Britain 19.7%

Canada 19.7%

Ireland 16.2%

United States 0.3%

Just curious, is this in real dollars or is it adjusted to inflation?

(04-24-2014 08:45 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  Just curious, is this in real dollars or is it adjusted to inflation?

That's what I was thinking. Increases like those can also increase inflation. Wonder if that happened in those countries? If it did, then the income increases would be somewhat muted by any increase in inflation.

And were all feeling it... I make a good living. When married back in 2002 my wife's decision to stay at home and raise the kids was an easy one... I'm making not about 10-15% more than I was than (unadjusted) and damn if it's not to the point where her having to work is coming up.

(04-24-2014 08:48 AM)VA49er Wrote:  

(04-24-2014 08:45 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  Just curious, is this in real dollars or is it adjusted to inflation?

That's what I was thinking. Increases like those can also increase inflation. Wonder if that happened in those countries? If it did, then the income increases would be somewhat muted by any increase in inflation.

I'm going to assume that *1* it includes inflation and *2* all nations are measured with inflation.

But then the obvious question how do those nations measure inflation?

These numbers could be real but we need context.

(04-24-2014 08:51 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  And were all feeling it... I make a good living. When married back in 2002 my wife's decision to stay at home and raise the kids was an easy one... I'm making not about 10-15% more than I was than (unadjusted) and damn if it's not to the point where her having to work is coming up.

Yeah, between my wife and I, we make over $100k and have a small 1,800 sqft house and only one child, but still basically live paycheck to paycheck.

(04-24-2014 08:52 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(04-24-2014 08:48 AM)VA49er Wrote:  

(04-24-2014 08:45 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  Just curious, is this in real dollars or is it adjusted to inflation?

That's what I was thinking. Increases like those can also increase inflation. Wonder if that happened in those countries? If it did, then the income increases would be somewhat muted by any increase in inflation.

I'm going to assume that *1* it includes inflation and *2* all nations are measured with inflation.

But then the obvious question how do those nations measure inflation?

These numbers could be real but we need context.

Those increases are impressive; however, need to know their baselines. I mean some country's incomes could increase 100% and still be less than the US at only a 0.3% increase. The three listed are all industrialzed nations, so that may not be the case; however, it's something to consider.

According to the NYT

Chart at clip .20 sec

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/23/upshot....html?_r=0

Quote:The American middle class, long the most affluent in the world, has lost that distinction.

While the wealthiest Americans are outpacing many of their global peers, a New York Times analysis shows that across the lower- and middle-income tiers, citizens of other advanced countries have received considerably larger raises over the last three decades.

After-tax middle-class incomes in Canada — substantially behind in 2000 — now appear to be higher than in the United States. The poor in much of Europe earn more than poor Americans.

...more

(04-24-2014 08:54 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  

(04-24-2014 08:51 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  And were all feeling it... I make a good living. When married back in 2002 my wife's decision to stay at home and raise the kids was an easy one... I'm making not about 10-15% more than I was than (unadjusted) and damn if it's not to the point where her having to work is coming up.

Yeah, between my wife and I, we make over $100k and have a small 1,800 sqft house and only one child, but still basically live paycheck to paycheck.

Don't take this the wrong way, but how are you living paycheck to paycheck with that type of income? I mean $100K is pretty cool in lots of places, but not so in NYC, etc.

Can the economy be grown by redistribution of wealth? Do we need a more socialist economy?

(04-24-2014 08:51 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  And were all feeling it... I make a good living. When married back in 2002 my wife's decision to stay at home and raise the kids was an easy one... I'm making not about 10-15% more than I was than (unadjusted) and damn if it's not to the point where her having to work is coming up.

Guess what - kids get more and more expensive the older they get. It hits a crescendo at college (if you pay for it), then, if everything goes right, they start paying their own freight at about 22/23.

At that point you help them out sometimes as they are just starting out and poor and you realize a couple hundred here and there is better than them moving back home. If you are lucky, by about 25 they are completely off your dole and self-sufficient.

The last couple of years I feel like I've gotten a 50% raise. I didn't, but the expenses have gone down drastically.

(04-24-2014 09:04 AM)VA49er Wrote:  

(04-24-2014 08:54 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  

(04-24-2014 08:51 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  And were all feeling it... I make a good living. When married back in 2002 my wife's decision to stay at home and raise the kids was an easy one... I'm making not about 10-15% more than I was than (unadjusted) and damn if it's not to the point where her having to work is coming up.

Yeah, between my wife and I, we make over $100k and have a small 1,800 sqft house and only one child, but still basically live paycheck to paycheck.

Don't take this the wrong way, but how are you living paycheck to paycheck with that type of income? I mean $100K is pretty cool in lots of places, but not so in NYC, etc.

Made a bad financial decision in 2007 and bought the house at peak price.

$2,250 for mortgage and tax/insurance escrow
$850 for preschool (this expense drops off in August)
$200 Car Payment
$200 Student loan payments
$350 average utility bill (Gas, Elec, Water)
$100 Cell phone
$150 Cable/Internet
$?,??? Payroll deductions for federal, state, ss taxes and medical insurance benefits

Total take home pay is about $6,200 after the deductions and fixed expenses of about $4,100. About $400 per week for Groceries, Gas, incidentals and entertainment leaves only $500 to put away, which is usually blown on house projects, broken appliances, car repair, holidays, or other Sh*t Happens.

So yeah, we make it work, but there isn't much room for savings.

THANKS OBAMA.

Clearly the poor are getting poorer and are becoming more dependant on gov't. Making it a moral imperative to redistribute wealth. An almost religious zeal by Zero to unilaterally (going around Congress) redistribute wealth is a constitutional question. Zero is acting as a dictator.

