Economically, What Are You?

[THUNDER HANDS]

I make about $25K a year, which I guess is working class.

You?

[Beware the Beast Man]

1. Statistically, Lower Middle Class

But I feel po'

[apnu]

7. me too n/t

[dolo amber]

2. HA!!

You included the much maligned and oft overlooked po'... :D:thumbsup::yourock:

[Westegg]

6. I'll never forget interviewing a single mother on welfare...

...many years ago. The article I was writing was on healthcare. And she said to me, "I'm not poor---I'm po'." It was the first time I'd heard that expression, but I understood her point instantly.

Part of her point was that she felt utterly cut off from the notion of upward mobility which is central to the so-called "American dream." And she was right.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

3. Well, I'm technically working class,

but in this city, based on what I make, I'm fuckin PO!

[redwitch]

4. Desperate.

Scary days here. Self employed here, hubby too. Economy that is supposedly GREAT! isn't, we are hurting. We are middle class slowly sliding downnnnnnnnnnnn. :-(

[meegbear]

5. Fuck't

totally.

[madrchsod]

8. i make 8 pr hour

for a temp service who has a contract with a rather large printing corp..well really big corp...the cleaning lady who works for servicemaster makes over 9 pr hour..working class slowly going under....

[Speck Tater]

9. You forgot the most important category!

"Contented"

I made over $100,00 one year and was contented, and I've made less than $10,000 in a year and been contented. The numbers don't make one bit of difference to me.

I don't recall who it was who said happines comes from making a dollar more than you spend. Misery comes from spending a dollar more than you make.

Or as Lao Tzu said many centuries ago, He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.

[gpandas]

10. reminds me of my deceased...

brothers response to those who say, "money can't buy happiness". "maybe not, but you can pick your own misery."

[Speck Tater]

11. Money cures everything but boredom,...

and food cures boredom.

[Yavin4]

12. Your Economic Class Is Determined By Your Assetst To Liability Ratio

Not by how much you earn. I owe far much more than I have, so I am working class poor.

[KayLaw]

14. How does that work?

If you sat down to figure that out, what number would you use for home equity? I'm just curious because some people think they're rich because their neighbor sold their house last week for $800,000 and they can too. I think your house is only worth for what you get for it when you actually sell it, so do you just leave the house out of the equation, or what?

[Yavin4]

19. No, You Sum All Of Your Assets Minus All of Your Debt To Get Your

Net Worth. To get your Assets-to-Liability ratio, you'd divide your assets by your liabilities. If someone in your nabe sold their house for 800K, then that's a reasonable assumption of the worth on your house. You add your house, and whatever assets that you have like stocks, bonds, savings, jewelry, etc, and then subtract all of your liabilities, outstanding mortgage, credit card bills, student loans, etc.

If you have a more than what you owe, then you're probably middle or upper middle class. If you have a ton more than what you owe, then you're probably wealthy.

A word to the wise, asset and debt values fluctuate based on interest rates and other things. So, for right now, your house may be worth 800K, but it may be worth a lot less a year from now.

[scarlet_owl]

13. Poor, almost working class.

My husband and I almost make $20,000 a year. On edit: It suits us just fine, though. We don't have expensive tastes, and we have a pretty good life, but we wouldn't be able to afford our home if my mother in law didn't live with us.

[elfwitch]

15. My household income for 2003 was between

$49,999-$52,000 (you do the adjustments for how po' that makes me for living in Dallas)

[Nikia]

16. I'm gong to say middle class for this poll

I am still interested in what that really means. There is both a monetary and social aspect to that. My families, regardless of income, generally considers themselves middle class despite being rather diverse economically or socially. We were raised to be educated, work hard, behave ethically, speak proper English, be nice and polite to everyone regardless of their "standing", and be ambitious. Are those middle class values? Anyway, my husband and I make enough to be statisitically middle income in an area whose cost of living is a little less than average.

[bigwillq]

17. Me personally, I am working class

I guess you would consider my parents upper middle class and since I still live home with them and they support me in a few different things financially (like my cell phone bill) I would be working upper middle class!

[AlienGirl]

18. I make $7.75 an hour and work 30 hrs. a week on average

[guitar man]

20. we earn

about 40k, but we managed to pay our house off and pay down our other debt, so we are actually living a little better than our income would indicate.

[Yavin4]

21. Again, Your Economic Class Status Is Based On Your Net Worth

not your income. It's based on your assets minus your liabilities.