<p>We are adding Chard, Kale and increasing the size of our spinach patch this year. We already grow 4 types of tomatoes, snap peas, leeks, hericort verde, and herbs. We have had no success with squash, bok choy, cukes, potatoes, broccoli, carrots, etc.</p>
<p>I try to grow the veggies that are the most pricey at the farmers market (and that don’t need acidic soil as we lack that here).</p>
<p>I think that the point is that it is quite possible to make a large salary but not have much spending money at the end of the day. </p>
<p>We are in that boat. We live in an expensive part of the country (see other CC thread on 10 wealthiest counties in the US) and have a matching salary - sort of. It is enough to stay afloat and even save, but nothing else. In insurance alone (medical, home owners, auto and disability) we are spending around 10 grand a year. Add another 10 grand on property taxes and you can see that a large salary is needed just to cover basics. And yes, my DH is self employed so add all the self employment taxes into the mix as well. </p>
<p>We buy used whenever possible (clothing, cars, etc) and rarely ever eat out. It is a simple lifestyle. One that would be equated with a lower salary, but we just don’t have the leftover money for the ‘fancy’ things. </p>
<p>And our food budget is around $600 for 5 people (including a bottomless pit teenaged boy) and lots of guests. Yes, I do almost complete cooking from scratch. If you buy many convenience foods I can easily see spending $1000.</p>
<p>It seems to be the thing that really makes the difference in having “enough” money is cost of housing. Most of us tend to buy the most house in the best area we can afford, which is what causes the lack of funds for other things. Yes, I made that mistake. The problem is once you do this, reversing the decision is not easy, and in this housing/financing climate nigh impossible.</p>
<p>Growing food is not only money-saving; it has many other benefits, too. Teaching kids about how things grow is an awesome opportunity. And, nothing is more uplifting, IMHO, than spotting a new seedling. </p>
<p>Tomatoes are fun, and there are SO many varieties! Herbs are easy to grow, even in a window. Beware of the pumpkin, though. We made that mistake – its vine ran all the way across our yard and into the neighbor’s. :)</p>
<p>"it’s funny, I’ve had people point at our extravagance in an area and not realize that though we might spend there, we have clunkers for cars, take cheap subsidized vacations only, buy very little, if any, in terms of full priced clothing, furniture, household items. You can’t have it all. I am very aware of where we can cut. I know that we will be hurting in May because our DS is graduating and we want to fly out for the graduation which is going to cost a small fortune with hotel, a nice meal thrown in there. It’s not something that is just going to be absorbed. Something has to go, for us to pay for that since we do spend up to the hilt of the paycheck each month. "</p>
<p>We have faced the same thing with the way we live but people don’t realize the trade offs we do, too. When we buy cars, we don’t trade them in, we tend to run them into the ground and we don’t buy luxury models either. We haven’t taken a real vacation in 10 years probably (and even then, not exactly a luxury vacation, drove to Maine and spent some time there), we don’t buy fancy clothing or furniture, I do most of the repairs around the house and so forth…but we spend money on our S, he went to private school for a number of years and we did this with a single income (fortunately I make good enough money to squeak by on what I make)…music lessons, music programs, and just the driving around required took/takes both financial and time resources, but that is what we chose to do. The same people at gape at what we spent on our son drive BMW’s and the like, take expensive vacations, buy all kinds of high end goods and spend prob more then what I do on my son’s music, I swear, on landscapers and cleaning people and such (we have a name for a cleaning service in our house, my wife and I <em>lol</em>).</p>
<p>I am not sure the author is whining as much as expressing the feeling many people have, that they wish they had slightly more money. I can understand the wanting 10% more, it seems like the wants/needs seem to fill up the available space with little wiggle room:). And when your house is underwater, which psychologically is a big factor in feeling economically secure in terms of having something tangible to show, it can cause you to feel like things are shaky. </p>
<p>One poster noted they lived in an affluent area and knew families making it on 100k, and that has to be investigated (not saying it isn’t true, obviously). First of all,maybe the family living their inherited the house from a parent, or maybe they own a very small house in an affluent area that didn’t cost much, or maybe they got help with the down payment and were able to put a lot down, you never know the total picture either. Housing is often the single most expensive piece of the way people live and in the kind of area I live in, unless they found some sort of below market rate housing, 100k would be difficult even if renting, let alone buying house or townhouse. It has gotten a bit better since the real estate crunch, townhouses that were going for ridiculous prices at the height are a lot more affordable, but still. And even with a modest house, in some towns the property taxes are cripping, I know people with modest ranch houses in areas that once upon a time were old iron mining towns, where they are paying 7, 8, 9k in property taxes, easily, and the houses by local standards are not that expensive and that adds in. It is why I am cautious about articles that talk about salary and lifestyle, for what I make right now in the NYC area, if I lived in other parts of the country I would be considered pretty well off, whereas where I live I am considered comfortable, no more <em>shrug</em></p>
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<p>I agree with both of these points but has it occurred to the author that if she had that spending money then she would … spend it? There would be vacations, nicer cars, more expensive schools, a nicer home. The author said that she wants to have money to burn. Why? So she can burn it?</p>
<p>We are such a materialistic society. It’s too bad the author can’t be happy with what she has and instead wishes she had more.</p>
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Self? Self is that you?
