News, A Bay Area couple with two kids can't make it on $50,000 a year.

[missingcol]

Originally Posted by redwoodlvr

Not news to me. I know a few two income couples who make well over 200k with their combined incomes or at least in the low six figures who aren't making ends meet in SF or other parts of the Bay Area. They're all responsible and doing what you're supposed to do, trying to raise their familes, but they're broke! That's just ridiculous.

I agree that Bay Area is expensive. But, probably 50% Bay Area families make less than 200k a year (I could be wrong), then 50% Bay Area families here couldn't make their ends meet? They got to lower their "ends meet" standard.

[Mach50]

There are areas in the US for families that can generate 50k of annual income, San Francisco is not one of them.

I know many people who have 2 kids, where the parents each make 120k a year and don't pocket a dime in the Bay Area living modestly here.

This is simply not news to me.

[skatealoneskatetogether]

Okay first off i dont see how those two are "middle class". Maybe if one of them was making that salary but not both of them. Basically middle class is white collar work. She works as an "office manager" for a legal aid and makes 27,000. Now i dont know what she does or what kind of work shes involved in but i know you can work at IN N OUT AND WALMART ( HAVE 2 FULLTIME JOBS) and you could make the same amount of money. "Ricardo" "drives a laundry truck". I don't think a truck drivers have ever been considered middle class.

So they make 50,000 a year. and for what ever reason they felt they could (and/or the tax payers of california could) support their 2 children. Im going to throw a curve ball out there but hell why not, im assuming one or both the parents probably were not born in this country. That being said whats the issue? Are these people some how entitled to everything money can buy, but with out the money?

No one told these people to
1 have children, 2 have low wage jobs 3 try to reside in San Fran, which has the highest median home values out of any city with over 500,000 people.

Think rent is high? Why dont they move across the bay to oakland or richmond? You can get a two bedroom apartment for what they are paying now. Oh wait they "have" to live in SF.

Thats the problem with this country today, Americans have gotten so lazy and spoiled, and have such a sense of entitlement that it spills over to the immigrants, drug addicts, homeless, and the poor! Even they think they are OWED somthing for NOTHING. When will people just accept the value of a dollar and get over it??Im not saying this family is, hell maybe they are, why else are they trying to get their sob story on the news. I did not see any mention of either parent working a second job, which leaves me to assume they are perfectly content with making 25,000 american dollars as oppose to 25,000 pesos.


Many americans can 'afford it'. They cant once they get their credit cards (spending money they dont have), ipods (keeping up with the latest trends) and new cars (extensions of persona) that americans suddenly realize they "cant afford it".

[TwinMom06]

Originally Posted by missingcol

I agree that Bay Area is expensive. But, probably 50% Bay Area families make less than 200k a year (I could be wrong), then 50% Bay Area families here couldn't make their ends meet? They got to lower their "ends meet" standard.

I agree lots of Americans are living a lifestyle they cannot afford. It's not about not being able to "live" on a particular salary. It is about not affording the "lifestyle you want" on your salary.

I saw an Oprah special where they went out to families, all middle-class families, who were in debt due to poor budgeting (often, no budgeting) of their money and Oprah's financial specialists helped them get on a budget and reduce their debt. (A family in "a California suburb" was represented, so I was happy about that. As many of you have pointed out, cost of living is higher in the Golden State.) All the families were purchasing and leasing more "stuff" than they could afford. It was easy for them to buy,as credit was so easy to get. They helped them change their spending habits and lifestyle to try to stay within their budget. The hardest adjustment was on the kids because they had been brought up expecting to get everything they wanted.

[Milliano]

Originally Posted by Tallysmom

The problem is that 50K isn't poverty. Poverty comes with safety nets of food stamps, lifeline telephone service, baseline help with PG&E...

Middle class just gets screwed. I'm betting that something like health insurance puts them over the edge. I've known people that have quit decent paying jobs to go back on welfare because paying for health insurance for themselves and the kids uses up all their wages.

I agree, in the USA the middle class is a step up, but generally, if you have the same social capital (friends/family/location/safety that sort of thing), going from lower income to middle income I don't see what the big gain is. I live well below the 'poverty line' but I get by just fine - I know plenty who do not, but it's not really about income itself I don't think, more about environmental factors and how wisely you use your money. But even though I try, I just don't see much benefit at all to getting a middle class income. Raising my income yes, but middle class amount? I'd be using $10 bills as toilet paper

Pardon if sounding a bit extremist in viewpoint earlier, but I'm just giving a counter viewpoint... this story to me sounded like an example case of an American family where there are money issues - except the issue isn't caused by money itself - but rather psychological and social factors. Note the obvious social bias in a phrase such as "can't make it". If a family is spending 10,000$ a year on credit card bills, they aren't really making $50,000... they're making $40,000. And if 20% of their income goes to debts, I can't imagine what other ridiculously bad financial decisions they were/are making. Some people on city-data say they have no money when they make 100K... it's not really about income but how you look at it, and how you use it.

