Is anyone NOT middle class?

[mickeyfan2]

We came in low...It was a higher low than I expected, but really low compared to you guys...can I still play with you all if we're some sorta blue collar, working class, ghetto, trailer trash?

Sure. They don't really like my profession anyway.

 

[kdudley3]

I've known millionaires who live in tiny houses and are modest about clothes, cars, etc.

How do you class them ?

Like everyone else said...it's all relative.

 

[EthansMom]

According to the NY Times, DH and I are in the 89th percentile.

I would consider us to be Upper Middle Class.

 

[DisneyPhD]

According to the NY Times, DH and I are in the 89th percentile.

I would consider us to be Upper Middle Class.

See it gave us the same score, and I don't consider ourselves upper middle class. Middle class yes, we live in an area that has a mix of middle class (some have less then us, many A LOT more.) I guess I look at us as money conscious, always trying to save more. Of course this is based on one income, if I was working instead of SAHM our income would be higher, but I don't know if our score would be. For overall wealth they have 100,000 to 500,000 all the same. I see a big difference in that alone.


I will say that we I am very happy and thankful for what we have and want to save to be sure we can continue even with unforeseen events.

 

[beck0321]

I got 66% on the NY Times thing. I guess that would be about right, we are lower middle class but have only had careers for 2 and a half years. I think what's more important than how much money you make is how you choose to spend it and how much you choose to save. We don't make THAT much but we live very comfortably because we know how to budget. We don't have everything we want of course, but then what would we have to work toward if we did?!
We don't yet own a house, but I'm fine with that until we can afford what we want. And we pay a lot less rent than some people we know, for the same size apt in a great location!
Now if we had children that would be another story, but fortunately we are on the same page on that one.

 

[WIcruizer]

The Disney Version:
Lower class: values
Middle class: moderates
Upper class: deluxe
Wealthy: DVC

I would revise it accordingly:

Lower Class: WDW is only a dream
Lower Middle Class: Values
Middle Middle Class: Moderates
Upper Middle Class: Deluxe
Wealthy: Best suites on WDW property and a guide to take them to the front of every attraction. I have seen this with a couple of pro athletes and their families.

 

[mickeyfan2]

Lower Middle Class: Values
Middle Middle Class: Moderates
Upper Middle Class: Deluxe

Since DH and I have stayed at all three classes does that make use Mixed-up Middle Class?

 

[EthansMom]

See it gave us the same score, and I don't consider ourselves upper middle class. Middle class yes, we live in an area that has a mix of middle class (some have less then us, many A LOT more.) I guess I look at us as money conscious, always trying to save more. Of course this is based on one income, if I was working instead of SAHM our income would be higher, but I don't know if our score would be. For overall wealth they have 100,000 to 500,000 all the same. I see a big difference in that alone.


I will say that we I am very happy and thankful for what we have and want to save to be sure we can continue even with unforeseen events.

There was an interesting article in one of the personal finance magazines a few years ago about people whom the government considered "affluent". The definition of affluent was based entirely on income... and was someplace just over $100k I think. The gist of the income was that most people who were considered "affluent" only considered themselves to be middle-class. They worried about paying their bills, shopped at Costco, and took budget vacations. Basically, an income of $100,000 or a net worth of $1,000,000 isn't what it used to be.

I would consider DH and I to be Upper Middle Class for the following reasons: Both DH and I have BS's and DH has an MS. DH works full-time, but I am able to be a SAHM. We drive older cars, but our only debt is our mortgage. We are frugal with our spending, but consistently put money in retirement and college savings accounts. We have sufficient insurance to cover health, life, disability, cars, etc...

I would say that many of my family members are Middle Class: They have had some college. They feel that both spouses HAVE to work. They put money away in retirment accounts, but may have to work past 65 to assure a more comfortable retirement. They owe money on their home, one or more cars, and/or have some credit card debt. They may not have adequate insurance.

We live in on the wrong side of the tracks (houses are older and not "on the water") in an affluent area. Many residents here appear to be what you might more typically consider to be Upper Middle Class: they live in McMansions on or near the lake, own a boat, vacation in the Hamptons, have someone to clean their house and/or take care of the lawn, drive new luxury automobiles, etc... However, as I remind DH, "Yes, some of those folks are doing better than us financially. And in many cases, the husband is commuting 90 minutes each way to work in Manhattan. But a lot of those folks could be up to their eyeballs in debt and/or have no retirement funds and college funds. You can't just tell from what kind of car a person drives or what house they live in."

IMO, you're doing better than most people on this planet if have a roof over your head, food in your stomach, can afford it if a family member becomes ill, and don't lose sleep worrying over how you're going to pay bills.