(04-24-2014 09:18 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  

(04-24-2014 09:04 AM)VA49er Wrote:  

(04-24-2014 08:54 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  

(04-24-2014 08:51 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  And were all feeling it... I make a good living. When married back in 2002 my wife's decision to stay at home and raise the kids was an easy one... I'm making not about 10-15% more than I was than (unadjusted) and damn if it's not to the point where her having to work is coming up.

Yeah, between my wife and I, we make over $100k and have a small 1,800 sqft house and only one child, but still basically live paycheck to paycheck.

Don't take this the wrong way, but how are you living paycheck to paycheck with that type of income? I mean $100K is pretty cool in lots of places, but not so in NYC, etc.

Made a bad financial decision in 2007 and bought the house at peak price.

$2,250 for mortgage and tax/insurance escrow
$850 for preschool (this expense drops off in August)
$200 Car Payment
$200 Student loan payments
$350 average utility bill (Gas, Elec, Water)
$100 Cell phone
$150 Cable/Internet
$?,??? Payroll deductions for federal, state, ss taxes and medical insurance benefits

Total take home pay is about $6,200 after the deductions and fixed expenses of about $4,100. About $400 per week for Groceries, Gas, incidentals and entertainment leaves only $500 to put away, which is usually blown on house projects, broken appliances, car repair, holidays, or other Sh*t Happens.

So yeah, we make it work, but there isn't much room for savings.

I'm there with you, bought a condo in 2006 because it's all I could afford.. 900 sq feet in a bad development that was undergoing condo conversions..

Market crashed, condo's stopped and all my new neighbors were broken section six homes with foul mouthed disrespectful kids. Eventually, when my kids were getting old enough to be outside playing a lot I bit the bullet and let the bank take my condo...

But before they did we bought a second house in a very nice neighborhood which as 2,400 feet and and has a great yard. The funny part was we got it for only about 25% more than the condo and needed just two years to repair our credit.

But like you we are having a hell of a time saving any money..

(04-24-2014 09:40 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(04-24-2014 09:18 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  

(04-24-2014 09:04 AM)VA49er Wrote:  

(04-24-2014 08:54 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  

(04-24-2014 08:51 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  And were all feeling it... I make a good living. When married back in 2002 my wife's decision to stay at home and raise the kids was an easy one... I'm making not about 10-15% more than I was than (unadjusted) and damn if it's not to the point where her having to work is coming up.

Yeah, between my wife and I, we make over $100k and have a small 1,800 sqft house and only one child, but still basically live paycheck to paycheck.

Don't take this the wrong way, but how are you living paycheck to paycheck with that type of income? I mean $100K is pretty cool in lots of places, but not so in NYC, etc.

Made a bad financial decision in 2007 and bought the house at peak price.

$2,250 for mortgage and tax/insurance escrow
$850 for preschool (this expense drops off in August)
$200 Car Payment
$200 Student loan payments
$350 average utility bill (Gas, Elec, Water)
$100 Cell phone
$150 Cable/Internet
$?,??? Payroll deductions for federal, state, ss taxes and medical insurance benefits

Total take home pay is about $6,200 after the deductions and fixed expenses of about $4,100. About $400 per week for Groceries, Gas, incidentals and entertainment leaves only $500 to put away, which is usually blown on house projects, broken appliances, car repair, holidays, or other Sh*t Happens.

So yeah, we make it work, but there isn't much room for savings.

I'm there with you, bought a condo in 2006 because it's all I could afford.. 900 sq feet in a bad development that was undergoing condo conversions..

Market crashed, condo's stopped and all my new neighbors were broken section six homes with foul mouthed disrespectful kids. Eventually, when my kids were getting old enough to be outside playing a lot I bit the bullet and let the bank take my condo...

But before they did we bought a second house in a very nice neighborhood which as 2,400 feet and and has a great yard. The funny part was we got it for only about 25% more than the condo and needed just two years to repair our credit.

But like you we are having a hell of a time saving any money..

The only reason we haven't walked is because of the fact that we are actually in the neighborhood we want. It is a bit frustrating though that houses that are nearly twice the size are selling for less than what we paid for ours. We have been praying for a tornado for 3 years and always leave through a large load in the dryer before we leave the house. I would love to have the land and $300,000 to build and furnish a new house on it that we could at least sell if necessary instead of this old POS that desperately needs to be re-sided.

I feel so terrible for people like Bull whom had 2 or 3 homes and "let the bank" have 1 or 2 back. Poor things.

Their neighbors, who had to deal with revolving door monthly/weekly renters and potential home buyers for years and put the work into their own homes while the craphole "motel" next door ripped their property values and quality of life to sheds, are just whiners.

(04-24-2014 09:46 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  The only reason we haven't walked is because of the fact that we are actually in the neighborhood we want. It is a bit frustrating though that houses that are nearly twice the size are selling for less than what we paid for ours. We have been praying for a tornado for 3 years and always leave through a large load in the dryer before we leave the house. I would love to have the land and $300,000 to build and furnish a new house on it that we could at least sell if necessary instead of this old POS that desperately needs to be re-sided.

That is a big reason to stay, you're right. If you buy the home you want for 20 years it's best to ignore the housing markets... I might still be in that condo if some little punk in the park did not call my wife a racial slur in front of our 2yo..

First kid is on the way and we're looking at the math for the Mrs staying home for a while. Daycare in DC runs about $25K per year on the low end so we'd still come out ahead if she went back to work but a second kid will wipe out all of her income.