Is $68,000 the bare-bones family income?

[Two Thumbs]

Is $68,000 the bare-bones family income?
This post comes from Lynn Mucken at MSN Money.


Or is it? According to a study commissioned by the nonprofit Wider Opportunities for Women, a family with two full-time wage earners and two children needs nearly $68,000 a year to afford fundamentals like housing, utilities, food, health care, transportation, saving for retirement and child care. The average such family in America makes less than that. Post continues after video.

[bold added]

Are they serious?

My family does all of that with 5 kids and a $54k income.

How can msn expect to be taken seriously when people can read that tripe and know that is exactly what it is?

Seriously, if you "need" $68k with just 2 kids, you need to check what you are wasting your money on.

 

[High_Gravity]

Is $68,000 the bare-bones family income?
This post comes from Lynn Mucken at MSN Money.


Or is it? According to a study commissioned by the nonprofit Wider Opportunities for Women, a family with two full-time wage earners and two children needs nearly $68,000 a year to afford fundamentals like housing, utilities, food, health care, transportation, saving for retirement and child care. The average such family in America makes less than that. Post continues after video.

[bold added]

Are they serious?

My family does all of that with 5 kids and a $54k income.

How can msn expect to be taken seriously when people can read that tripe and know that is exactly what it is?

Seriously, if you "need" $68k with just 2 kids, you need to check what you are wasting your money on.

So many people are making it on way less money than that, these idiots that write this stuff sipping their margaritas typing away on their laptops on their private yachts have no idea what the fuck is really going on.

 

[boedicca]

The income level needs to be adjusted for geography. The cost of living in Fargo ND is far different than that of NYC.

 

[Two Thumbs]

Is $68,000 the bare-bones family income?
This post comes from Lynn Mucken at MSN Money.


Or is it? According to a study commissioned by the nonprofit Wider Opportunities for Women, a family with two full-time wage earners and two children needs nearly $68,000 a year to afford fundamentals like housing, utilities, food, health care, transportation, saving for retirement and child care. The average such family in America makes less than that. Post continues after video.

[bold added]

Are they serious?

My family does all of that with 5 kids and a $54k income.

How can msn expect to be taken seriously when people can read that tripe and know that is exactly what it is?

Seriously, if you "need" $68k with just 2 kids, you need to check what you are wasting your money on.

So many people are making it on way less money than that, these idiots that write this stuff sipping their margaritas typing away on their laptops on their private yachts have no idea what the fuck is really going on.

When I read tripe like that, all I can think is that;
sporty cars with rims
The newest ithingy
the latest cell phone
mobil whatsit
lattes

Are full blown needs.

I suppose;
used cars
not having an ithingy
a home phone
a cell phone that works
and making coffee at home

is barbaric

 

[Two Thumbs]

The income level needs to be adjusted for geography. The cost of living in Fargo ND is far different than that of NYC.

I lived in Philly with 2 kids on even less. far less than what they claim as a need, even if I do a large adjustment for inflation.

personnally; If you can't make it where you are at? Move. many people do.

 

[Zoom-boing]

I would love to be a family of five 'struggling' on $68K/yr. Srsly. Increase the salary in our household to that point and let me show you how we'd 'struggle'. Cripes, we'd be able to sock away a shitload of money on that kind of salary.

 

[boedicca]

The income level needs to be adjusted for geography. The cost of living in Fargo ND is far different than that of NYC.

I lived in Philly with 2 kids on even less. far less than what they claim as a need, even if I do a large adjustment for inflation.

personnally; If you can't make it where you are at? Move. many people do.

Kudos to you. I completely agree with and follow the principle of "living within one's means".

My folks raised five kids on a very modest income. We had one car, cooked our meals at home, vacations were camping trips, etc. And all five of us worked our way through college.

In contrast, we had neighbors who lived it up on tons of debt. The result, my parents have a paid off house, and a couple of neighbors have lost theirs.

 

[Two Thumbs]

I would love to be a family of five 'struggling' on $68K/yr. Srsly. Increase the salary in our household to that point and let me show you how we'd 'struggle'. Cripes, we'd be able to sock away a shitload of money on that kind of salary.

Using some very basic math, that's $17K a person just to get by, so I would need $119K to make it.

If I made that, I could retire in 10 years from now.

 

[High_Gravity]

Is $68,000 the bare-bones family income?
This post comes from Lynn Mucken at MSN Money.


Or is it? According to a study commissioned by the nonprofit Wider Opportunities for Women, a family with two full-time wage earners and two children needs nearly $68,000 a year to afford fundamentals like housing, utilities, food, health care, transportation, saving for retirement and child care. The average such family in America makes less than that. Post continues after video.

[bold added]

Are they serious?

