What do you consider a "comfortable" yearly salary?

[Mrs. Ciz]

Richmond Va - I'd say $150,000 to have a decent house in a good school district (not one of the higher end neighborhoods though), save for college for 2 kids and retirement for two adults, vacation every year (either 1 big or 2 small trips) and eat out a couple of times a month.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I think a lot of it depends on the location too.

A household bringing in $75,000 in like rural Indiana or somewhere like that is going to be pretty comfortable. That kind of income in other parts of the country would probably not be enough to make it.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

lol, always 10K more than I make.

Boy, isn't that the truth?!?!? Every time I think another $10k is gonna do it, I get proven wrong LOL

 

[Colleen27]

If I had to put a number on it in a general sense, I'd say 75K. That's in semi-rural Michigan, low cost of living and low "country" property taxes, assuming a pretty standard set of circumstances (mortgage, maybe a car payment, saving for retirement and college).

 

[holden]

In the suburbs of Philadelphia, I'd say $200,000-$250,000. A house in a nice neighborhood with a good school district will run about $550,000. Property taxes are around $10,000/year. Dinners out 2x a month, kid's sports/activities, car payments, retirement, college saving, etc. all add up quickly. Many houses around here have pools too, which adds to electric/gas bills. Landscaping (maintenance) alone can be expensive.

 

[NewRVLady]

$100,000-150,000

 

[FlightlessDuck]

It totally depends on where you live.

 

[DisneyPrince1982]

You guys tossing around $175,000 for a comfortable salary? I mean c'mon folks. That's way more than comfortable. If you're burning through $175,000 and still can't do whatever you want, whenever you want, something is very wrong.

 

[FINFAN]

You guys tossing around $175,000 for a comfortable salary? I mean c'mon folks. That's way more than comfortable. If you're burning through $175,000 and still can't do whatever you want, whenever you want, something is very wrong.

whatever you want , whenever you want? Up that from 175 to 500
not when your real estate taxes and insurance tally up to $1000 a month, add train or gas costs to work, college, retirement, utilities, home repairs, 1 annual vacation (average 3-5 grand for week to 10 days) auto ins/repairs a/o payment, emergency fund, medical/dental, day care, after school care, sports, clubs~ it disappears very quickly. Especially when ins premiums keep going higher along with deductibles. The OP said comfortable, not check to check. A single person no kids 175 is comfortable, yes, probably...I would guess at least college loans would be met on that lol

 

[Maxpowers]

NYC Burbs here

I'd say for a family of 4 $170k without daycare/private school (aka single income household) and about $200k with daycare/private school (dual income household) would be comfortable. Not rich, but not needing to watch your spending (within reason).

 

[fantasmicfantastic]

Tucson, AZ...my wife and I are in between 80K-90K and we have a house, two cars (one is paid off), my student loans, no cc debt. We live very comfortably. If we had kids it would probably be a different story.

 

[FINFAN]

I also forgot to add a biggie...funds needed for aging parents. The sandwich generation gets hit from all sides. To me "comfortable" means the $ is available for needs, emergencies, savings for future, wants and a few luxuries. Add to that getting to spread a little of it around and I would feel comfortable. let's just say the phrase "have to budget for" wouldn't really be one of my daily one's, "no problem" would be. Also, comfortable would mean retirement would be an actual reality at 65 , one that allows maintaining similar lifestyle if not better

 

[kamik86]

Another MA resident... I've worked assessing homes in prominent MA towns and I'd say some parts of MA $80k and other parts of MA at least $200-$250!

It's amazing what 30mins in one direction can do!!!

I'd agree with this. I also live in MA but on the other side of the state (the berkshires) even in the county there is a lot of swing but I live in a safe small town area 20 min from work, 15 from DHs, in a beautiful area. The 3 bedroom 1.5 bath (but relatively small at a bit over 1200 sf) cost 130K. From what I understand that would barely get a shack on the other side of the state.

We now are up to about 90K between my DH and I. Honestly I would call it comfortable. We can pay all the bills and take vacations and don't have to really watch our money.

 

[Maxpowers]

You guys tossing around $175,000 for a comfortable salary? I mean c'mon folks. That's way more than comfortable. If you're burning through $175,000 and still can't do whatever you want, whenever you want, something is very wrong.

Okay take $175k salary after taxes etc...actual take home pay of roughly $105,000 (after health insurance, 401k, taxes etc...let's call it roughly 40% of your paycheck taken out) a year or $8,750 a month. Let's say a $400k house (which isn't that large in NYC suburbs) with 20% down get's you a mortgage of about $1600 a month and lowish property taxes for the area of $12,000 a year for another $1,000 a month, throw on utilities, car/life insurance, daycare, commuting costs and that's another $3,500+. Your monthly expenses are already $6,100 leaving you $2,650 a month. Let's add grocery costs to that of about $200 a week (which i don't think is very high for this area) for another $800 and you're down to $1,850 a month. Lets say you saved only $200 a month (kind of the low side)...down to $1,650. You add to savings for a vacation another $150 month, down to $1,500 a month. I'm assuming living comfortably includes eating out, for a family of 4 in this area, 2 times a week at a non-expensive restaurant would run you something like $600 a month. Now you are down to $900 a month to buy anything else you need, to pay a doctor's bills, buy your kid's clothes etc...and then buy whatever else you would consider living comfortably, non essentials like books,going to the movies etc...

It goes very fast in NYC suburb area

 

[Christine]

You guys tossing around $175,000 for a comfortable salary? I mean c'mon folks. That's way more than comfortable. If you're burning through $175,000 and still can't do whatever you want, whenever you want, something is very wrong.

I have to ask: Where do you live to have this viewpoint?

 

[Rhombus]

My salary.

I make $77 an hour on Goo Gull. But unlike others, I won't sucker anybody into clinking on a link and paying to get the details.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

I would say around 75k for a single in the Orlando area is pretty comfortable.

I guess it all depends on how you define "comfort", but for me comfort includes a lot of wants without a lot of worry or planning.

On a lot less I think you could fairly easily cover all your basics, but you'd have to budget and really plan for extras.

I'll admit that I'm not frugal and I enjoy high luxury travel and have a few expensive a hobbies so my view maybe really skewed.

 

[STLDisney_Freak]

I'd be happier than crap if DH and I made around $100,000 with our house and two kids outside of STL. But I won't hold my breath. We are quite a bit under that and not comfortable at all.

 

[Rhombus]

You guys tossing around $175,000 for a comfortable salary? I mean c'mon folks. That's way more than comfortable. If you're burning through $175,000 and still can't do whatever you want, whenever you want, something is very wrong.

But, but....you don't understand. Many people NEED to live in a 4000 sq.ft McMansion, have a top-of-the-line kitchen where only the microwave is ever used, have two $500 per month car payments, stop at Starbucks every morning, shop exclusively at Whole Foods, enroll their kids in every expensive activity, etc. etc. etc. Anything less just won't do.

 

[Christine]

But, but....you don't understand. Many people NEED to live in a 4000 sq.ft McMansion, have a top-of-the-line kitchen where only the microwave is ever used, have two $500 per month car payments, stop at Starbucks every morning, shop exclusively at Whole Foods, enroll their kids in every expensive activity, etc. etc. etc. Anything less just won't do.

I think many of us, who are at or close to $175,000, are saying that we don't live like that. My house is 2000 sq feet, my appliances are 22 years old. I still have formica countertops (gasp!!). I have one car payment, I never go to Starbucks, I shop sales at 4 different grocery stores. I would not say I'm "comfortable" because I still have to budget and I can't go on vacation every year.