[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by NewChief

That's the damned truth. 100k family income is pretty lower middle class right now, imo. Shit is expensive. At one time, that would have been upper middle class. That being said, people can make 100k, live frugally, and do just fine. But you're not going to be able to splurge on 100k like I think you once could.

Hell, maybe my view is distorted, though. My parents were wealthy and never talked about money. We lived on a lot of land and took some pretty cool trips growing up, but they never made us feel rich by any means. That's mainly because they lived well within their means and put a lot more back than they spent.

We, on the other hand, live at the top of our means. We don't have a huge house or anything of that nature, but we take the trips we want to take and give our kids the advantages we feel they should have (music, art, sports, etc...). We definitely stress about finances, though. I never remember my parents saying a word about financial stress.

Translation: The lifestyle you want to lead is expensive.