My family makes $100k plus a year, its not enough!!

[IndyColtsFan]

Midwest can be fine if you live in or near KC, St. Louis, or some other decent city, but otherwise it's just so boring.

With the money you save by living in the Midwest, you can take some killer vacations and travel all over the place to ease your "boredom." Anyway, I agree -- I wouldn't live in the Midwest without living within an hour of a major city.

 

[Mai72]

 

[Ruptga]

With the money you save by living in the Midwest, you can take some killer vacations and travel all over the place to ease your "boredom." Anyway, I agree -- I wouldn't live in the Midwest without living within an hour of a major city.

That's all I meant by it. The cities really are fine, it's just everything else that's a wasteland. Pretty much everyone that can has left or is leaving the small towns, leaving them populated with some of the least motivated, least capable, and most broken people you'll ever find. The natural flip side is that the cities have the best of the area.

 

[PieIsAwesome]

I live in socal, but the inland area. Much more reasonable housing prices here. Much of the L.A. area is shitty and expensive. Wouldn't want to live there. The non-shitty areas are extremely expensive. Those are nice places but out of my reach.

The inland area has a lot of crappy areas too, but there are plenty of good areas. Places that are safe, big, open, with a high standard of living. Anything u want from L.A. u still have access to. Soulless mcmansion >>> tiny shitty house or apartment in L.A..

Problem would be the commute. I work in the inland area so it's petfect for me.

 

[cbrunny]

I ate popcorn for dinner. Cost me 60 cents.

This is my favourite thing you've ever said.

But for OP, you should move to Canada. Problem solved.

 

[Belegost]

1%ers

I'm sorry, but $100K/year is nowhere near 1% territory.


You need to hit over $150K/year just to reach the top 5% - $100K/year is around the 20th percentile.

 

[moonbogg]

We're leaving SOCAL as soon as we can. Only the rich make it here. Every one else chokes to death.

 

[Belegost]

We're leaving SOCAL as soon as we can. Only the rich make it here. Every one else chokes to death.

I can highly recommend the Denver/Boulder area, lower cost of living, good wages, and decent people. Plus still a lot of interest in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

 

[madoka]

Not surprised. My wife makes $120K per year and she tearfully confessed to me that she is completely broke. And that's with me paying all the car expenses and much of our living expenses. Living in LA is expensive.

At the same time, only major metropolitan areas would have the kind of clients who are willing to pay me what I charge, so we can't move.

 

[madoka]

Double post.

 

[alkemyst]

Why are you sharing all of this with a bunch of strangers

Are my monthly bills some kind of top secret stuff?

In counterpointe are you just here to troll then?

 

[alkemyst]

I can highly recommend the Denver/Boulder area, lower cost of living, good wages, and decent people. Plus still a lot of interest in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Dirty snow.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

I can highly recommend the Denver/Boulder area, lower cost of living, good wages, and decent people. Plus still a lot of interest in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Yep, I've had two different branches of my family move to Denver recently and they both like it a lot.

 

[alkemyst]

Yep, I've had two different branches of my family move to Denver recently and they both like it a lot.

I always doubted your family tree had any branches.

 

[notposting]

We can switch.

You send us your income for 2015.
We'll send you ours.

By 2016, 100K will feel like the lap of luxury!

 

[alkemyst]

I'm sorry, but $100K/year is nowhere near 1% territory.


You need to hit over $150K/year just to reach the top 5% - $100K/year is around the 20th percentile.

The over $150k for 5% is very outdated, but still common to hear. Census data shows the lower limit for the top 5% was $157k in 2004 and $150k in 2001. Now it's $190k.

https://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/data/historical/household/

To break 1% you need to make $389k

To be one of the 500 richest you need 1.55 BILLION.

 

[zanejohnson]

people always struggle with this....


you have to proactively SAVE money...

its little things..... i've managed to keep our electricity bill less than 150 bucks a month, when people around me are spending 400... how? i use window ac units in ONLY THE ROOMS i'm in.. i use space heaters ONLY where i am..

i dont pay for cable. i pirate everything.

i only buy used cars, and cheap used cars.. i drive them until the wheels fall off. gas mileage can work to your advantage if you're a small business owner come tax time

instead of investing in stocks/market after we did actually come into some decent money, we bought real estate. (im not saying it's not smart to invest in the markets, i'm just not savvy enough)

i eat out, maybe once every two weeks... we buy things like pork chops/country style ribs/cheap steaks in bulk...

i grow a massive garden every year, tomatoes, squash, green beans, asparagus, onions... keeps the grocery bill cheap.

i dont own a personal cell phone. only a business phone, which is a write-off


we live like poor people. even friends that come over are like "WTF how do ya'll survive!"

because there's no "microwavable" food in the pantry......you want a steak, you gotta defrost them and cook them!

 

[SAWYER]

Not surprised. My wife makes $120K per year and she tearfully confessed to me that she is completely broke. And that's with me paying all the car expenses and much of our living expenses. Living in LA is expensive.

 

[Mai72]

Not surprised. My wife makes $120K per year and she tearfully confessed to me that she is completely broke. And that's with me paying all the car expenses and much of our living expenses. Living in LA is expensive.

At the same time, only major metropolitan areas would have the kind of clients who are willing to pay me what I charge, so we can't move.

What? You have got to be kidding me!

You pay the majority of the bills! What the hell is she spending $120k on? Someone has their priorities screwed. Also, I bet she's cheating on you. Probably spending the money on the young stud she's been dating behind your back.

I guarantee it!

 

[jlee]

What? You have got to be kidding me!

You pay the majority of the bills! What the hell is she spending $120k on? Someone has their priorities screwed. Also, I bet she's cheating on you. Probably spending the money on the young stud she's been dating behind your back.

I guarantee it!

Dude, you weren't supposed to tell!

 

[Mai72]

Dude, you weren't supposed to tell!

You're the young stud?

 

[madoka]

What? You have got to be kidding me!

You pay the majority of the bills! What the hell is she spending $120k on?

Her half of our mortgage payment is $2500. After health insurance ($1800) and childcare ($1400), she's reduced to just a few hundred dollars per month for everything else.

 

[Mai72]

Her half of our mortgage payment is $2500. After health insurance ($1800) and childcare ($1400), she's reduced to just a few hundred dollars per month for everything else.

$1800 for health insurance?
Why is it so much?

$1400 for childcare? Could you find an alternative? Maybe a relative could take over the responsibilities?

Just a thought.

 

[Slew Foot]

Her half of our mortgage payment is $2500. After health insurance ($1800) and childcare ($1400), she's reduced to just a few hundred dollars per month for everything else.

10k mo is about 6k take home in CA. That health insurance seems really expensive, everything else seems appropriate.

 

[jlee]

Why is health insurance so much? Even if I paid my employer's contribution as well, I'd be wayyy under that.