I'm doing OK for a kid who dropped out at 15. Have a nice home (my wife and I built it ourselves ,I.E. drove the nails) and a small biz we run. We arn't getting rich, but are comfy. Low debt load, older cars, etc. The scary thing is medical insurance. It keeps going up and up and we pay every nickel ourselves. It is a bit tough to go to the dentist and have to pony up over two grand for a root canal and a crown. (no, we don't have dental insurance, can't afford the premium.) Every thing we have we earned ourselves with the help of parents who taught us to work hard. Thank you Mom and Dad!
standard of living and how well are you doing.
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Sindawe
Member
+1
We do pretty well, but I'm getting on in age, and it's been a long hard road to get here. Starting to reap the benefits of long careers (> 25 yrs) and long relationships (30 years & still on the first wife).
Bought two Smiths in the past week.
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Bought two Smiths in the past week.
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Gordon Fink
Member
By Republican standards, my wife and I are poor and live partially on welfare. By Democratic standards, we are rich and should pay our share. I guess that puts us in the middle class.
Seriously, though, our cash flow is positive but just barely. Our wages have been stagnant for the last few years, but that hasn’t stopped our expenses from increasing. Discretionary income is nice. I miss it.
~G. Fink
Seriously, though, our cash flow is positive but just barely. Our wages have been stagnant for the last few years, but that hasn’t stopped our expenses from increasing. Discretionary income is nice. I miss it.
~G. Fink
Standing Wolf
Member in memoriam
I've got enough money to go shooting and paint. I guess I'm doing well.
beerslurpy
member
These past 3 years have been awesome. Got my first house, have a positive net worth for the first time, even applying to law school this year.
The economy is picking up, because I have friends that are working after having difficulty for a long time.
The CA economy is still screwed tho.
The economy is picking up, because I have friends that are working after having difficulty for a long time.
The CA economy is still screwed tho.
gc70
Member
I'm over the hill - that is, the financial hill. My wife stayed home to raise two sons while I worked and things were tight at times. Required expenditures dropped dramatically when the kids finished college and I have been surprised how our desire for consumer goods (other than guns 
) has fallen off in recent years. In short, life is good for this sharecropper's grandson.
) has fallen off in recent years. In short, life is good for this sharecropper's grandson.What are true riches?
Hi, I don't want to come across as some sort of cultist, but money isn't what makes you happy. Oh yeah, it helps and being poor sucks, BTDT, but there are so many things that are important and not about money at all.
As Americans our standard of living is so high compared to other parts of the world and our ancestors that we can't bitch at all. In general we have bigger houses, more cars, better education, travel more and have better health care. I went through central Mexico and am not suprised that people will go to great lengths to come here.
But even that skirts the point. I just was out with my wife and we had a great evening just a couple beers together with some good conversation. My dog is asleep at my feet. My brother's family made it through the tornado in Ill. with no damage.
I am a rich man.
pete
Hi, I don't want to come across as some sort of cultist, but money isn't what makes you happy. Oh yeah, it helps and being poor sucks, BTDT, but there are so many things that are important and not about money at all.
As Americans our standard of living is so high compared to other parts of the world and our ancestors that we can't bitch at all. In general we have bigger houses, more cars, better education, travel more and have better health care. I went through central Mexico and am not suprised that people will go to great lengths to come here.
But even that skirts the point. I just was out with my wife and we had a great evening just a couple beers together with some good conversation. My dog is asleep at my feet. My brother's family made it through the tornado in Ill. with no damage.
I am a rich man.
pete
frenchwrench
Member
I make the bank and my daughters college very happy.
xd9fan
Member
I am lucky and blessed.....and we work for everything we get.....just wish the Federal Govt would "back off" and practise family kitchen table accounting!!
For some reason at the age of 12 I always knew that no matter what happens or how much money you dont think you have.....always always invest some of it. See www.ricedelman.com his cheap $20 "the truth about money" book is the best book I have read and I read a ???? load.
After our third boy(in as many years) will be born in Febuary the Wife will quit work (so we continue the no daycare thing) and we'll see......we'll make do.
Oh and she wants me to get cut
For some reason at the age of 12 I always knew that no matter what happens or how much money you dont think you have.....always always invest some of it. See www.ricedelman.com his cheap $20 "the truth about money" book is the best book I have read and I read a ???? load.
After our third boy(in as many years) will be born in Febuary the Wife will quit work (so we continue the no daycare thing) and we'll see......we'll make do.
Oh and she wants me to get cut
Not too bad for an undergrad.
I have no debt, truck is payed for, my split living expenses are trivial, no S.O., and my pizza delivery job allows a steady, though very very slow trickle of expensive toys.
Poverty level by income, I feel middle class through smart spending and modest tastes.
I have no debt, truck is payed for, my split living expenses are trivial, no S.O., and my pizza delivery job allows a steady, though very very slow trickle of expensive toys.
Poverty level by income, I feel middle class through smart spending and modest tastes.
If I was still in Cleveland, OH, and was married w/kids, I'd be in the poor house. The costs of parking and gas alone would make my surplus income plummet.
But now I live in Washington state, where there's no state income tax. (compared to Cleveland's state AND city income taxes) I live within a one minute, low stress drive from work, groceries, fuel, and the post office (walking distance, basically). The only other mouth I've got to feed is the cat.
