Gross household income on the DIS

[MickeyMickey]

Doing an unscientific poll of gross household income on the DIS. Feel free to just respond to the poll.

 

[Mickey527]

I am on SSDI so Yes, my income is pretty gross.

 

[Marionnette]

Doing an unscientific poll of gross household income on the DIS. Feel free to just respond to the poll.

You'd get a better picture of the DIS income levels if this were posted on the Community Board. The Budget Board has an entirely different demographic from the rest of the DIS...sort of like going into South Philly, asking for their gross income and expecting it to represent the city as a whole.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

I voted, but where we live we have a higher-than-average income, while if we lived in a place like NYC or Connecticut, we'd be scraping by.

 

[crisi]

Also know that statistically, self answering on income always skews. People both answer the top and the bottom in order to have you question your assumptions.

 

[sweetdana]

I voted, but my income changes DRAMATICALLY with bonus.

LIke 6 or 7 of these tiers. so I went with 2013.. i imagine, barring a increditble turn in mortgage market next yr will be 5 less.

 

[Robinrs]

Doing an unscientific poll of gross household income on the DIS. Feel free to just respond to the poll.

It will be EXTREMELY unscientific considering everyone is from a different area of the earth and the incomes vary with the areas.

For instance the cost of living of $27000 a year in Atlanta is equivalent to an income of $90000 a year in NY. BTDT

 

[DawnM]

I think there was a similar poll a while back. It is hard to do a poll like this, I agree. For one thing, the lower end folks could potentially be teens or young adults still living at home, not actually paying their own way in life yet.

 

[sjs314]

I am on SSDI so Yes, my income is pretty gross.

You took the words right out of my mouth

 

[crisi]

It will be EXTREMELY unscientific considering everyone is from a different area of the earth and the incomes vary with the areas.

For instance the cost of living of $27000 a year in Atlanta is equivalent to an income of $90000 a year in NY. BTDT

Although, that is an interesting variable when it comes to Disney vacations. Money goes a lot farther up here in Minneapolis than in NYC, but I haven't seen airfare for under $400 a person (maybe once in a great while a $300 a person sale) for YEARS. While East Coast people have more options for cheaper flights, they have the train - and in Atlanta is it a (comparitively) easy drive.

The survey is also illustrative because if the reporting is accurate (I'd argue that its skewed, but indicative), less than 20% of us (currently) have an U.S. median or less income (around $60k). So when people come onto the boards who have median or less incomes and are wondering how we afford all these trips in our signatures, and we say that we drive older cars and don't eat out much - we are telling half the story. Most of us make more money than the average American. And if we drove older cars and didn't eat out much and we had average incomes, we wouldn't have so many trips in our signatures.

 

[MinnieLovesMickey12]

I agree that I am not surprised to see so many ppl making above average money.

Ppl always ask me how can we afford to go to Disney so much. I usually just tell them I find good deals and save up for it.

How do you tell ppl without making them feel bad that well I take a lot of very expensive vacations because we can afford it. We have a very high income.

And the bad thing about my situation is it is ONLY my husband working and his salary is extraordinary compared to most.

We live modestly though. We do not live above or even near our means. I do drive a luxury car but that is the only indication we make above average money. We live in a normal 2500 sq ft house on 2 acres of land. Not a McMansion.

You can't look at most of the posters sigs and see they go to Disney two or three times a year and assume they make 50k or less per year.

 

[DawnM]

I don't put trips in my signature line. We used to go more often, but my kids are Disneyed out and prefer once a year now.

We also used to live 45 min. from a Disney park and went for just day trips all the time (held APs for years.)

Many we know think once a year is extravagant. We do other trips as well, non-Disney trips.

 

[DawnM]

How is that bad?

Ppl always ask me how can we afford to go to Disney so much. I usually just tell them I find good deals and save up for it.

How do you tell ppl without making them feel bad that well I take a lot of very expensive vacations because we can afford it. We have a very high income.

