$53,000

[Apple Of Sodom]

Everyone(thing) has be classified into groups by Americans to make whoever feel better about whatever. Other cultures probably do the same. Point is, who gives a fuck. You are in the same group as the richest of the rich. It doesn't mean shit, other than you are part of this 1% group. Move on.

Just like ALL welfare recipients are horrible, thieving, illegals. Just like ALL liberals are out to steal whatever money they can from the rest of us who ACTUALLY work. Group us together, pit us against each other, then watch the comedy ensue.

Fair enough.

 

[dank69]

It isn't that I take them seriously. But they feed the masses with their information, and when the masses are being told that the top 1% are evil, they believe it.


Here is an article that calls people not in the 1% serfs and and how it is all a big scam.
http://www.mybudget360.com/top-1-pe...to-debt-servitude-by-promises-of-mega-wealth/

I'm not saying that the bailouts and AIG, Enron, and everything else wasn't terrible. I agree that Wallstreet is fucking us all. But *I* am in that 1% and I can assure you I have more in common with a welfare mother than I do with an AIG executive or hedge fund manager.

As for giving well of people tax breaks... it isn't *me* personally who should be taxed. Corporate loop holes and refunds need to go away. Taxing me an additional 3% would net the government a few grand...meanwhile Exxon is reportedly getting $150 million tax refund!

I think the point of that article was to try to wake the lower 99% out of their 'one day I will be a multi-millionaire' dreamworld. Unfortunately the author chose poor wording for one of the final sentences:

"This is how the top 1 percent rule the new feudal state."

Nobody with any common sense believes that everyone in the top 1% is pulling the strings on everyone else.

 

[Apple Of Sodom]

Nobody with any common sense believes that everyone in the top 1% is pulling the strings on everyone else.

I'm most afraid of those without common sense as they seem to be the majority now.

And that brings us full circle to the original point, which was "quit rallying against the 1% because there are a lot of us who are not the problem."

Edit:

I also love their graph of expenses for those making $100K. They show a net loss, but have $500 for entertainment expenses, $50 for dry cleaning, $50 for pet expenses, 2 car payments... According to the chart, this fictional scenario shows people who are house poor as their home and home related expenses suck up 50% of their monthly income.

Is this really the norm now?

 

[dank69]

I'm most afraid of those without common sense as they seem to be the majority now.

And that brings us full circle to the original point, which was "quit rallying against the 1% because there are a lot of us who are not the problem."

Edit:

I also love their graph of expenses for those making $100K. They show a net loss, but have $500 for entertainment expenses, $50 for dry cleaning, $50 for pet expenses, 2 car payments... According to the chart, this fictional scenario shows people who are house poor as their home and home related expenses suck up 50% of their monthly income.

Is this really the norm now?

Yes, and that is what the article is trying to get across.

And once again, nobody is rallying against the top 1%. Everyone is rallying against additional breaks for the top 1%. We don't need any more breaks.

 

[alkemyst]

What's sad is everyone is saying it's their choice they don't make more because they don't want to give up freetime. For one, I am willing to bet most that are working the longest weeks every week fall in the 70k and under crowd.

Once you get near $100k I have found you have more less busy weeks and a few intense ones.

Its really just an excuse and in reality people end up earning what they are worth.

Everyone is attacking the OP and in reality he isn't even making uber money.

Sure hitting $100k, $250k, $500k are all great milestones...yet it's not uncommon for many to be hitting a million or more...have 100's of thousands extra per month is just breaking into the upper class today.

The OP was just reporting on the group he falls into and how the story on it is misleading.

In the end the poor want to be lazy, get stuff for nothing, and end up biting the hands trying to make it happen.

Without write offs I am looking at $20k in taxes

 

[lord_emperor]

You should have been the CEO of a major company, driven it to bankruptcy and/or caused an international environmental disaster and made 10x as much.

 

[Apple Of Sodom]

You should have been the CEO of a major company, driven it to bankruptcy and/or caused an international environmental disaster and made 10x as much.

I know! It is bullshit! I could fuck up the environment for WAY less than $20 million!

 

[alkemyst]

Yes, and that is what the article is trying to get across.

And once again, nobody is rallting against the top 1%. Everyone is rallying against additional breaks for the top 1%. We don't need any more breaks.

That is fair too...no breaks for anyone.

IMHO a sales tax system would solve a lot... Joe Hoodrat and other criminal types then have their 'wages' counted.

 

[Apple Of Sodom]

Once you get near $100k I have found you have more less busy weeks and a few intense ones.

Its really just an excuse and in reality people end up earning what they are worth.

Everyone is attacking the OP and in reality he isn't even making uber money.

This is true. You are talking about jobs that scale. When you are making hourly rate you can only work so many hours. But when you have a job that scales you can make much, much more. Writing a piece of software takes X amount of hours...selling 1 copy vs 100 copies doesn't take any more time once the initial work is done.

A lot of the people working in the $70K crowd are skilled laborers - programmers, pipe fitters, electricians, etc. Great work, but hard to scale.

And yes, some weeks are completely down for me...but some weeks are insanely busy and incredibly stressful.

 

[Apple Of Sodom]

Yes, and that is what the article is trying to get across.

And once again, nobody is rallying against the top 1%. Everyone is rallying against additional breaks for the top 1%. We don't need any more breaks.

That article sure made it sound like they were rallying against us.

I don't need more breaks...but I don't need taxed any more. I'm not the issue; Exxon et al are the issue. Not paying taxes on billions in revenue is the issue.