So I'm doing OK, but I'm not saving much. Health care costs eat that up.
jmm
But now I live in Washington state, where there's no state income tax. (compared to Cleveland's state AND city income taxes) I live within a one minute, low stress drive from work, groceries, fuel, and the post office (walking distance, basically). The only other mouth I've got to feed is the cat.
So I'm doing OK, but I'm not saving much. Health care costs eat that up.
jmm
sumpnz
Member
Do it if you're OK with the concept and are sure you don't want more kids. I'm lucky in that I really do want more kids than my wife (2nd is due in late May). She's thinking 2 might be enough but is willing to go to 3. I'm really thinking 4-5 would be good (which is strange since I before the first I didn't particularly want any). It's nice to have leverage like that. If she's says she's done, she can get cut if she really want's to guarantee no more kids. With the advances in laproscopic (sp??) surgery, it's really not that significantly worse for the women anymore than for the men.xd9fan said:
cracked butt
Member
Wife and I both have jobs where we make about twice the stated average wage. She's salaried and works 60+ hours per week. I'm hourly, work 50+ hours per week and my company has pretty much unlimited overtime I could volunteer for available for the forseeable future. We have no debts except our mortgage, but we didn't mortgage ourselves to the hilt either.
The only thing I'm lacking is time. Money doesn't buy happiness and it certainly doesn't buy time. I think life was a lot more fun when I was making 1/2 as much and had a lot of free time.
The only thing I'm lacking is time. Money doesn't buy happiness and it certainly doesn't buy time. I think life was a lot more fun when I was making 1/2 as much and had a lot of free time.
Past four years of school have been good. The future looks good but the industry is very cyclical so who knows.
My degree is the highest paying undergrad at O.U. plus I'll get to stay in OK where the cost of living is LOW.
I'm doing pretty good and in May will be doing a lot better.
My degree is the highest paying undergrad at O.U. plus I'll get to stay in OK where the cost of living is LOW.
I'm doing pretty good and in May will be doing a lot better.
Sharps Shooter
Member
We're doing okay. I'm not sure where the lines are, but I think my wife and I would fall into the "lower middle class" category. Like 444, I worked my rear end off for 30 years and I retired at 53. I'm 57 now. We're starting to understand very well what it feels like to be living on a fixed income while prices just keep on going up. Especiallly gas prices. Both my wife and I are in good health, we already own more hunting and camping equipment than we really need, and for 30 years we looked forward to the time when, come hunting season we would just throw everything in the truck and head for the hills for as long as we wanted to stay. We thought we wouldn't have to worry about how far we were going and we wouldn't have a deadline as to when we would have to be back. Well, with $3.00 per gallon gas this year, we ended doing our hunting in the same old places we use to hunt before I retired - less than 30 miles from home! But, we got our meat. So, like I said, we're doing okay.
Scott F
Member
I was hurt on the job four years and one month ago. Lived two and a half years on $0.00 per month. If we were not debt free when I got hurt we would have lost everything. Hope it is over, we are waiting for a tiny settlement and help finding work since I can not go back to my trade. So. I would have to say that we are dirt poor and all of our savings have been spent.
Art Eatman
Moderator In Memoriam
As an Old Retired Fart, I have more assets than income. But, I don't have any debt, and I'm not "eat up with the I wants".
During my working years, I was able to have fairly serious toys, but one at a time. I did some neat stuff; sporty-car racing, for instance, but most of it came from a lot of do-it-yourself effort. A lot of five-to-midnight, plus things like hustling at coinshows and gunshows on weekends.
I guess you could say middle class, but by virtue of a full-time day job and a lot of other work. The harder I worked, the luckier I got.
, Art
During my working years, I was able to have fairly serious toys, but one at a time. I did some neat stuff; sporty-car racing, for instance, but most of it came from a lot of do-it-yourself effort. A lot of five-to-midnight, plus things like hustling at coinshows and gunshows on weekends.
I guess you could say middle class, but by virtue of a full-time day job and a lot of other work. The harder I worked, the luckier I got.
, ArtAnthonyRSS
Member
I am a student in ME living with my parents. I was given a scholarship to UAH, and I have a coop job in my field making more money than I am worth there. I have also been laying ceramic tile for 5 years, and I think I like blue collar better than the office...
I have no debts, and I spend too much money on guns.
The Lord is good to me.
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have, for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Hebrews 13:5
I have no debts, and I spend too much money on guns.
The Lord is good to me.
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have, for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Hebrews 13:5
el44vaquero
Member
Well, I keep the folks at Visa, Discover, and Mastercard in business. :banghead:
Headless Thompson Gunner
Member
Ain't that the truth...backphil said:
I'm just starting out, so I don't make much. I have more than enough to cover my true needs, and I have little interest in consumerism. A coupla guns, a good stereo, the public library, and my lovely girl provide all the entertainment I could ever need.
I have a sound education, no debt, and money in the bank/markets. If I stay smart, my investments will someday be able to cover all of my expenses. At that point I'll be "rich". But for the moment I'm living at the lowest end of middle class.
More importantly, I'm happy! I like my life and my lifestyle. I could happily live this way until I die. Isn't that the ultimate measure of "standard of living"??
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