My family does all of that with 5 kids and a $54k income.

How can msn expect to be taken seriously when people can read that tripe and know that is exactly what it is?

Seriously, if you "need" $68k with just 2 kids, you need to check what you are wasting your money on.

So many people are making it on way less money than that, these idiots that write this stuff sipping their margaritas typing away on their laptops on their private yachts have no idea what the fuck is really going on.

When I read tripe like that, all I can think is that;
sporty cars with rims
The newest ithingy
the latest cell phone
mobil whatsit
lattes

Are full blown needs.

I suppose;
used cars
not having an ithingy
a home phone
a cell phone that works
and making coffee at home

is barbaric

You know what? everyones lifestyle is different, some people are totally comfortable living on 40K a year and there are some people that would slit their wrists if they had to give up their $100 jeans, Escalade, $400 cell phones and trips to Las Vegas.

 

[Two Thumbs]

The income level needs to be adjusted for geography. The cost of living in Fargo ND is far different than that of NYC.

I lived in Philly with 2 kids on even less. far less than what they claim as a need, even if I do a large adjustment for inflation.

personnally; If you can't make it where you are at? Move. many people do.

Kudos to you. I completely agree with and follow the principle of "living within one's means".

My folks raised five kids on a very modest income. We had one car, cooked our meals at home, vacations were camping trips, etc. And all five of us worked our way through college.

In contrast, we had neighbors who lived it up on tons of debt. The result, my parents have a paid off house, and a couple of neighbors have lost theirs.

We visited relatives and stayed in each others homes.

Your parents were upstanding people. The dreive to keep up with the Joneses is strong.

 

[High_Gravity]

I lived in Philly with 2 kids on even less. far less than what they claim as a need, even if I do a large adjustment for inflation.

personnally; If you can't make it where you are at? Move. many people do.

Kudos to you. I completely agree with and follow the principle of "living within one's means".

My folks raised five kids on a very modest income. We had one car, cooked our meals at home, vacations were camping trips, etc. And all five of us worked our way through college.

In contrast, we had neighbors who lived it up on tons of debt. The result, my parents have a paid off house, and a couple of neighbors have lost theirs.

We visited relatives and stayed in each others homes.

Your parents were upstanding people. The dreive to keep up with the Joneses is strong.

Man vacations are for rich people.

 

[Trajan]

Is $68,000 the bare-bones family income?
This post comes from Lynn Mucken at MSN Money.


Or is it? According to a study commissioned by the nonprofit Wider Opportunities for Women, a family with two full-time wage earners and two children needs nearly $68,000 a year to afford fundamentals like housing, utilities, food, health care, transportation, saving for retirement and child care. The average such family in America makes less than that. Post continues after video.

[bold added]

Are they serious?

My family does all of that with 5 kids and a $54k income.

How can msn expect to be taken seriously when people can read that tripe and know that is exactly what it is?

Seriously, if you "need" $68k with just 2 kids, you need to check what you are wasting your money on.

did lynn preface this with a regional disclaimer? 68K here in the bay area? forget it. and 2 wage earners?68K what they each work for 10 bucks an hour?

 

[High_Gravity]

Is $68,000 the bare-bones family income?
This post comes from Lynn Mucken at MSN Money.


Or is it? According to a study commissioned by the nonprofit Wider Opportunities for Women, a family with two full-time wage earners and two children needs nearly $68,000 a year to afford fundamentals like housing, utilities, food, health care, transportation, saving for retirement and child care. The average such family in America makes less than that. Post continues after video.

[bold added]

Are they serious?

My family does all of that with 5 kids and a $54k income.

How can msn expect to be taken seriously when people can read that tripe and know that is exactly what it is?

Seriously, if you "need" $68k with just 2 kids, you need to check what you are wasting your money on.

did lynn preface this with a regional disclaimer? 68K here in the bay area? forget it. and 2 wage earners?68K what they each work for 10 bucks an hour?

$68,000 is poverty level in New York and California and even Miami too I believe.

 

[Two Thumbs]

Is $68,000 the bare-bones family income?
This post comes from Lynn Mucken at MSN Money.


Or is it? According to a study commissioned by the nonprofit Wider Opportunities for Women, a family with two full-time wage earners and two children needs nearly $68,000 a year to afford fundamentals like housing, utilities, food, health care, transportation, saving for retirement and child care. The average such family in America makes less than that. Post continues after video.

[bold added]

Are they serious?

My family does all of that with 5 kids and a $54k income.

How can msn expect to be taken seriously when people can read that tripe and know that is exactly what it is?

Seriously, if you "need" $68k with just 2 kids, you need to check what you are wasting your money on.

did lynn preface this with a regional disclaimer? 68K here in the bay area? forget it. and 2 wage earners?68K what they each work for 10 bucks an hour?

