How much money do you make?

Hateyou · Mar 10, 2019

TJT said:
I live on... maybe $35k a year despite now making $110k. My woman makes like $90k and we are generally quite cheap. My house is the cheapest in the neighborhood and it's the only debt I have. No kids yet or anything but financially I am extremely well prepared for them. If I somehow started making $160k in the next 6 years I almost guarantee my lifestyle wouldn't change. It hasn't changed in the last 8 years. If anything it got cheaper.

I know people do it but it isn’t the norm is all I’m saying. You have the cheapest house in your neighborhood, and probably make more than most of the people there do.

Don’t take my post in the wrong way, I’m simply saying people who make $150k a year are not going to be retiring at 35 or even 45, people generally don’t live as cheap as possible. I’m also not saying it’s a bad thing to not live super cheap. I know a guy who is a millionaire, they live cheap as hell, and he’s probably not going to retire until he’s 65. He has a janky house and car, but he’s cool with that, most aren’t is all.

Leon · Mar 10, 2019

TJT said:
I live on... maybe $35k a year despite now making $110k. My woman makes like $90k and we are generally quite cheap. My house is the cheapest in the neighborhood and it's the only debt I have. No kids yet or anything but financially I am extremely well prepared for them. If I somehow started making $160k in the next 6 years I almost guarantee my lifestyle wouldn't change. It hasn't changed in the last 8 years. If anything it got cheaper.

This is my family right there almost to the T but with 2 kids.

Household income over 160k and we live like we earn 40, but not in a junky way.

House is med size and owned, cars are owned. Kids college funds are ready to go and they're 10 and 8.

Falstaff · Mar 10, 2019

Under 100k as a family of four in Chicago suburbs.

We poor.

Uber Uberest · Mar 10, 2019

Right around 150k solo. Wife stays at home with both boys, nice house in the burbs, possibly purchasing a vacation home in NH this spring. Union plumber, so my pension and annuity are taken care of. Not a bad life.

sleevedraw · Mar 10, 2019

TJT said:
I live on... maybe $35k a year despite now making $110k. My woman makes like $90k and we are generally quite cheap. My house is the cheapest in the neighborhood and it's the only debt I have. No kids yet or anything but financially I am extremely well prepared for them. If I somehow started making $160k in the next 6 years I almost guarantee my lifestyle wouldn't change. It hasn't changed in the last 8 years. If anything it got cheaper.

Kind of like a poorer version of TJT. I make around 70k, BF is currently a starving PhD student. I currently have 10k left on 50k worth of loans; I'm throwing about 2k a month at them, will be done with them by September. I also max my IRA and HSA every year; once I get the loans dealt with, I'll probably be maxing or close to maxing my 401k, as well.

By far my biggest expense is rent ($1650/mo), which I split with the BF, so effectively I pay around $1100. Cell phone bill is $25/mo, Internet is $40/mo, no TV, no Soybucks (I love coffee, but I make my own pourover every morning.) It's all about living below your means, and I live well enough. Once the BF finishes his dissertation and gets a job, he'll probably be making close to 2x what I do, and then we'll be doing extremely well.

Amir · Mar 10, 2019

I fall in the 150-200k household bracket.

My wife is the only one buying expensive clothes but that's about it. I travel for work a lot so I have no time to spend my money. On the road, I get a meal allowance which more than covers my eating habit. Having relocated to North Carolina sure helps with saving money due to the low cost of living compared to California. All we care about is is comfortable living, nothing fancy until we have our 2 vacation trips a year to somewhere in Europe or Asia. Just one daughter (20 y/o) but she is now living on her own so life is good. We are now planning to purchase our first home this year or the next. It's hard to decide a home.

lurkingdirk · Mar 10, 2019

We have no debt, and it's amazing how little you can live on without any debt. Own your home and vehicles and monthly costs are very low. We're putting a metric fucktonne of money away right now, while still living a decent lifestyle with kids. Plenty of travel, plenty of fun. Once you own your home, so many more options open up financially.

Fifey · Mar 10, 2019

Vanessa said:
I'm at less than 30k... I know I'm poor by definition but don't feel poor. I own my condo and I'm very happy with everything I have and don't have an aching desire for much else, so that 30k goes far tbh.

Same boat as me, about 4-5 years ago I was making 60-75k a year and wasn't happy at all so quit and changed careers, now I"m making just shy of 30k and I'm in a much better headspace. I'm also far from poor(in my opinion), I can still do a fair amount of traveling and buy the things I want.

The 100k is lower class made me actually laugh out loud though, I don't think you've ever seen lower class living.

Pollo · Mar 10, 2019

Mo money, mo problems. I make $101k salary and another $89k just sitting on my ass collecting military retirement and 100% VA disability (actually legit, developed a blood clotting disorder and some kind of autoimmune condition that destroys my platelets after my second trip to Afghanistan). Definitely not struggling but I’m not living a carefree lifestyle either.