We got a lot of guff in our circle for the amount of money we spend on my son’s music from people who spend as much on cleaning ladies, girls’ weekends, and five figure Bar MItzvah parties. My son has the best lessons and enrichment opportunities that money can buy in our area (NYC) and he has two very expensive instruments. One of which, in the interest of disclosure, was bought by a grandmother with a dream. And you can be sure she reminded me of my disapproval of that purchase when we saw him play at Carnegie Hall a couple of weeks ago. I felt hugely vindicated when he auditioned into a large music scholarship at a top prep school in this area. I don’t begrude those people their cleaning ladies (ok, maybe a little when my men are pigs), and they shouldn’t worry about my son’s lessons and instruments. But they do.</p>
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<p>Call me the sucker for nerdy ideas, but we actually have an Aerogarden where we have grown basil and cilantro. I think I might have done dill one year, too. But right now I’ve got cilantro coming out of my ear! Am giving it away to anyone who will take it.</p>
<p>Zoozermom, don’t even try to qualify music and music lessons. It’s a loosing battle. Most people thinks that accomplishment springs magically from a musicians forehead.</p>
<p>We had that problem with basil last summer haha</p>
<p><<<<< raises hand wildly>>>>>>> do you deliver??? I’d love the cilantro! Come visit :)</p>
<p>^^ Me too! Absolutely love cilantro. Even walk over just to sniff some when I’m at the market…</p>
<p>Zoosermom-</p>
<p>Musicamusica hit the nail on the head when it comes to music, a lot of people believe in the myth of ‘natural talent’ (I would guess from watching American Idol and so forth, where untalented people can shine), even among people who should know better they see music as this hobby you do through high school, then if you are serious you get into music school for college, then make it as a musician, and that isn’t happening, not these days, maybe 30 years ago…I think if I told them the extra costs, the meals bought on the fly, the driving all over, the summer programs, the various teachers, instruments, bows, getting bows rehaired (which at my son’s rate of practice, is often multiple times a month…), instruments (in the string world, a halfway decent instrument will be more then the average new car, easily), and the music for chamber music, individual work, etc…plus concert tickets and even downloading music to listen to, it adds up, and rapidly. It is funny, people will see that with things like Gymnastics or certain sports (tennis comes to mind), schools will make big allowances for that kind of thing, but music or dance? No way…</p>
<p>I think the saddest testament to all this was the pastor of the church we belonged to a while ago, he commented on parents who were involved with their kids as we were, the time and effort and money, and was all up in arms about how it isn’t good, etc (meanwhile, I am not talking helicopter parenting, I am talking simply actively supporting our kids in their dreams, going to concerts, etc)…meanwhile same pastor had a kid who was getting ready to graduate from college, and suddenly they discover the kid had absolutely no life skills, was a mess in many ways (and still is last I heard) and you kind of wonder about how a parent couldn’t see that long before they went to school. </p>
<p>I would bet that if I said to the same people why they spent 60k on a Cadillac Escalade special edition or went on a family ski vacation to Europe that cost more then tuition at the music program my son is in for 2 years, they would be total aghast and tell me that is because it is important to them <em>shrug</em>.</p>
<p>SlitheyTove, by break it down, I meant do you bring it home, plan a weeks meal around it, say six eggplants, a pound of tomatoes and summer squash, then freeze for meals in three weeks, and preserve for meals in three months? And it may not be fair to generalize summer to year round, unless your family likes chard and kale as much as they like nectarines. I can’t seem to use up my supple of frozen, canned, or dried summer fruit/veg. </p>
<p>But I get what your saying.</p>
<p>Still, I suspect I spend more gardening, subscribing to CSA’s ,and shopping farmers markets, than I would with shopping what is on sale at the chain grocery store, and buying “prepared foods” and “fast food”, but I can afford to make that choice.</p>
<p>I have not factored in me and H’s lunch out, or school meal plans when the kids were in HS, but the “pure” grocery bill was about $100.00/week.</p>
<p>Also, we live 50 miles from San Francisco so we can afford to visit it in style!</p>
<p>Silver lining…If they earn $100K or less and their kids get accepted to one of the handful of VERY generous colleges, they will only have to pay 10% of their income for their kiddo to attend!</p>
<p>I think the writer doesn’t know how to live on a budget and makes poor choices. </p>
<p>We live on around the same amount in a higher COL area. </p>
<p>A new car for a teen to deliver pizza?!?? Both DH and I drive used cars (his is 12 yrs old and mine is 8 yrs old.) My freshman in college does not have a car and when he was in high school, he took my DH to work and then drove to school, or took his car and I drove DH to work. Or DH took my car and I stayed around the house that day. The kid having his own car also increases auto insurance much more than a kid who doesn’t and is considered an “occasional” driver. </p>
<p>$1000 a month on food! Ridiculous. I spent $400/month with a teenage boy in the house and buy organic produce and meat. I don’t even clip coupons (mostly because I don’t buy that kind of stuff.)</p>
<p>Dinner out, rarely and my DH has been brown bagging his lunch for over 20 years. </p>
