On Thursday, October 2, 2014 3:56:16 PM UTC-4, wrote:
On Thu, 02 Oct 2014 14:00:40 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote:







I think "middle class" is a tired-out descriptor with little accurate

meaning these days. Lower, middle, and upper income are more easily

definable and more easily adjustable for regional or geographical

differences.



Income is not really a very good measure of quality of life, even in
the same area.

A person who makes wise buying decisions and avoids a lot of
unnecessary debt will live a lot better than a person who pays too
much for things they don't really need and does it with borrowed
money.

Along the same lines, many people who are technically above the middle income, middle class line still consider themselves middle class. That's where they came from, and while they may be earning well above that imaginary mark, they are still living essentially the same as they used to. Yeah, they may not have to budget for that new set of tires, not worry about about a clothing budget, etc. But as their lifestyle naturally expanded in subtle ways, the money gets used up and after a while it doesn't feel like they are making that much more than they used to.

While we've certainly spent some money along the way, my wife has always kept us grounded. We've socked away money for retirement. When that happens, if the SS checks are still around, they'll just be icing on the cake.