What's it like making $100K+?

Question

I know you live in a nice house and drive a nice car, you eat good food and pay lots of taxes. But this is what I want to know.

How much does a person who makes $100K net save?
After taxes, car payment, mortgage, insurance, expenses of living?

I have a feeling that I can make $50K, but without a house or car, I can save significantly. So, do people who make $50K more a year really save up that $50K (invested safely in considered saved)?

Ok, please don't answer if you're NOT a person who makes this much or knows somebody that does.

I want personal factual stories & numbers. As for advising me how to spend and save, thanks, I save more than 50% what I earn already.

Thanks, finally an answer:

15% goes to retirement savings
10% goes into post tax savings.

That's 25% saved, which I see myself probably doing more if I can cut back on entertainment, food and cable/tv/utilities.

I wish I could personally thank the answering person, but he doesn't allow IM or email

Answer 1

What it is like is dependent upon what you have in expenses.......


I make $180K/yr.... and I can comfortable PREPAY my mortgage 6 months ahead, pay car loans in 3 years or less.. and STILL have money to fully fund my retirement... here's what you need to do...

FIRST... build up an 8 month "nest egg" that will cover your expenses should you get hurt or lose your job and cant maintain your income stream

THEN...... fund any IRA and MATCHING ( ONLY MATCHING) 401K to maximum deductibility allowed by law. if you have a non matching 401K, roll it into a traditional IRA. Matching 401k's are an IMMEDIATE ROI( return on investment) of whatever % the company you work for matches your contribution.

With any other disposable income , OPEN and fund a ROTH IRA. This money is funded AFTER TAX.. and any capital gains from it are INCOME AND CAPITAL TAX FREE.. yes FREE.

Once you've paid yourself, then pay your monthly bills and even prepay some of them. You will find if you prepay, money becomes less and less of an issue in your life and MUCH less stress on your marriage.

You are on the right track... keep at it. Its a long hard slog... but you'll get there. You ARE thinking wisely about your future and your money...

Good Luck!!

Answer 2

I have made all ranges of salary. Currently, I am making in the $100K range.

What's it like? It is just like making $50K, but I have less worries about paying the bills at the end of the month.

Here is a quick breakdown.
About 30% goes to taxes
About 15% goes to retirement savings
About 25% goes to housing
About 10% goes to utilities/cable TV/Internet/etc...
About 15% goes to food and entertainment
About 10% goes into post tax savings.
(I know that is more then 100%, the above are rounded to the nearest 5%.)

Too much of it depends on who you are and what you are like. I know people who make $100K+ and are neck deep in debt, and have nothing to show for it. On the other hand, I know folks that are making around $50k, but have a nice house, nice car, and can still save around 20% of their take home pay every month.

It is really about what you spend your money on, not how much you make. You have the right idea. Make $50K, but save your pennies. Do not buy a new car every 3 years. Continue to bring lunch to work instead of buying. Don't throw your income away on luxuries that you really don't need. Pretty soon, you will have enough in the bank to afford that nice house on your little $50K a year salary, and everyone will wonder how you can do it.

Answer 3

I work in the finance industry and help many families that make over 100k. They are really no better off than anyone else. You can become a millionaire if you manage your money at any income level. What I've noticed is, it doesn't matter how much money you make, it matters how much money you save. Mostly what i've seen is even though they might make more money, they have more payments and debt too.

For instance if you make 50k a year and can afford a 100k house. The guy making 100k can afford a 200k house. And he will buy it too. If you can afford a 20k car he will have a 40k car. The reason for this is everyone needs to impress the next guy. We call it the "keep up with the Jones's" syndrome.

Like I said before its not how much you make, its how much you save.

If you live like no one else, later you can live like no one else.

Meaning if you save now and don't spend on stupid useless objects.....Later you will have the money to live your dreams.

Answer 4

A good book you might be interested about this very thing....

