| I do think Hayden's point that the $40k earner & the $200k earner have more in common with each other than with the $1m earner has merit. Even though I would consider $200k a lot of money, I do realize that rising prices hits even those earners hard. The $1m earners don't feel it in the same way. This is my problem with the folks in power ... they do NOT understand the impact of today's economy on MOST people. They have no problem shipping jobs overseas and drastically cutting wages for their employees. $34 an hour cut to $17 an hour? No biggie ... at least you have a job, says the CEO. But if his $4 million a year was cut to $2 million, he wouldn't hurt NEARLY as much as his employees. That's the difference. But I still think $200k is upper middle class in many areas (mine included). And with that salary comes a lot of perks the $40k earner isn't able to enjoy (such as saving for retirement). So yes, there are big differences between the $40k earner and the $200k earner's lifestyles. |