SURVEY: What lifestyle do you have the means to live?

Question

No rocket science here, are you rich, poor or in-between? If you don't want it known publicly than just take the survey.

MCheetah · Accepted Answer

Spent literally most of my life (90-95%) as Option A, but am currently now between options B and C (I'm a teacher, and make the US equivalent of $2,000 a month after all taxes and bills). I am closer to Option C, but I don't like choosing that one because I think the OP is upper middle class and underestimates what middle class means, at least by American/Western standards, because I certainly can't "do whatever I want." So I'm choosing Option G.

The median personal/individual yearly salary in America is $33,706, which broken down by a full-time job, equals roughly $16 an hour. Depending on who you ask, that's either a pretty nice salary (if you're the type of worker who knows how much they get paid "per hour") or pretty low (if you're upper middle class or higher). I think most Americans know how much they get paid an hour, even if they have a salaried job, considering $16 an hour is only a little bit more than the working class, which is like $9-$12 an hour for most sh*tty jobs I've ever had as an adult.

Now, the other part of this question is lifestyle. Ironically, I had more "disposable income" for the lack of a better word, when I was dirt poor. I was on government assistance with an EBT Card ("food stamps," for the OG's) for several years while in college and could almost never have a single luxury most people take for granted (stuff like cable TV, Netflix, good-speed internet, new shoes whenever I wanted, an expensive AF overpriced smartphone that has the durability of prop glass, etc). However, I lived close to downtown Philadelphia paying $350 a month for a crapsack apartment that didn't have working AC or heat, and worked a 12-hour-shift concierge job on the weekends when not in school three to five days a week on the weekdays. Make no mistake, I was dirt poor. But I had freedom.

Nowadays, I have a full time job as a teacher, only just getting my Masters degree last year, and work 40 hours a week in a job I mostly dislike, despite making literally more than thrice as much money as I did just two years ago. I don't have much freedom, except for Sundays when all I do is sleep for 16-20 hours through the entire day. So I'd argue my lifestyle has actually been downgraded with a full-time job making $3,432 a month after taxes, but spending a $1,100 a month alone on rent for a crappy studio apartment (though to be fair, almost everyone here live in crappy studio apartments). I have less freedom than when I was only living off of $900 a month after taxes (at $12.50 an hour) as a broke AF college student.

So that's why none of these lifestyles really apply to me. As BIG said, "Mo' money, mo' problems."

(Also, kind of a minor annoyance, but the homeless chick should fit for Option A, and the crackhouses for B, since having a home to live in beats being literally homeless.)

Jamie05rhs · Accepted Answer

I'm poor and I make a lot of money, but unfortunately I'm currently still in debt, so most of my money goes to paying past debts. In other words, I'm catching up on the fun I already had.

But the good news is I'm getting closer and closer to getting out of debt, and my credit score keeps going up and up!

Xoxocutekitty · Accepted Answer

I wish there was a lower middle class option. Like, I have the ability to pay my bills and over the last year was able to squirrel away enough money for a 3 month rainy day fund. However, I still need every paycheck that comes. I cannot afford to take an unpaid week off, I live with 4 roommates, and I cannot go get my nails or dine at the new restaurant without looking at the prices in the window. I am thankful that I can afford a roof (rented), utilities, and groceries, but I still "count" purchases that are over $15. So things like nails and a haircut are still expensive to me and the first thing to go if it looks like I'm nearing my budget for the month.

Happiehippie1 · Accepted Answer

Regardless of whatever you voted, everyone is important

Anonymous · Answer

I am upper low class.

I can afford housing in the central district (living alone), high speed internet + VPN, more than enough food to eat (i can order pizza every week if I want to), clothes, accessories, some medical services (I had a LASIK surgery in December 2019 and I was saving up for it) and a few miscellaneous extras (plumbing services, going to the beach out of town and back alone using a cab, one time hiring the service of a beautiful and naked woman with big tits to make me feel like in heaven for 2 hours). Boom. All my salary wasted in a month.

My younger/same age coworkers however make more money than I do since they are Software Engineers (which is one job position above me) and most of them still live with their parents. A few of them have a car/motorcycle, some of them have an iphone and some of them went to vacation abroad several times and moved to Europe.

I used to be completely penniless. So penniless I had to manage toothpaste and soap like a greedy bum and I was a skeleton.

