I'm on a plane dealing with shit free wifi for the next four hours, so if I don't come back, that is why.
Look, people, how you compare to people in your county doesn't determine your class. If you choose to live in a rich county, you aren't not middle class just because you are poor bc you are broke compared to your neighbors. Choices, people. Choices are an indicator of wealth. I don't change classes by moving a couple miles up the road so I can live amongst richer or poorer neighbors, rather, I am the same class because I have a choice of which county to live in.
And while I like a lot of you, the whole, "welp, we have expenses so therefore we are middle class even though we earn way, way more than the middle" is as a ridiculous statement as "I'm middle class because my neighbors are richer than me."
I'm on a plane dealing with shit free wifi for the next four hours, so if I don't come back, that is why.
Look, people, how you compare to people in your county doesn't determine your class. If you choose to live in a rich county, you aren't not middle class just because you are poor bc you are broke compared to your neighbors. Choices, people. Choices are an indicator of wealth. I don't change classes by moving a couple miles up the road so I can live amongst richer or poorer neighbors, rather, I am the same class because I have a choice of which county to live in.
And while I like a lot of you, the whole, "welp, we have expenses so therefore we are middle class even though we earn way, way more than the middle" is as a ridiculous statement as "I'm middle class because my neighbors are richer than me."
And it seems to discount the idea that people who are REALLY middle class (as well as poor) also have the same expenses. I was poor when I first graduated from college - and guess what? I had even less money because of my student loans and my rent.
I'm on a plane dealing with shit free wifi for the next four hours, so if I don't come back, that is why.
Look, people, how you compare to people in your county doesn't determine your class. If you choose to live in a rich county, you aren't not middle class just because you are poor bc you are broke compared to your neighbors. Choices, people. Choices are an indicator of wealth. I don't change classes by moving a couple miles up the road so I can live amongst richer or poorer neighbors, rather, I am the same class because I have a choice of which county to live in.
And while I like a lot of you, the whole, "welp, we have expenses so therefore we are middle class even though we earn way, way more than the middle" is as a ridiculous statement as "I'm middle class because my neighbors are richer than me."
We are, just barely. If it was just my income, we wouldn't be, though. Not surprising since we live in the richest county in the country.
I definitely feel middle class, though. It's the debt. Just enough that I don't have tons of disposable income, not so much I feel depressed and desperate all the time.
I'm on a plane dealing with shit free wifi for the next four hours, so if I don't come back, that is why.
Look, people, how you compare to people in your county doesn't determine your class. If you choose to live in a rich county, you aren't not middle class just because you are poor bc you are broke compared to your neighbors. Choices, people. Choices are an indicator of wealth. I don't change classes by moving a couple miles up the road so I can live amongst richer or poorer neighbors, rather, I am the same class because I have a choice of which county to live in.
And while I like a lot of you, the whole, "welp, we have expenses so therefore we are middle class even though we earn way, way more than the middle" is as a ridiculous statement as "I'm middle class because my neighbors are richer than me."
"This prick is asking for someone here to bring him to task Somebody give me some dirt on this vacuous mass so we can at last unmask him I'll pull the trigger on it, someone load the gun and cock it While we were all watching, he got Washington in his pocket."
We're above what they're calling "middle class" but, to be fair, they're just looking at the middle quintile of income, which is not the same thing as "middle class" (brings down sociologist gavel.)
I'm on a plane dealing with shit free wifi for the next four hours, so if I don't come back, that is why.
Look, people, how you compare to people in your county doesn't determine your class. If you choose to live in a rich county, you aren't not middle class just because you are poor bc you are broke compared to your neighbors. Choices, people. Choices are an indicator of wealth. I don't change classes by moving a couple miles up the road so I can live amongst richer or poorer neighbors, rather, I am the same class because I have a choice of which county to live in.
And while I like a lot of you, the whole, "welp, we have expenses so therefore we are middle class even though we earn way, way more than the middle" is as a ridiculous statement as "I'm middle class because my neighbors are richer than me."
yeah I didn't like the structure of it either. I think a better thing is just to use the one that tells you where your HHI puts you, percentage-wise; in your country.
If I was to look at our HHI by postal code, we would probably be in the lower end because we live in a wealthy neighbourhood. But I know that our income puts us in the top 5% so for me to claim "middle class!!" or "lower middle class!!" would be a total fraud.