"The Millionaire Next Door" by Thomas Stanley and William Danko

Dave Ramsey, a financial consultant/radio personality (http://www.daveramsey.com/) has a quote that is good to live by: Live like no one else so you can live like no one else.

Meaning, live to where you are paying down your debts and investing in retirement and savings and living frugally ... this is living like no one else, because most people don't save, and live with a lot of debt... so then eventually you will be debt free, have plenty in retirement and savings, and then can live a nice lifestyle later on ... once again like no one else since many won't have saved for retirement and will still have a mountain of debt.

I don't make $100K/yr but as long as you figure out a budget and figure out your expenses, and realize how much you can save really that is what is important.

Someone making $50K more per year than you will automatically be in a higher tax bracket, so more goes out in that alone. But once again, depends on how they would spend/save their money as to the difference between your salary and that much more.

Answer 5

Let me first recommend Dave Ramsey and Financial Peace.
Google it and go from there.

First it is as great to make 100K now as it was to make my 25K years ago. I do not have car payments because I do not borrow money or lease cars. I save money , buy cars that are 2 or 3 years old and keep them for 5 or 6 years, maintaining them and taking care of them.

I put 15% of my money up to the IRS max in my 401K and I fully fund my RothIRAs for my wife and myself. I pay down on my mortgage consistently which will be gone in 5 years.

MY 401K and Roth IRAs are spread out in 4 Mutual Fund Segemnts of 25% in each Large cap, Small Cap, G&I, and International Mutual Funds. If you research them well you will find that you can make 10-12% returns, not guaranteed but you have a good shot if you choose well. Look for funds that have been in business at lease 5 years but preferably longer. You don't want a MF that is not old enough to walk and talk.

Answer 6

The answer lies in your ability to manage money. Making $50k with low expenses, you should have a target savings %, as Flower Girl mentions. Stick to it. If you can afford more, raise your target. But as you earn more, keep that target percentage intact. There are plenty of money-foolish people who earn $100k, and have cars and junk to show for it, but no money in the bank. Much harder to find is the smart fellow who earns that much but still drives a practical Honda Accord and has tons invested for the future. Don't make the fools mistake and buy wasting assets like cars. Save and buy a house. Max out your Roth IRA and work 401(k). THen, with the money left, buy whatever you want. Save first, then spend.

Answer 7

He is freezing the pay of HIS staff. They are making a sacrifice like msot of America is now. How do you people not get that? You know their slaraies come out of your paycheck in your taxes right? people at my plant have been laid off and everyone else has had their hours cut to 32 hours per week to make sacrifices so more don't lose their jobs all together., its a good thing he is reigning in government spending. All those people get free health care and are taken care of because they are Politicians EDIT: Not sure where you people are coming up with this stuff or if you are jsut idiots.. he is freezing salries for those on his staff that make $100+ this has nothing to do with tax breaks associated with those making $250,000 or less -= two entirely sepearate things. he is leading by example. he and hsi staff are making asacrifices alongside the American people.

Answer 8

you have some very good points and so does some of posters who answered -- but that is no way of comparing because of the apple and pear problem!!! like the guy who moved from ny to the midwest i had the same problem when i was transfered from new orleans to chicago -- got a 10k raise and lost 2k a year on disposal income after expenses -- lucky company transfer me back -- you will find that a good money manager making half as much as a poor money manager will be able to retire when he is 55 and reap all of the benefits of not living a poor life but a life that did not make a bunch of stupid money choices!!! my favorate saying is you work hard for you money -- make it work twice as hard as you --today i have over 95k a year in unearned income!!!

Answer 9

Most poeple live according to their means, if you make more, you spend more. So it is a wise decision to invest the savings somewhere that it can't be touched, such as an IRA or a 401K. You should try to save at least 10% of what you make.

Answer 10

After income taxes, property tax, mortgage (California), auto insurance, car maintenance, gasoline (~$3/gallon), food, bills (credit cards, phone, electric, internet, cable tv), investments (401k, stock-options), medical, etc...

I usually have enough to buy beer and forget about all of the above on the weekends.