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by Milliano

I agree, in the USA the middle class is a step up, but generally, if you have the same social capital (friends/family/location/safety that sort of thing), going from lower income to middle income I don't see what the big gain is. I live well below the 'poverty line' but I get by just fine - I know plenty who do not, but it's not really about income itself I don't think, more about environmental factors and how wisely you use your money. But even though I try, I just don't see much benefit at all to getting a middle class income. Raising my income yes, but middle class amount? I'd be using $10 bills as toilet paper

Pardon if sounding a bit extremist in viewpoint earlier, but I'm just giving a counter viewpoint... this story to me sounded like an example case of an American family where there are money issues - except the issue isn't caused by money itself - but rather psychological and social factors. Note the obvious social bias in a phrase such as "can't make it". If a family is spending 10,000$ a year on credit card bills, they aren't really making $50,000... they're making $40,000. And if 20% of their income goes to debts, I can't imagine what other ridiculously bad financial decisions they were/are making. Some people on city-data say they have no money when they make 100K... it's not really about income but how you look at it, and how you use it.

Have to agree about debt. In our lives, other than our house, we don't do debt. Hey -- there have been months when the we have to buy big ticket items like a new washer or fridge, so we pay half the credit card bill one month and the next half the next, but we have never ever done revolving debt.

Revolving debt is stupid, and sucks the life force out of you. Anyone that has it needs to STOP ADDING TO IT RIGHT NOW, and start selling off the crap they have and putting every penny they come across towards it to pay it off.

AND NEVER DO IT AGAIN.

[TwinMom06]

Originally Posted by Milliano

I agree, in the USA the middle class is a step up, but generally, if you have the same social capital (friends/family/location/safety that sort of thing), going from lower income to middle income I don't see what the big gain is. I live well below the 'poverty line' but I get by just fine - I know plenty who do not, but it's not really about income itself I don't think, more about environmental factors and how wisely you use your money. But even though I try, I just don't see much benefit at all to getting a middle class income. Raising my income yes, but middle class amount? I'd be using $10 bills as toilet paper

Pardon if sounding a bit extremist in viewpoint earlier, but I'm just giving a counter viewpoint... this story to me sounded like an example case of an American family where there are money issues - except the issue isn't caused by money itself - but rather psychological and social factors. Note the obvious social bias in a phrase such as "can't make it". If a family is spending 10,000$ a year on credit card bills, they aren't really making $50,000... they're making $40,000. And if 20% of their income goes to debts, I can't imagine what other ridiculously bad financial decisions they were/are making. Some people on city-data say they have no money when they make 100K... it's not really about income but how you look at it, and how you use it.

That was my point, exactly, when I posted last week that it sounds like the family in the article needs to learn how to budget and make their dollar go further. However, someone follow-up to my post saying that I was "oblivious" to living a life in poverty in SF. I think a lot has to do with how one manages their money.

It is silly how some people think 50% of the population in SF make $100,000 when in actuality, that level of salary represents the top 1-2% of the population. In certain communites, such as Orinda or Hillsborough, the median income is around $125,000. Some people forget that they tend to hang out with people just like themselves... if you are a yuppy doctor and hang out with other yuppy doctors, then it will seem like everyone you know is earning higher salaries but complaining that they can't buy that home they want, or can't afford to send their 3 kids to the top private school that costs $30K per year. Most of the people in San Francisco never sees that kind of money.

I know lots of people who have worked minimum wage their whole lives. They get a raise when minimum wage is increased. They raise their families and don't complain. They don't believe in credit cards, and live modestly, although they don't see it as modest, because that is the way they are used to living. They still manage to save a little each month for an emergency. Then, their public-school-educated kids go to college and become hard-working doctors, lawyers, teachers, business people, who return to the same communities to help and be role models for the next generation of children.

[Gerhardt]

Wonder what happened to the "alternative lifestyles" and "hip" set that supposedly put SFO on the map during the 60s?! Seems they all had to move out and/or turn into Yuppies.

If you work for a moderate salary and pay rent to live in SFO, you are wasting you time. That's IT.