Vanessa · Mar 10, 2019

Aye, totally Fifey... as I said I acknowledge I'm pretty poor in the scheme of things and especially compared to this fine group of forum-members but c'mon Panface, calling under 30k poverty is just not factually sound:

I think it's great that this forum is on the whole more affluent than your average person; it makes complete sense that a pile of hip-cat nerds (who are probably mostly IT or involved with computers in some shape or form) make more money on average and y'know and I definitely applaud that intelligence, skill, and drive.

Also, to be captain obvious here: Where you live in the US is a pretty substantial factor too and what is considered poor in New York City as far as monetary income could be considered upper middle class in other areas of the country, especially the grand ol' rural US. Quite a bit of this discussion is all relative.

BoozeCube · Mar 10, 2019

Fifey said:
The 100k is lower class made me actually laugh out loud though, I don't think you've ever seen lower class living.

It wasn't meant as a slight or a jab, I mean there is plenty of talk or Lower, Middle, and Upper Class. I mean in your mind where do those breakdowns occur? I know there is a drastic standard of living swing between $0-$100k dollars but that doesn't mean it's true middle class.

Vanessa said:
Also, to be captain obvious here: Where you live in the US is a pretty substantial factor too and what is considered poor in New York City as far as monetary income could be considered upper middle class in other areas of the country, especially the grand ol' rural US. Quite a bit of this discussion is all relative.

This is why I have always laughed at the idea of trying to push a $15/hour minimum wage at a federal level. If anything this should be a state/county right to decide, as in your example the middle of New York City and some corn field city in Kansas can't be held to the same standards.

Noodleface · Mar 10, 2019

A lot of people don't know what it's like. My wife and I combined were making 30-40k a year. Not much has changed, just we have a house and kids. I still feel poor

Haus · Mar 10, 2019

Confusing wording there on the poll....
What do you do if you're the only one in the household bringing in income, is that household or solo? Actually , it's both.

BoozeCube · Mar 10, 2019

Haus said:
Confusing wording there on the poll....
What do you do if you're the only one in the household bringing in income, is that household or solo? Actually , it's both.

I would say solo, household I meant as mostly than one income, typically your spouse bringing home some additional green. Even so you are technically correct.

Fifey · Mar 10, 2019

BoozeCube said:
It wasn't meant as a slight or a jab, I mean there is plenty of talk or Lower, Middle, and Upper Class. I mean in your mind where do those breakdowns occur? I know there is a drastic standard of living swing between $0-$100k dollars but that doesn't mean it's true middle class.

I didnt feel attacked or anything, its just sometimes this board gets eyerolls from me cause the level of affluency here.

Id say under 20g a year is poverty, 25 to 75 wouldbe the lower to upper middle class and anything above is upper class, not the 1% or anything but at that level you can think ahead and can start having money work for you.

loudgas · Mar 10, 2019

If I make 300k pesos and live in Mexico can I be in the 300k bracket?

wormie · Mar 10, 2019

loudgas said:
If I make 300k pesos and live in Mexico can I be in the 300k bracket?

I see $$$ signs in the poll. Denied.

BoozeCube · Mar 10, 2019

loudgas said:
If I make 300k pesos and live in Mexico can I be in the 300k bracket?

Umm, no... I'll make a new bracket for you called "Poor"

Noodleface · Mar 10, 2019

Fifey said:
I didnt feel attacked or anything, its just sometimes this board gets eyerolls from me cause the level of affluency here.

Id say under 20g a year is poverty, 25 to 75 wouldbe the lower to upper middle class and anything above is upper class, not the 1% or anything but at that level you can think ahead and can start having money work for you.

I would never in a million years classify myself as upper class. Not even upper middle, just straight middle

lurkingdirk · Mar 10, 2019

Noodleface said:
I would never in a million years classify myself as upper class. Not even upper middle, just straight middle

I would do the same, even though our combined income would put us higher than that. I'm content just to be middle. Whatever. I live in a 1977 house that I've been renovating myself because it was a shit hole. I live in the midwest in one of the most affordable places around. I could have an opulent house and all that shit, but I just don't want it. I don't want it for myself, and I don't want my kids growing up as entitled little shits. Part time jobs and plenty of chores around the house.

How much money do you make?

How much money do you make?

$0-$50k

$50k-$100k

$100k-$150k solo

$100k-$150k household

$150k-$200k solo

$150k-$200k household

$200k-$300k solo

$200k-$300k household

$300k+ solo

$300k+ household

Not Great, Not Terrible

Ahn'Qiraj Raider

rdr^2

Revolver Ocelot

Vyemm Raider

AssHat Taint

Trakanon Raider

Silver Knight of the Realm

Uncle Tanya

The Wokest

A Mod Real Quick

I am Big Balls!

The Wokest

Trakanon Raider

Golden Baronet of the Realm

Asshat wormie

2023 Asshat Award Winner

The Wokest

A Mod Real Quick

AssHat Taint