What's your household income? - Page 5

[candipooh]

Last year we made over $90,000. That was a good year. But dp is in construction and it slowed down so much that he was out of work from Jan till just a few weeks ago. So this year so far has been about 5,000. Yikes. Hopefully the 2nd half of the year is better than the first.

Last year,defiantly enough. We are low maintenance so making that much felt weird. We paid off our 2nd mortgage and a few other 'big' things (new windows for house for example) We also saved quite a bit which helped us during his 5 months out of work.

This year not nearly enough. But we were ok with our savings and tax returns.

I remember being shocked that my dad only made $25,000 in the early 90's. He fed a housed a family of 11 with that.

[That Is Nice]

Originally Posted by PrettyBird

Well, I used to live in one of the richest counties in the country where median income was about $100k. We were making a little over half that at the time so I have to say even in expensive areas $100k is a lot!!

I do get what you're saying though...those salaries are more common in bigger cities and on the coasts, where AP/NFL happens to be more common as well.

True on all accounts, I think.

We make a lot less than $100k. It would be enough for us to live on no matter where we lived. It would be stretch a lot further in some parts of the country, though, than others. Still, I know we could live comfortably on $100k no matter where we lived.

[That Is Nice]

Originally Posted by candipooh

I remember being shocked that my dad only made $25,000 in the early 90's. He fed a housed a family of 11 with that.

$25,000 in the early 90s went a lot further than $25,000 today. Everything seems a lot more expensive now.

[candipooh]

Originally Posted by Spring Flower

$25,000 in the early 90s went a lot further than $25,000 today. Everything seems a lot more expensive now.

Believe me, $25,000 with a family of 11 did NOT go very far even in the 90s

[TiredX2]

Originally Posted by griffin2004

These income polls come up every so often and they always knock me out, too. The biggest by far category of responders are in the $106k+ group. Color me po' and envious!

Besides the points already brought up, I think that the "brackets" are misleading.

The ranges are
$15,000 or less 15K spread
$16,000-$25,000 6K spread
$26,000-$35,000 9K spread
$36,000-$45,000 9K spread
$46,000-$55,000 9K spread
$56,000-$65,000 9K spread
$66,000-$75,000 9K spread
$76,000-$85,000 9K spread
$86,000-$95,000 9K spread
$96,000-$105,000 9K spread
$106,000 and up "infinate"

If the breakdown had continued in 9K spead, then no individual one of them (106-115, 116-125, 126-135, etc...) would have probably been the most common.

For example, if instead of having the bottom categories broken out, there was "under $45K"--- that group would suddenly be 32+%. Or if one was $46-75 it would be about 34%.

That said, we're higher in the categories, but since the median income of our area (our local school district--- 25K+ kids enrolled) is actually in the top category it doesn't feel like a ton.

[majazama]

I'm under 15,000. But I am HAPPY and live in the best place on earth. Here's the view from my rental... http://jasanna.blogspot.com/

[griffin2004]

Originally Posted by TiredX2

If the breakdown had continued in 9K spead, then no individual one of them (106-115, 116-125, 126-135, etc...) would have probably been the most common.

Divided out however you want, a significant number of responders have income of $100k+; maybe not to others, but to me that's a LOT of income; money can't buy happiness, of course, but it can give you options; I think that point is often overlooked in various discussions at MDC

[That Is Nice]

Originally Posted by candipooh

Believe me, $25,000 with a family of 11 did NOT go very far even in the 90s

Oh, I believe you. I was just saying that living now on $25,000 would be a lot more challenging than in the early 90s.

The early 90s was just the start of the housing bubble. Things were a lot more affordable back then, but only compared to now. I suppose if we compared it to $25,000 back in the early 70s, it would seem expensive.

Inflation.

[That Is Nice]

Originally Posted by griffin2004

Divided out however you want, a significant number of responders have income of $100k+; maybe not to others, but to me that's a LOT of income; money can't buy happiness, of course, but it can give you options; I think that point is often overlooked in various discussions at MDC

$100k is a lot of money where I come from, too!

I think no matter where you live, $100k is upper upper middle class. Maybe not even middle class anymore. I know I saw an income range for middle class once and it didn't seem like it was $100k, but then that was a few years ago.

We could easily live on $100k, even in southern California, or other extremely high priced areas.

[candipooh]

Originally Posted by Spring Flower

We could easily live on $100k, even in southern California, or other extremely high priced areas.

I am in So Cal and the $90,000 we made last year made us feel comfortable, Not lavish by any means but comfortable for the low maintenance fam that we are.

[MyTwoAs]

Yes we make enough, we've been careless with our money so have oodles of bills but are making the changes to have that rectified in under two years. Once our "stupid" debt is paid off we could live comfortably on about $70-80k. We have two kids with special needs and insurance doesn't cover much so we'd need to make more than a comparable family in the area to ensure that their therapies, etc are covered plus have enough funds to go into special needs trusts for them.

[Absinthia]

Originally Posted by Heffernhyphen

Hope this doesn't sound like an attack, but how can that be? Maybe the key word is comfortably. I think I'd feel like a Rockefeller if we suddenly started pulling in $60,000 a year.

Some places in the U.S. require more than that for you to live AT poverty level. I thought that was a well known fact.

[ShaggyDaddy]

Originally Posted by Spring Flower

I think no matter where you live, $100k is upper upper middle class. Maybe not even middle class anymore.

I am in southern california and in my city (Thousand Oaks, not on the beach not beverly hills, but it is really nice) the Median household income is: $102,824.

100k would be solid middle class here.

[wannabemoms]

We're a two FT income household, no kids. We're currently aggressively killing all our debt (almost all of one income is devoted to debt), and once that's done within the year we will very easily be able to live on only one income comfortably, and if we have kiddos one of us should be able to stay home FT at least until the kid(s) is in school.

[glendora]

Everything is more expensive now--even compared to 5 years ago.

[Himom]

We make enough to live comfortably. We put away 20% for our retirements, some for our DC's college funds. I don't know what would be the minimum that we could live on, but we used to make half we do now and still had the same standard of living.

What we desire is not more money, but rather more time to spend together. Time is our new luxury.

[That Is Nice]

Originally Posted by ShaggyDaddy

I am in southern california and in my city (Thousand Oaks, not on the beach not beverly hills, but it is really nice) the Median household income is: $102,824.

100k would be solid middle class here.

True, to some extent. I know exactly what you're saying.

But median income doesn't equal middle class. The median income in the Hamptons, for instance, or Beveral Hills, is probably much higher than a US Bureau of Statistics or Census definition of middle class.

But I don't want to split hairs.

I know that in some of the higher priced areas of this country, $100k, especially when it's a two income household is the norm. And doesn't go as far as one would imagine.

I'm just saying *we* personally could live anywhere and live well on $100k. I know that because I've looked into it. And we're pretty frugal anyway.

[That Is Nice]

Originally Posted by glendora

Everything is more expensive now--even compared to 5 years ago.

:

True. Inflation and the bubble markets have increased faster than wages. Much faster.

Originally Posted by Himom

What we desire is not more money, but rather more time to spend together. Time is our new luxury.

Very true indeed. It seems like it is easier to find high paying jobs where you put in a lot of hours than it is to find good paying jobs with great flexibility. It's really a shame, especially for parents. We need more balance.

[Treasuremapper]

http://www.bestplaces.net/col/

this site has a cost of living calculator. It would cost us an additional fifty thousand dollars a year to maintain our current lifestyle in Washington DC.

We could maintain our current lifestyle for 23 thousand less in Paris, Texas.

[becoming]

We make more than enough. We could live on much less.