And the bad thing about my situation is it is ONLY my husband working and his salary is extraordinary compared to most.

We live modestly though. We do not live above or even near our means. I do drive a luxury car but that is the only indication we make above average money. We live in a normal 2500 sq ft house on 2 acres of land. Not a McMansion.

You can't look at most of the posters sigs and see they go to Disney two or three times a year and assume they make 50k or less per year.

 

[plummer925]

I think there was a similar poll a while back. It is hard to do a poll like this, I agree. For one thing, the lower end folks could potentially be teens or young adults still living at home, not actually paying their own way in life yet.

Or those of us who are older, own a home and realize that there is more to life than making a boatload of money.

Our AGI is under $20,000 a year. We inherited a home, so we are absolutely blessed there (but it does cost us $700 a month to live here with insurance, taxes, electricity and heat only, not including upkeep on a 250 year old farmhouse! So the cost is as much as a mortgage.).

My husband has a masters degree, but chooses to work part time so he has time for other things in life. I am 39 and he is in his mid-40's.

Some are not young and living at home. Some of us are just choosing a more simple life!

 

[Marionnette]

How is that bad?

I was thinking the same thing. How is it a bad thing that the PP's husband makes a comfortable income? When did financial success become a badge of shame?

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

it does cost us $700 a month to live here with insurance, taxes, electricity and heat only, not including upkeep on a 250 year old farmhouse! So the cost is as much as a mortgage.

And even that is hugely variable depending on where you are located, because $700 a month including your utilities is no where near what a mortgage would run you where I live.

We have a small 1300 square foot brick bungalow (with a full finished basement, so that significantly increases our living space, but the main floor is very modestly sized). Small urban center (60,000 people approx.). Our mortgage runs $1000 per month. Property taxes are an additional $235 a month. Gas heat runs us $80 a month equal billing, and electricity is $125 a month EB (we have central air). So that's $1440. It would be mighty difficult to rent a tiny one bedroom apartment here for $700 a month including utility costs.

Edited to add.....I think its an interesting poll nonetheless. Maybe not scientific, but still interesting.

 

[angierae]

I was thinking the same thing. How is it a bad thing that the PP's husband makes a comfortable income? When did financial success become a badge of shame?

It totally shouldn't be! I figured out a long time ago there are a lot of people on the Dis who make a LOT more money than DH and I do. Good for them ! I'm glad they're enjoying it, too!

 

[plummer925]

And even that is hugely variable depending on where you are located, because $700 a month including your utilities is no where near what a mortgage would run you where I live.

We have a small 1300 square foot brick bungalow (with a full finished basement, so that significantly increases our living space, but the main floor is very modestly sized). Small urban center (60,000 people approx.). Our mortgage runs $1000 per month. Property taxes are an additional $235 a month. Gas heat runs us $80 a month equal billing, and electricity is $125 a month EB (we have central air). So that's $1440. It would be mighty difficult to rent a tiny one bedroom apartment here for $700 a month including utility costs.

Edited to add.....I think its an interesting poll nonetheless. Maybe not scientific, but still interesting.

Here in my area a mortgage would likely not be that high. But it is dependent upon the area of the country/world that one lives in. Our gas expenses are really high a month (auto) because we live in the 'country' and hubby's work is 35 miles away, yes, for part-time. He could get closer work, but at 1/2 the pay (he is making a very nice hourly rate for part-time, plus full benefits including medical). It's worth us paying out the money for his job.

 

[chobie]

I was thinking the same thing. How is it a bad thing that the PP's husband makes a comfortable income? When did financial success become a badge of shame?

Umm, never?

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

But it is dependent upon the area of the country/world that one lives in.

Very true.

Here in Canada, our income taxes are much higher than those of our American friends, meaning even if we fall into one of the higher gross income categories noted in the poll, our net pay is substantially less. And we pay 13.5 sales tax on virtually everything we buy, so even our take-home pay doesn't stretch nearly as far.