<p>Vacations, other than visiting my parents in Florida - none for a very long time. </p>
<p>We never moved into the bigger house (though we added an addition and gutted our kitchen.)</p>
<p>I do the cleaning and gardening. DH mows and shovels, paints the house, inside and out, when needed, and does almost anything that needs fixing other than electrical. </p>
<p>We make extensive use of our library, We bought refurbished computers (until DS got his laptop for college) and our used desk top we’ve had since 2006. It works just fine, too. </p>
<p>Even with sending our son to private high school and sleep-away camp for the whole summer since he was 7, we were able to save 15% of DH’s in retirement accounts. While that might not seem like enough, we are fortunate that DH’s public sector job comes with excellent bennies and a fantastic pension. </p>
<p>And, as Thumper mentioned above, there can be a silver lining re colleges which give very generous aid, and which we are fortunate to have happened for us (though we pay about 15%.)</p>
<p>I know quite a few people who make around the same amount (though both parents work) and they tell me they cannot afford college (even a state school) and I look around at the toys they buy and even stuff like going taking the family of four to a Yankee Game a few times a year and just think to myself, well of course you can’t.</p>
<p>^^^ emily^^^ that works for you, and that is good…but to not take vacations, not enjoy a fine meal,not enjoy a sporting event is not,imho…one needs to enjoy the fruits of one’s labor…worrying about piling enough money into retirement acconts and forgetting to live a little before you get there is a mistake…</p>
<p>I also clean my iwn home,cut the lawn,do the laundry,care for the pool…we traded up several times with homes, save for retirement,pay for kids educations…If you think the economy stinks now, imagine how it would be if everyone lived your frugal lifestyle. ;)</p>
<p>gdogpa, we take vacations, just the cheap kind at my parents place in florida. </p>
<p>As for sporting events, we go to Yankee games if someone gives of tickets (about every two years or so) DH runs marathons - had done the NYC twice, DC once, and a few half marathons when his brother was living in Indy, plus the local marathon. </p>
<p>I go to pro tennis tourney’s (Miami, which is inexpensive for me, since my parents live in the area, the USO (we get ground passes for $20.) and Montreal - again ground passes and DH & I will B&B for a few days. I have even been to Wimbledon - where I tented and queued. </p>
<p>Do we go every year, no. </p>
<p>And what we don’t do is fly off to the Caribbean or Mexico or Europe during the high season and/or during school break times. </p>
<p>And now that DS is in college DH & I can go to those places in the off season/shoulder season. </p>
<p>I have also been know to spend $200 on a pair of jeans (but I wear them for years.) </p>
<p>And I play tennis indoors from Sept-May with 5 other woman (we get off weeks.) I spend $700/yr for 1 1/2 of court time. </p>
<p>We have 3 dogs which we support, also. ;)</p>
<p>And we go out for lovely dinners on special occasions and with our son away, for a bite maybe twice a month now. </p>
<p>We aren’t piling money into our retirement accounts. We spent our extra funds on private high school and sleep away camp for our son </p>
<p>We did a $150K addition/new kitchen but since we only paid $107K for our home 21 years ago our mortgage is still only $600 month. </p>
<p>I think we have done our fair share of putting money into the economy. We just do it smartly. </p>
<p>And when one has two children and they tell me they cannot afford college when making $100K a year but think nothing of spending $400 a pop on a Yankee game, I have no sympathy. This person also has the mobile dog groomer come and bath and
groom her 3 dogs once a month! </p>
<p>I have another friend who has mismanaged the family finances so badly all three kids have had to take out loans for their college, they are losing their home, which they have lived in for more than 20 years, to foreclosure and yet she told me her husband just booked a cruise for next November for a friends destination wedding. I was very forthcoming and told her they have no business going. They are in debt up to their eyeballs (she has told me everything for years now.) Her answer was that she doesn’t want to wait until retirement to enjoy life. GMAFB.</p>
<p>I am so glad that I started this thread. These civil and open minded discussions are very informative and helpful.</p>
<p>I don’t think anyone’s style or approach is “better” than any others. It is rather personal and we live by our own values and believes. We should all count our blessings and enjoy what we have. </p>
<p>Is this family with 100K+ a year income poor? It all depends how you look at it. My answer is that they are not poor by any mean. </p>
<p>They are “dirt poor”.</p>
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I wish we lived closer so you could take me shopping! I would love to learn from you. If you have any tips you would like to share, I will be a most appreciative audience.</p>
<p>I made chicken pot pie yesterday. I used two split breasts that I had roasted. Then potatoes, carrots, peas, celery, flour, butter, milk, spices and a splash of cream. I made two in large pie plates and six in those cute little puff pastry cups (that was a splurge). They were dinner last night and lunch today. I expected them to be snacked on over the weekend. However, my mom wasn’t feeling well so I sent half a large one over to her, one boyfriend was “literally starving to death” at work yesterday, so he got two little ones, my son ate two before bed and one this morning. I’m now left with half of a large pot pie and four ravenous natives. I do try, really I do!</p>