I wish someone would just be honest and say "I can't live like royalty, so I am going to say I feel like middle class, despite knowing that middle class for many can still mean strategically choosing which bills to pay". No amount of debating what "upper class" and "elite" means can really disguise the core implication.
I am pretty sure there is no such thing as "upper upper middle class." What is the cutoff supposed to be? Only the top 1% is upper class? The top 0.1%? It seem odd to me that the middle should encompass 99% of the population. That is not the middle, that is everybody. I feel like the middle should be the actual middle so like 25-75%.
I think it's easier for me to recognize that we are upper-middle because I grew up pretty poor and the difference is obvious.
If you grew up middle/upper-middle, it's harder to see how many "extras" you actually have, because to you they are a given. (Like paying for preschool or having your kids involved in sports or music lessons). If you are doing the same/worse than your parents, I guess it's harder to see that you are still doing better than "middle."
I agree with you. I grew up poor and am slightly above the middle class bracket for my county (although we make the median income for my city) and there is a huge difference between how I grew up and how we're living now. I think perspective is a good thing.
Post by laceylaplante on Sept 15, 2014 12:53:59 GMT -5
After being poor for so long, middle class would feel like the 1% for us. Grocery shopping without coupons and my calculator and my "Grocery $$" envelope would just feel too fancy for my broke ass.
Lemme tell you when I stopped reading MM. Last week, someone asked how much they have left over after paying bills each month. The majority had 2500+ left over. Left. Over. I don't even bring home 2500 a month
Actually, the question was how much did you have left over after paying the mortgage, IIRC.
So this chart makes me upper lower class by income, upper middle class by education and working class by possessions, and my parents are only upper middle class. Hmmm.
Actually, the question was how much did you have left over after paying the mortgage, IIRC.
Regardless, her point still stands.
You're right, because a number of people pointed out the question would have been better phrased as to how much was leftover, percentagewise. Since the OP was trying to figure out if stretching for a bigger mortgage would have left enough money for the rest of the bills.
This makes me upper middle class, which is probably what I would have said originally. I grew up poor, legit poor, getting food from food banks, parents working 2-3 jobs at all time, etc. I feel rich now, and DH and I try to give back alot. But I think there is a lot of difference of opinion on what makes you middle class or not in this thread. Someone stated that if you have to decide which bills to pay this month, you're middle class. To me, middle class is being on solid financial ground. You can't afford luxury cars and private tutors for your kids, but you know where your next meal is coming from, and have secure housing. We don't spend a lot on "extras" like the lessons or cars, but we are saving for retirement and college. That's why I would have said upper middle class.
I think kooshball's chart is more interesting (misspellings and all) because it tries to account for factors other than just income. Like I said in my earlier post, there are legitimate factors beyond straight income that can make it hard to feel part of your class.
Which is more important in considering class: income, education, possessions? We are homeowners with a middle-class income by those charts, but does H's lack of higher education keep us in "working class"?