HOW DO YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT!?!?!

Median household income in the U.S. is under $55,000.

According to this, middle class is any household earning between 67% and 200% of the state's median income. In Arkansas, it's $27,000 to $81,000. In Missouri, it's $47,000 to $94,000. In Kansas, it's $51,000 to $102,000.

http://twocents.lifehacker.com/the-s...ate-1695393156

I did a little blog for my company on the payback of higher education last year, for associate, bachelor, and master's degrees. If I remember right, the average payback period for a college degree is six years in terms of salary. I assumes various years of lost income pursuing the degree, and then analyzed the average income differential once you get the degree. For all three types of degrees, the payback period was about six years. i thought that was interesting.

But your point also reminded me of the cost. That payback period was for a public school and in-state tuition, and I think I included room and board. For all the talk about massive student debt, I was shocked at how inexpensive college costs are if you're doing an in-state public school. There's no need to go $200,000 in debt for a college degree if you think the quality of public universities is adequate.

People like to include meals, rent, and pretty much every other expense when talking about the price of college. It's as if they think they wouldn't have to eat nor pay rent if they weren't taking classes for some reason.

Okay. So I'm rich, bitch!

Yeah, I never gave a shit that we didn't have much money. My Parents were just amazing people. Without them and their willingness to spend the time to raise me right, I'd be nothing today. It's a debt I can never repay.

In retrospect, I wish I had spent my time, money and effort on something different. It's my one, true regret thus far in life.

Congrats to you for having the balls to make it happen no matter how late.

Bright side is, if he's paying that much then he's bringing home a ****ing shit ton. Imagine when he gets out from under that debt. Straight cash, homie!

Ya, we lived with my g-ma (God bless)until she could afford our first apt.....lots of clothes on layaway, but never went without.

We're great friends now. She's my biggest fan.

Conversations about the utility of a college degree ultimately seem to circle back to the 80-20 rule. The degree, on its own, is simply a start. Nothing more. If individuals believe it's a golden ticket to a career, they are wrong, generally speaking.

However, a college degree is a good entry point, and the statistics relative to career earning potential confirm this.

At the end of the day, though, that new ****ing Kia you bought, the fully loaded model, is still a great investment. Outstanding. I would never hesitate to pull that ****ing trigger because that's about the equivalent of the average student loan debt. Luckily, they appreciate about the same.

But people like to blame the system, the college, the degree. It's never the individual and the lack of marketability in an increasingly difficult job market. Again, the degree, any degree, is an important start, but it's not the end when it comes to educating yourself and getting on the job market and being successful.

Translation: The lifestyle you want to lead is expensive.

That's the plan .....

Well that all depends on the lifestyle you choose to live at that point. If he decides once the debt is gone to take on a $500k mortgage, then the amount of money you make doesn't really take away your financial stress. This seems to be the common in this country sadly.

Absolutely true. I'm just assuming he's "smart".

About this time last year my dad secured a job making almost double what he was making at his previous job. So what did he do? Go out and buy himself a luxury car and a new Jeep for his fiancé, naturally.

I think my generation, millenniums, tend to over-estimate how good our financial situation happens to be. Most look at income brought home and solely that compared to others or their parents. However, this generation has very few homeowners compared to our parents at this age, has higher living expenses (by choice at times) and has virtually no savings for retirement or even a clue on how to prepare for the future. I know plenty of people who are offered 401k's at work and either have no clue what they are investing in them or some of them decide not to even have one. So while many feel good about things, their grasp on a full financial picture is very poorly defined.