Respond to this thread if you earn less than $60,000 a year and are surviving... I am doing a little experiment here to prove a point.

I get $735 a month disability. I own a brick house, have a fairly new car, eat well and I'm even on vacation at the beach. My bills are paid. I make wooden bowls and sell a couple a month for a little spending money. My wife doesn't have to work so I guess I can say I'm doing fine.

Pfft. BEFORE child support

get a good accountant and you might be able to use asset depreciation and capitol loss spread out over a few years to offset the net value of your business enough to pay little to no tax on what's left. sorry for the run-on.

Every dollar spent is smart.

Well done.

We retired, and take a small amount out per month from a very small 401k,as well as social security. Living well below $30,000 a year, making a house payment, utilities etc. Paid off all the credit cards beforehand, and living very well. Can spend a little extra for eating out, and other treats. Loving life and time spent together. Doing very well in the Midwest, rural/small town life. Own 2 cars (paid off), and a camper. Life is good.

Strange how people earning over $250,000 a year have trouble "Surving" and complain they aren't earning enough while we people earning less than $60,000 a year do just fine or break even...

what's the retirement plan?
look OP - I get it, between taxes, insurance, fees, licenses and all kinds of other crap, the government WANTS you just to break even. And then you die.
Obamacare is about killing off those who no longer contribute to the coffers of the government. THIS is what government controlled health care is all about. THEY don't want you living past 60. You are a net drain on society. So work hard, just get by, pay the government the lions share of your income and then die.
That is the lot for the majority of people today. And it will just get worse. Cancer is a type of "programed obsolesence" for the masses.
But why are you begrudging those who have managed to break free of the rat race?
It's not greedy to want to put away for your retirement or provide a little nest egg for your kids or make sure that you have enough squirreled away for your golden years.
That's not greed, that's just smart.
But at $65k/year if you control your expenses that you can control, you should be doing alright.

21K a year here

Surviving pretty well but that is because I own my house.

I'll play

Electricity - 252.00 a month.

Car Insurance (3 vehicles full coverage) 300.00 a month.

Food Costs $ 800.00 a month.

House payment $ 1500.00 a month.

House Insurance $ incl. w/payment

Medical Expenses $100.00 a month.

Car Payments $300.00 a month for 2 vehicles

Misc expenses $400.00 a month.

Medical Insurance $ no cost for me

I am NOT putting people down that have saved a nest egg for retirement, I am talking about people that earn excessive incomes of over $250-500K or more, if we, the majority of people are surving on less than 60-70K a year, then so can the rich earning 150-250K or more.

Divide that by 3 2 support

I can live well on $1000.00 a month, other than dental expenses. I figure that $20K after taxes is a good comfortable figure for an individual or a couple. The only extra expense for a girlfriend would be food and contraceptives.

I know people like that you are always crying broke. Tell them to give up their expensive vacations, golf & skiing, country club memberships, private schools and tutors for their kids starting at nursery school, expensive sleep-a-way camps, designer clothes for all, etc, etc, etc.

I went to town today for my grandsons birthday. The old guy remembered me when I stopped at the fruit stand and gave me half a dozen full big boxes of free over ripe and a little bruised fruit for canning and the chickens. about 30 canning quarts and free chicken / worm farm /compost . I did buy one box of perfect best red peaches you ever tried

My wife and I kept a budget and filled out a book for over a decade.

We also observed a rule that we talked about what we really needed before we bought or didn't by.

We now order from amazon a couple times a week and are a long way from being responsible but we can do that now because we weren't greedy early.

I see a couple down the block with a new baby and she wanted the siding and fence done now. Grandparents helped out but man, don't be greedy.

I do just fine on that amount. I can't buy everything I want at the grocery store anymore, but I can still eat healthy.

A little less than 60,000. No credit cards, no loans, pay cash for everything, only buy what we need not what we want. Now the bottom has dropped out and are paying $900 a month for health insurance. Thank you Obama!

people can survive on eating rice and drinking water.
So therefore anyone who does more than this is greedy, by the same standards.

Sorry OP.
Yes, people can live on less than $65k per year and lots do. But I still don't get your point. So what?
If I want to eat a steak instead of rice, what's it to you?

This is the kind of thinking that TPTB use to push the living wage crap.
I know eventually it will end up there. Cashless society first, then everyone gets fake digital 'money' in their accounts that only exist in a digital world. And then the government tells you where to live, what to eat, how to get your butt to your job that the government told you to do.

Virtual slavery.

All inclusive vacations vs camping.

Older well maintained car vs new car every three years or sooner.

Getting an extra fridge for a family of four and shopping ahead.

THAT BUDGET

LOL!!!! I make a little more than 10k/year, tops!!

THIS!!

Well, I look at it this way... If I can survive on 60-70K a year with a family of FIVE, the ultra rich earning over 200K a year should logically be able to survive on over 200K a year which is 4-5 TIMES my yearly income!

Electricity - 0 (family property and we each take responsibility of a different utility bill)

Car insurance - 0 (no car)

Food costs - $600

House payment - 0

House insurance - 0

Medical expenses - 0

Car payment - 0

Medical insurance - 0

Water bill - $50

Cable/internet - $130.00

Prepay phone - $25 every 3 months

We are heavy supporters of credit cards.
I have my main one memorized.

2% cash back most expenses.

3% for dinner purchases.

========

The gut that modeled our kitchen 4 years ago told me that he runs all his business materials purchases through his 2% card.

He gets two Hawaii vacations a year.

IF YOU HAVE THE DISCIPLINE GO WITH CC.

as an old widowed grandma, Fist thing I teach my grandsons at a young age............ all the money they make that will go to support a child they may never see and all the grandkids they may never see that go with not wearing a rubber and the cost of disease they may never recover from.
I
At an early age, this is a condom. You can have all you want any time you want. All men carry one in the wallet. Here is you new wallet. I will always have as many as you need.

I make about 60 thousand a year pay child support, 1200 a month. My kids are happy ,I'm happy we are all healthy .knock on wood...... can't complain.if it was between wealth or health what would you pick........enjoy life .

Now think about all of the things you really don't need "the best of the best" of, or can cut out. Have car payments? Top notch net? All cable channels etc? Man I know I could cut back a lot and need to. : /

9-12K/week for the past 5+ years, single, never married, no kids...

wups, I thought this was POF...LOL!

Which company do you get your car insurance from? I pay about $200 for full coverage on a 2002 and only liability for a 2012.