$68,000 is poverty level in New York and California and even Miami too I believe.

Then somebody needs to pack there stuff up and move.



The only comparisons was to the national poverty level. So I'm assuming it's an average.

I couldn't read all that tripe. The more I did, the more pissed I got.

 

[xsited1]

Is $68,000 the bare-bones family income?
This post comes from Lynn Mucken at MSN Money.


Or is it? According to a study commissioned by the nonprofit Wider Opportunities for Women, a family with two full-time wage earners and two children needs nearly $68,000 a year to afford fundamentals like housing, utilities, food, health care, transportation, saving for retirement and child care. The average such family in America makes less than that. Post continues after video.

[bold added]

Are they serious?

My family does all of that with 5 kids and a $54k income.

How can msn expect to be taken seriously when people can read that tripe and know that is exactly what it is?

Seriously, if you "need" $68k with just 2 kids, you need to check what you are wasting your money on.

$58,000: The Price of Economic Security for an American Family - Derek Thompson - Business - The Atlantic

Here's the striking graph from the New York Times:

 

[High_Gravity]

did lynn preface this with a regional disclaimer? 68K here in the bay area? forget it. and 2 wage earners?68K what they each work for 10 bucks an hour?

$68,000 is poverty level in New York and California and even Miami too I believe.

Then somebody needs to pack there stuff up and move.



The only comparisons was to the national poverty level. So I'm assuming it's an average.

I couldn't read all that tripe. The more I did, the more pissed I got.

You need $$$$ to move, if your living paycheck to paycheck in New York or California barely making it, its tough to move. Only reason I was able to leave California after I left the service is because the Military pays for 1 last move after you separate, thank god.

 

[Douger]

Is $68,000 the bare-bones family income?
This post comes from Lynn Mucken at MSN Money.


Or is it? According to a study commissioned by the nonprofit Wider Opportunities for Women, a family with two full-time wage earners and two children needs nearly $68,000 a year to afford fundamentals like housing, utilities, food, health care, transportation, saving for retirement and child care. The average such family in America makes less than that. Post continues after video.

[bold added]

Are they serious?

My family does all of that with 5 kids and a $54k income.

How can msn expect to be taken seriously when people can read that tripe and know that is exactly what it is?

Seriously, if you "need" $68k with just 2 kids, you need to check what you are wasting your money on.

Two Thumbs for president !

 

[Two Thumbs]

$68,000 is poverty level in New York and California and even Miami too I believe.

Then somebody needs to pack there stuff up and move.



The only comparisons was to the national poverty level. So I'm assuming it's an average.

I couldn't read all that tripe. The more I did, the more pissed I got.

You need $$$$ to move, if your living paycheck to paycheck in New York or California barely making it, its tough to move. Only reason I was able to leave California after I left the service is because the Military pays for 1 last move after you separate, thank god.

Most moves I ever did was with my tax returns. When I big one was coming I'd change my taxes to the single status.

kooky, but it worked.

 

[jillian]

Is $68,000 the bare-bones family income?
This post comes from Lynn Mucken at MSN Money.


Or is it? According to a study commissioned by the nonprofit Wider Opportunities for Women, a family with two full-time wage earners and two children needs nearly $68,000 a year to afford fundamentals like housing, utilities, food, health care, transportation, saving for retirement and child care. The average such family in America makes less than that. Post continues after video.

[bold added]

Are they serious?

My family does all of that with 5 kids and a $54k income.

How can msn expect to be taken seriously when people can read that tripe and know that is exactly what it is?

Seriously, if you "need" $68k with just 2 kids, you need to check what you are wasting your money on.

i would think it would depend largely on where one lives. in ny, you could not comfortably support a family of 4 on that amount. if the comments are based on national averages, its not an out-there number.

 

[High_Gravity]

Is $68,000 the bare-bones family income?
This post comes from Lynn Mucken at MSN Money.


Or is it? According to a study commissioned by the nonprofit Wider Opportunities for Women, a family with two full-time wage earners and two children needs nearly $68,000 a year to afford fundamentals like housing, utilities, food, health care, transportation, saving for retirement and child care. The average such family in America makes less than that. Post continues after video.

[bold added]

Are they serious?

My family does all of that with 5 kids and a $54k income.

How can msn expect to be taken seriously when people can read that tripe and know that is exactly what it is?

Seriously, if you "need" $68k with just 2 kids, you need to check what you are wasting your money on.

i would think it would depend largely on where one lives. in ny, you could not comfortably support a family of 4 on that amount. if the comments are based on national averages, its not an out-there number.

I think even a single person would have a hard time in NY with that salary Jillian, LA too. In California if you make under 100K you are a peasant.