Lliam · Answer

I fell into a job that was really good considering my life experience and qualifications at the time. I eventually learned to do it very well and stayed at it for 30 years. I squirrelled away a good deal of my salary into a 401k. My wife and I bought a house on which we are still paying a mortgage. I LOVE where I live on a hillside with a view on 30 acres of oak grassland in a rural area with towns and cities nearby. Our house is modest but it's comfy and I like it a lot. We have an abundance of sweet well water, a grid-tied solar electric system, a big garage, a small orchard, pretty flowers, bushes and trees in the yard, and raised beds for veggies.

I retired, but my social security and small pension, along with my wife's income as a hair designer, pay the bills. We have enough to live on and enjoy life, but we have to be careful not to dig into what money I have left in my IRA or it won't last into our old age.

jsincal · Answer

I make income passively. I’m not rich or poor. The taxes I pay is $0-$50 a year. But I do travel a lot and enjoy my life. And a part of that enjoyment is learning. I love to eat up knowledge. I’m also putting myself in other positions to eat more income passively.

I’ve also keep buying silver since I was a young child, and haven’t sold. I’ll keep them for a very long time.

Technically I make $30k a year. Hardly anything in taxes paid. I also make money in whatever I find cheap and what I know I can sell at a higher price. That puts an extra $15,000 cash in my pocket and again no taxes.

If your normal employee makes $70,000 a year you get around $50k after taxes. Add driving expense, and all the rest and it comes to barely anything. I make more than my friends at $70k + a year.

UserL83 · Answer

Single mom of 3. I'm on welfare. I have no idea how I'm doing Christmas this year. I have 2 bathrooms with only one working toilet. Only one working shower. My sliding glass door won't close. I can't afford a plumber or handyman. I can't afford to register my car. Blah blah blah. But I'm happy with my kiddos! It won't be like this forever.

DeeDeeDeVour · Answer

At this point in my life, I can very easily afford almost anything my mind desires.
I don't want to be famous but I'm nearly "rich enough" to be famous. I used to be popular but prefer to live a low profile nowadays because it's more peaceful that way.

Jjpayne · Answer

I'm on government assistance but I'm able to have enough money to comfortably get by... Basically 350 in the bank for the whole month in which rent, health insurance and utilities are already covered. It's something but it's not a lot. So I just have to be careful with it to make it last

Justacatlady · Answer

I choose B although I have a bit more then just paying bills. I can go on vacations or trips, I just have to plan for them. I can buy myself nice things, again, they just have to be planned and saved for. I don’t make a lot of money but I make good choices with what I have

Finchie40 · Answer

I been blue collar pretty much whole life until about a year ago I became a white collar , I wouldn’t consider myself rich but I do pretty good for myself , I always been a worker and my hard work and dedication is what got me to where I am today

Brainsbeforebeauty · Answer

Years ago could of answered C but 13 years of my hubby not being able to work due to long-term illness and the financial toll it took with doctor's bills, hospital stays, treatments, surgeries... I'm currently A, trying not to become B

1Sophisticatedme · Answer

Letter A for me. Its a struggle for a single mom of 2. I live life to my fullest.

ImSparkly · Answer

I have a trust fund, but live well below my means. I find ostentatious displays of wealth off-putting.

Anonymous · Answer

So, I actually have a lot of money in my savings but live poor because I dont want to spend any of my savings.

Bratsondanielle · Answer

Well as long as I am with my boyfriend I'm pretty rich because he is but if he kicks me out I'll be . Not struggle but also not rich

Nikki1989 · Answer

Voted C. " I live a middle class lifestyle, so I'm not rich but I'm not poor either and do most everything I want to do within reason."

modeve · Answer

Irrespective of my sources and earning, I live within means and maintain balance.

Kabluie · Answer

My credit score is 820 and I have no debt. Money will never be an issue for the rest of my life, and not famous.

douride2 · Answer

I am one of the lucky ones. I'm not well off but I own my house & don't owe any one any money what soever.

mimi051998 · Answer

C. I live a middle class lifestyle, so I'm not rich but I'm not poor either and do most everything I want to do within reason

krin_m · Answer

I voted B because I had to build this computer myself with strings, matchsticks, cheese cloth and I learned watching old MacGyver videos. I walk to work 10 miles uphill back and forth every day in rain and hot sun at the same time. :-)

Anonymous · Answer

Hard to say for certain, I'm 25, live alone, and make 52k. I guess by census data that's middle class, but I don't feel it all the time.

SURVEY: What lifestyle do you have the means to live?

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