Interestingly enough, there is a HUGE difference between what puts you in the top 5% of income-earners in the US vs Canada. The threshold in Canada is a LOT lower. So we must have a lot less "uber-rich" people. Or maybe our rich people flee for warmer climates. lol.
responding to those who think the link is stupid or silly - regardless of the semantic arguments of what middle class really means - I do think it's interesting to think about whether you fall into the middle quintile of your geographic area and then find out if you're right. the link is poorly worded, but not pointless.
My county is actually richer than I realized. I feel like we do ok - but we're just average 'round here. Most of our friends are about in the same income bracket as we are. And the county where I grew up is poorer than I would have guessed, but compared to my high school friends I'm rolling in it so that makes sense. This stuff is interesting to think about. At least to me? Helps adjust my perception of our own situation.
I imagine it could be eye opening to many who feel like there's never enough money to realize that they have more than xx% of the people in their local area.
Also there needs to be another word for the Obama rich besides upper class since that one is so loaded with connotations of oil money and private jets.
DC isnt even on the list of choices so I'll never know.
Let me help you out. Here is a quiz.
1. Are you poor? Like, real poor, not just MM poor?
2. Are you a Vanderbilt, Rockefeller, Kennedy, or Bush?
If the answer to both of those questions is no, then you do not need to proceed further. You are middle class.
If you answered no to #1, but yes to #2, proceed on.
3. Do you have expenses? (Examples of expenses: daycare, student loans, coke habit, ever setting foot in a HCOL area)
If yes, then you are middle class.
HTH!
But see this is why everyone is qualifying themselves as middle. Based on the numbers for my county I would say the CNN definition is working poor. One to two modest incomes that can afford a modest mortgage and maybe a modest car payment. But would not afford much for savings, entertainment, travel.
Above working poor would be middle which would allow the house, car, and modest savings, entertainment, and travel.
After that though and I think a defined definition of classes is fuzzy.
1. Are you poor? Like, real poor, not just MM poor?
2. Are you a Vanderbilt, Rockefeller, Kennedy, or Bush?
If the answer to both of those questions is no, then you do not need to proceed further. You are middle class.
If you answered no to #1, but yes to #2, proceed on.
3. Do you have expenses? (Examples of expenses: daycare, student loans, coke habit, ever setting foot in a HCOL area)
If yes, then you are middle class.
HTH!
But see this is why everyone is qualifying themselves as middle. Based on the numbers for my county I would say the CNN definition is working poor. One to two modest incomes that can afford a modest mortgage and maybe a modest car payment. But would not afford much for savings, entertainment, travel.
Above working poor would be middle which would allow the house, car, and modest savings, entertainment, and travel.
After that though and I think a defined definition of classes is fuzzy.
ESF was being funny.
Travel and entertainment put you into middle class? That's crazy. While I was the poorest I've ever been, I went to the most countries of my life and paid more for entertainment than I did for housing. Plus working poor can have many definitions also, but those may include travel and entertainment, just at a very different level than someone who is wealthy and can plan a cross-country Disney trip. I guess I just look at income and assets (like owning vs leasing) and ability to pay medical bills and such as a better barometer for a household's status than trips.
responding to those who think the link is stupid or silly - regardless of the semantic arguments of what middle class really means - I do think it's interesting to think about whether you fall into the middle quintile of your geographic area and then find out if you're right. the link is poorly worded, but not pointless.
My county is actually richer than I realized. I feel like we do ok - but we're just average 'round here. Most of our friends are about in the same income bracket as we are. And the county where I grew up is poorer than I would have guessed, but compared to my high school friends I'm rolling in it so that makes sense. This stuff is interesting to think about. At least to me? Helps adjust my perception of our own situation.
I imagine it could be eye opening to many who feel like there's never enough money to realize that they have more than xx% of the people in their local area.
Also there needs to be another word for the Obama rich besides upper class since that one is so loaded with connotations of oil money and private jets.
You have a good point, and I'm one who doesn't like the structure.
DH thinks we are middle class. He worries about money and always feels poor. But I think a lot of that is because many people around us are über-rich. He has clients with private jets, who will invest $500k into ONE stock on a sunny Friday because they feel like it. We are rich but not compared to many people around us.