Like you, I feel fortunate and thankful for what DH and I have. Yes, our hard work and frugality have paid off in a financial way, but I feel more fortunate about the FREEDOM that we have; the freedom that DH was able to quit his last job and be without work for 6 months while he found a position that suited him, the freedom to take the kids to the doctor any time their asthma kicks up, and the freedom to give our children opportunities (like sports lessons) that our parents couldn't afford for DH and I.

 

[Fitswimmer]

Class has NOTHING to do with money.

 

[DaisyD]

I would revise it accordingly:

Lower Class: WDW is only a dream
Lower Middle Class: Values
Middle Middle Class: Moderates
Upper Middle Class: Deluxe
Wealthy: Best suites on WDW property and a guide to take them to the front of every attraction. I have seen this with a couple of pro athletes and their families.

That sounds about right!

 

[Bob Slydell]

Class has NOTHING to do with money.

Depends on what definition of class you're talking about.

 

[momof3littlelilos]

In one of my poli-sci classes it was pointed out that in the US just about everybody defines themselves as Middle Class.
and life in general, but I could be wrong) that the stigma associated with being "working poor" or "working class" is what makes just about everybody with a job claim "middle class" status...otherwise I'm unsure of why I'm the only person so far to admit that my family scored below the 50 percentile on the NY Times link...I assume that 50 percent of the population scores below that percentile, unless I'm understanding percentiles incorrectly...I know there are other people with similiar education levels, income levels, occupational levels to me who use the net and take their families to WDW, I'm just curious why they aren't here on this thread.
It seems that so far just about everyone who has responded is "above average" according to the Times.
hmmmm, curious. (well, to me anyway...)

 

[Crankyshank]

A large percentage of people on this board live in high income areas, which will automatically cause them to rank higher on the NYT scale.

Dh and I are definitely at the struggling end of middle class and we scored a 56 by virtue of education and income.

 

[my3kids]

The occupation part surprised me. I guess DH doesn't fit neatly into one of their options. The value they assigned really doesn't equate to what he does.

 

[disneyfan67]

Nah, it just defines what's important to you and how you choose to spend your money. Some people drive a fancy car and live in a shack for others it the reverse. I need a hotel with all the amenities to have a great vacation but others just need a clean room.

How true. My family would be able to go WDW twice a year if we stayed in the value resorts and kept the trip frugal. To me staying at the Poly is a huge part of my vacation and that's why I really have to save up to stay there. Everybody is different when it comes to spending their money and what they think is important.

My sister and her husband make some major coin together and would be considered upper class. They think the rates at the Polynesian are ridiculous and just want a basic room to sleep in. If they could get a clean off site room for 35 bucks a night and fairly close to the main gate, they would take it.

To each their own or different strokes for different folks.

 

[chorlick]

Upper Middle Class, but we also live in the South. A lot cheaper than up North! (We used to live up there too)

 

[DisneyPhD]

A large percentage of people on this board live in high income areas, which will automatically cause them to rank higher on the NYT scale.

Dh and I are definitely at the struggling end of middle class and we scored a 56 by virtue of education and income.

I don't remember putting my zip code or anything else like that on the NYT site. They based it on education, income, job, and saving or net worth (I took that to mean what equity I owned on my house, savings, stocks and other large assets like DVC and cars that I could sell for $ if needed.)

I think that where you live does make a difference, just don't see how it factors into the NYT scale.

 

[DVC Sadie]

We are DVC'ers and scored 91% and consider ourselves middle class.

 

[WIcruizer]

How true. My family would be able to go WDW twice a year if we stayed in the value resorts and kept the trip frugal. To me staying at the Poly is a huge part of my vacation and that's why I really have to save up to stay there. Everybody is different when it comes to spending their money and what they think is important.

My sister and her husband make some major coin together and would be considered upper class. They think the rates at the Polynesian are ridiculous and just want a basic room to sleep in. If they could get a clean off site room for 35 bucks a night and fairly close to the main gate, they would take it.

To each their own or different strokes for different folks.

Of course this is true. But Disney developed the different "classes" of resorts with this in mind. There are ALWAYS exceptions, but GENERALLY speaking the class structure at the resorts holds true. There are a lot of factors that make an exception, value season vs prime season, etc.

I don't care how much money I make, I will never, ever pay $400 for a hotel room. That's just my preference. Others can't possibly afford that, but spend the $400 a night anyhow. But again, in general, that class structure is alive and well at Disney.

 

[HOGFAN]

you can be superduper broke and go.

a family I know wanted to go. so they didnt pay their utilities for a month. the mom and 2 teenage boys drove from Arkansas to WDW in a little bitty car.
they bought tickets for 2 days, slept in the car, ate cokes and cookies for meals(in the car). no opportunity to bathe, of course. no money for gas to get back. called sister who wired them money. they took the money and went BACK into the parks for a day. called other sister(who by this time knew what was up) she just wired them enough money to get back. of course when they got back, their utilties were cut off

thankfully I do not know this white trash family very well.