Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
$400,000 salary - (paycheckcity.com) -> after taxes is $9382.17 bi-weekly or 243,936.42 a year for a married couple with two children. Subtract $70,000 a year for private school (assuming $35,000 tuition for two children) which they have to pay straight through college, subtract $50,000 for the nanny, and subtract $5,000 for rent (assuming $4500 apartment, utilities etc) which is $60,000 a year.
Total $63,936.42. Divide that over 12 months and you are left with $5328 a month for a family of four. God only knows what they spend that on, but that will determine whether they are scrapping the bottom of the barrel.
I understand that once you become accustomed to a certain lifestyle, it is hard to change. This mother should be looking at ways to reduce cost. They don't have to live in Manhattan for one thing.
I hear this complaint ALL THE TIME. $400,000 is a little less than what two mid-level associates working at a big law firm rake in. The problem for these people is that they're not comparing themselves to the average joe; they're comparing themselves to the partners, principals and chief executives that they fraternize with.
I mean, imagine working for a big New York law firm. One of your college classmates (Princeton '94) recently got promoted to EVP at his company, which brings him a $675,000 salary with stock options. You, on the other hand, only make $225,000 with a $50,000 lockstep bonus. When your wife sees his wife at the Christmas social, she suggests that your families spend New Year's in the south of France, and she tells you about this great little villa she loves to take her kids to where each 3,000 sq. foot cottage is assigned a personal chef who whips up a 5-star breakfast for you each morning ($15,000 per week price tag).
You get home from a 17 hour day in the office and your wife (who works as a curator like Charlotte York from SATC) tells you all about her friend's fabulous suggestion. You, however, balk at the price tag. When you see your friend at a reception, he asks whether you're joining them in the south of France because you haven't booked a cottage yet. And of course, he hits you with, "C'mon, Jack, Tom, Fred, and Harry are taking their families, too. It would be a shame if you let your pretty little wife down."
UrbanBaby is unbelievable. I sometimes forget this and start reading it but quickly realize most of the posts and comments there look like they are written by crazy angry women. I remember people making $300k being called losers, insults for being too young or too old, etc.
I hear this complaint ALL THE TIME. $400,000 is a little less than what two mid-level associates working at a big law firm rake in. The problem for these people is that they're not comparing themselves to the average joe; they're comparing themselves to the partners, principals and chief executives that they fraternize with.
I mean, imagine working for a big New York law firm. One of your college classmates (Princeton '94) recently got promoted to EVP at his company, which brings him a $675,000 salary with stock options. You, on the other hand, only make $225,000 with a $50,000 lockstep bonus. When your wife sees his wife at the Christmas social, she suggests that your families spend New Year's in the south of France, and she tells you about this great little villa she loves to take her kids to where each 3,000 sq. foot cottage is assigned a personal chef who whips up a 5-star breakfast for you each morning ($15,000 per week price tag).
You get home from a 17 hour day in the office and your wife (who works as a curator like Charlotte York from SATC) tells you all about her friend's fabulous suggestion. You, however, balk at the price tag. When you see your friend at a reception, he asks whether you're joining them in the south of France because you haven't booked a cottage yet. And of course, he hits you with, "C'mon, Jack, Tom, Fred, and Harry are taking their families, too. It would be a shame if you let your pretty little wife down."
Do you respond, "No, I can't afford it?"
No, I divorce my wife because I obviously married a moron.
The problem is the gap between her perception of what lifestyle $400,000 should get you, and what it actually gets you in Manhattan. When I was young and first came to NY and was living on $24K a year in Manhattan, I thought anyone making $500K or so, even if they had a family, wouldn't ever have to think about money again they'd be so rich. Naive.
My advice to her would be to move out of Manhattan, or to face reality as to what (still very comfortable) lifestyle that income will buy you.
I find it pretty funny at times when i'm at my girlfriend law firm and i see what the one person has said about the wife's talking to each other and about making travel plans to go place's .Most the people at her firm is into the socalled keepin up with the jone's lifestyle .
Me when i talk about living a simple life they look at me like i have two head's and speaking to them in tounge's and wonder what she see's in me when i'm at her office party or outing with her when i'm in town .
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
