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.
I am a great cook! I cook restaurant quality food at home most nights and I usually am disappointed when I go out to eat because I'm a proud "food snob."
I grew up poor and watched PBS cooking shows on Saturday mornings/early afternoon against the protestations of my brothers who wanted to watch cartoons lol. But they all are happy now since I do it up for holidays and birthdays with my cooking.
But I do like to go out and try different places. As stated, we go on some elaborate vacations a 2-3 times per year and I try a lot of different cuisine and eat out every day when we are on vacation but regularly it is maybe once a month.
Exactly! Saying someone isn't rich because they spend all their money on big houses, cars, private school, and vacations is indeed asinine! Saying, "Well I may have two BMW's and my kid may go to a private school, and I may live in a very nice house and take a lot of vacations, but I'm not rich!" is asinine. Even in NYC or SF you can survive quite nicely on 300k. Just ask those millions of people who make nowhere near that who do it every day.
You can always tell those who were born with a silver spoon, and there seems to be quite a few on this thread!
They probably weren't born with silver spoons in their mouths...they're just being political in their analysis.
As someone who grew up in Scottsdale, Az, I was definitely born to well off parents and everyone in my neighborhood was fairly well off and even I know that 300k per year is a tremendous sum of money. I know several wealthy people intimately, and only my college buddy who's a divorce lawyer makes around 300k. He has a few exotic cars, takes unbelievable vacations, has a very nice (but not ostentatious) home, wears thousand dollar suits and sends his two boys to good schools.
He's not filthy rich, but most people in this area...a relatively affluent area, can only dream of living like him.
Hell, out family doctor told me that he makes about 160k a year...and he lives quite well. His wife doesn't even work.
Now I can call HIM upper middle class...that's fair. But at 300k? Please. That's a laughable claim.
THell, out family doctor told me that he makes about 160k a year...and he lives quite well. His wife doesn't even work.
Now I can call HIM upper middle class...that's fair. But at 300k? Please. That's a laughable claim.
The problem with yearly incomes is timing and time frame.
A doc making $300K his first year is most likely not rich.
A doc making $160K for 30 years might be much closer to rich if he or she worked their accumulating dollars successfully.
They probably weren't born with silver spoons in their mouths...they're just being political in their analysis.
As someone who grew up in Scottsdale, Az, I was definitely born to well off parents and everyone in my neighborhood was fairly well off and even I know that 300k per year is a tremendous sum of money. I know several wealthy people intimately, and only my college buddy who's a divorce lawyer makes around 300k. He has a few exotic cars, takes unbelievable vacations, has a very nice (but not ostentatious) home, wears thousand dollar suits and sends his two boys to good schools.
He's not filthy rich, but most people in this area...a relatively affluent area, can only dream of living like him.
Hell, out family doctor told me that he makes about 160k a year...and he lives quite well. His wife doesn't even work.
Now I can call HIM upper middle class...that's fair. But at 300k? Please. That's a laughable claim.
Maybe that's true, but even looking at it "politically", 300k puts you in the top 2-3%. If you make more than 97% of Americans, you are rich. If you spend it all, or choose to live in an expensive city, that is on you. Doesn't make you less rich.
I was about the exact opposite of you growing up. I grew up in Jackson, AL. A cesspool with a paper mill. We lived in a house that cost my parents 26k. We could barely fit the 4 of us in there. We had one vehicle, and one we borrowed from my grandparents when we needed it. I did go to a private school, but my grandparents paid for that. (They didn't want me to be bullied like my sister was at the local public school) Not to mention, it only cost about $2,500/yr. We never went on vacations, we didn't get a lot for Christmas, etc etc. Now don't misunderstand, I am not mad or bitter about my childhood. In fact, I loved my childhood! My parents were fantastic, and I spent all my time playing football and other sports with the neighborhood kids, or in leagues. Money does not buy happiness. That is what I learned growing up.
From my position, 300k is a crap ton of money. If you can't make it very easily, in any city in the country on 300k, you need to learn how to manage your money. I don't know about AZ, but here in Mobile, 160k would give you a VERY nice life. Would you be able to go crazy with it? No. Would you be "rich"? No. 300k though? Absolutely.
I am a great cook! I cook restaurant quality food at home most nights and I usually am disappointed when I go out to eat because I'm a proud "food snob."
I grew up poor and watched PBS cooking shows on Saturday mornings/early afternoon against the protestations of my brothers who wanted to watch cartoons lol. But they all are happy now since I do it up for holidays and birthdays with my cooking.
But I do like to go out and try different places. As stated, we go on some elaborate vacations a 2-3 times per year and I try a lot of different cuisine and eat out every day when we are on vacation but regularly it is maybe once a month.
In all seriousness, cooking well is a great skill to possess, and unless you live in a major American city, a well-cooked meal is preferable to the chain-restaurant tripe pushed on the middle class. The next level of "food snob" has an excellent kitchen and uses it well.
And yes, driving a BMW 3-series to a P.F. Chang's or Cheesecake factory does not make you "rich" either.
I was responding to others saying that you aren't rich at that price range in those cities. Maybe not, but you are still much better off. If you go strictly by how much someone saves, then you could make $1 billion and still not be "rich" by these standards. I think there is a disconnect in what people perceive as rich. If you only think being rich means being a millionaire, then you are naïve. If you think making 300k a year is not rich, in almost every city in this country, minus just a few zip codes, then you are naïve. Or you are one of those people who make 300k and want MORE MORE MORE!!! 300k in Mobile, Al (where I live) would most definitely be rich. In almost every zip code in this country, you would be rich. If not rich, much more well off than the vast majority of others. If you want to use those few zip codes to say, "See, that isn't rich HERE!!!", then go for it.
I think it is a difference in the way one is raised. Coming from a family who never had much, 300k a year, or $25,000 a month, is being rich. $25,000 a month and you think that isn't rich? In two months you have made more than the average income in most states for a year! If you aren't smart enough to save some, then that is on you. Keep driving all your fancy cars, living in you giant houses, going on extravagant vacations, and calling yourself middle class. In reality, you don't even know what middle class looks like with that kind of money.
" In reality, you don't even know what middle class looks like with that kind of money."
Sorry, in REALITY you just made a BIG fool of yourself for AsSUMING you know anything about me, wich you DON'T.
As usual these thread go beyond was the OP posted about.
No it doesn't. Not at that income level. I've already shown that 300k is rich in one of the most prestigious locales in this country. And if it's rich there, it's rich pretty much everywhere else.
No it doesn't. Not at that income level. I've already shown that 300k is rich in one of the most prestigious locales in this country. And if it's rich there, it's rich pretty much everywhere else.
It's not rich where we live. It's upper middle class.
It's not rich where we live. It's upper middle class.
that is rich...lol
LOL at "upper middle class"
is that the same as "lower wealthy class"
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.
