.000 in the bank.

Those of us who are proud that they we have saved $350k or $500k are substantially above average. Be proud of your achievements, and don't let these DCUM elites talking about $2 million being typical in DC make you think you're pulling up the bottom.

It's only above average if you are a high school graduate making $35,000/year. If you have a graduate degree and make $120,000/year and are married to someone doing the same, $350,000 is nothing extraordinary.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So for my wife and I (54 & 51, respectively), our $350K doesn't look so bad.

Compared to normal, middle America -- nope, not bad at all. On DCUM -- OMG I don't know how you sleep at night bc these people had 350k saved up individually while single at age 30.

yea, and and the average american is a fat pig. Should I be proud that I'm a size 14 and not yet insulin resistant?

i'm not really thrilled to get the award for being the tallest midget.

So then go save up to make sure you have $3 million or $5mil or $10 mil at age 51. Leave the people alone who have only managed to amass 350k. You've already "won" compared to them. How insecure are you that you need validation after you already have much much more than them?

what are you even talking about? I'm 40 and have 500K, i will be no where near 3M by 51. And who exactly am I bothering? I don't give one single solitary fuck how much or little anyone else has. However, I'm not at all comforted by being an average American in any way shape or form.

An average American is a high school graduate, earning around $35,000, living in a modest $200k home (or renting), and maybe....just maybe....has $5,000 or $10.000 in the bank.

Those of us who are proud that they we have saved $350k or $500k are substantially above average. Be proud of your achievements, and don't let these DCUM elites talking about $2 million being typical in DC make you think you're pulling up the bottom.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So for my wife and I (54 & 51, respectively), our $350K doesn't look so bad.

Compared to normal, middle America -- nope, not bad at all. On DCUM -- OMG I don't know how you sleep at night bc these people had 350k saved up individually while single at age 30.

yea, and and the average american is a fat pig. Should I be proud that I'm a size 14 and not yet insulin resistant?

i'm not really thrilled to get the award for being the tallest midget.

So then go save up to make sure you have $3 million or $5mil or $10 mil at age 51. Leave the people alone who have only managed to amass 350k. You've already "won" compared to them. How insecure are you that you need validation after you already have much much more than them?

what are you even talking about? I'm 40 and have 500K, i will be no where near 3M by 51. And who exactly am I bothering? I don't give one single solitary fuck how much or little anyone else has. However, I'm not at all comforted by being an average American in any way shape or form.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So for my wife and I (54 & 51, respectively), our $350K doesn't look so bad.

Compared to normal, middle America -- nope, not bad at all. On DCUM -- OMG I don't know how you sleep at night bc these people had 350k saved up individually while single at age 30.

yea, and and the average american is a fat pig. Should I be proud that I'm a size 14 and not yet insulin resistant?

i'm not really thrilled to get the award for being the tallest midget.

So then go save up to make sure you have $3 million or $5mil or $10 mil at age 51. Leave the people alone who have only managed to amass 350k. You've already "won" compared to them. How insecure are you that you need validation after you already have much much more than them?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So for my wife and I (54 & 51, respectively), our $350K doesn't look so bad.

Compared to normal, middle America -- nope, not bad at all. On DCUM -- OMG I don't know how you sleep at night bc these people had 350k saved up individually while single at age 30.

yea, and and the average american is a fat pig. Should I be proud that I'm a size 14 and not yet insulin resistant?

i'm not really thrilled to get the award for being the tallest midget.