 

[Apple Of Sodom]

That is fair too...no breaks for anyone.

IMHO a sales tax system would solve a lot... Joe Hoodrat and other criminal types then have their 'wages' counted.

Yes. That way you cannot go purchase a $20 million jet and write it off as a business expense. You have to pay sales tax on it so a little bit goes into the tax coffers.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

You poor man. How can you live without those things?

I mean seriously, I'm glad that you live in a society that makes your earnings possible, and I'm glad that you pay your taxes just like (almost) every other fucking working mope out there.

You know what? Making what you make, you could vacation for 12 weeks a year in Fiji. You choose not to, for reasons that are perfectly reasonable to you. You could sleep on a mattress stuffed with hundreds. You choose not to. So go cry somewhere else, would you?

People on welfare CHOOSE to be lazy and unwilling to fend for themselves. Anyone can succeed IF they take the time and effort.
It's just more people would rather take the easy way out of a situation and let someone else pay it.

What the OP CHOOSES to do with his money is just that. It should be his CHOICE on what to do with it. Not have some politicians CHOOSE how much they want to take from him to give to others.

 

[dank69]

That article sure made it sound like they were rallying against us.

I don't need more breaks...but I don't need taxed any more. I'm not the issue; Exxon et al are the issue. Not paying taxes on billions in revenue is the issue.

You need to re-read the article. The whole article minus the last two paragraphs is explaining that a $100k/yr family has no money to invest in stocks, let alone a $50k/yr family. The second to last paragraph blames wall street and then in the last sentence improperly lumps the entire top 1% into that same wall street group. The last paragraph tells the bottom 99% percent to wake up.

You are bent out of shape about nothing.

 

[AdamK47]

Similar threads on these forums over the years have shared the same fate as this one. Thinly veiled boasting never ends well. Especially so with one as transparent as this.

 

[zoiks]

More power to you man. I hope you become more successful.

 

[Apple Of Sodom]

You need to re-read the article. The whole article minus the last two paragraphs is explaining that a $100k/yr family has no money to invest in stocks, let alone a $50k/yr family. The second to last paragraph blames wall street and then in the last sentence improperly lumps the entire top 1% into that same wall street group. The last paragraph tells the bottom 99% percent to wake up.

You are bent out of shape about nothing.

A $100K/year family needs to cut expenses, not have a $350,000 home loan and invest in stocks. $100K/year is PLENTY to get by one in most cities. We cannot help that people spend beyond their means. See my previous reference to military wives with full time $50K/year jobs that live paycheck to paycheck.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Not jealous. You just sound like an asshole. No one is overly concerned with "the top 1%." I couldn't give a shit less what you make. The only financial concerns I have are my own.

 

[dank69]

A $100K/year family needs to cut expenses, not have a $350,000 home loan and invest in stocks. $100K/year is PLENTY to get by one in most cities. We cannot help that people spend beyond their means. See my previous reference to military wives with full time $50K/year jobs that live paycheck to paycheck.

Stop focusing on the poor numbers in that article. $350,000 gets you a rat infested shit hole in California. A family making 100k in California is equivalent to one making 10k in Kentucky.

 

[highland145]

Not jealous. You just sound like an asshole. No one is overly concerned with "the top 1%." I couldn't give a shit less what you make. The only financial concerns I have are my own.

Not true. Remember $250K+ is the new target group for some.

Agree on the personal finances. I make what I make and do what I think best with it.

 

[Apple Of Sodom]

Not jealous. You just sound like an asshole. No one is overly concerned with "the top 1%." I couldn't give a shit less what you make. The only financial concerns I have are my own.

Then why even come in here? I'm glad you added something great to the conversation. Nice sig. You think people give a fuck what kind of computer you have?

And yes, my perception is that there is a lot of concern in this country about sticking it to the 1% group with taxes.

 

[Engineer]

Stop focusing on the poor numbers in that article. $350,000 gets you a rat infested shit hole in California. A family making 100k in California is equivalent to one making 10k in Kentucky.

LOL....Do you really think that California is 10X more expensive than KY?

I know it's more expensive but come on man....

 

[Apple Of Sodom]

Stop focusing on the poor numbers in that article. $350,000 gets you a rat infested shit hole in California. A family making 100k in California is equivalent to one making 10k in Kentucky.

I don't believe it... and again I would ask, who chooses to live in such a place? Go elsewhere. Or get roommates. If you cannot afford a decent home where you live there is no reason to go broke and get a mortgage that consumes 50% of your income just because that is what is available...

If you are living in a place with a median home price that is incredibly high, I'm willing to wager the median wage for that area is also high (see Silicon Valley.)

 

[dank69]

LOL....Do you really think that California is 10X more expensive than KY?

I know it's more expensive but come on man....

Don't take it personally. That was just a random hyperbolic internet statistic. I'm sure there is a nice house or two in KY. Well, maybe in another state near the Kentucky border. ()

 

[IndyColtsFan]

What's sad is everyone is saying it's their choice they don't make more because they don't want to give up freetime. For one, I am willing to bet most that are working the longest weeks every week fall in the 70k and under crowd.

Well, in my case, I wasn't talking about spending more time working for someone else; let's face it, you're just not going to get rich working for someone else. I was talking about starting my own company like AoS has done.

Once you get near $100k I have found you have more less busy weeks and a few intense ones.

I think that's true in my case, and I don't want to give that up. Part of that is also that as people move up in salary range, some work smarter and not harder and as a result, have more free time. Now, again, I'd say that typically applies more for people who work for others instead of themselves. I really respect what people like AoS do and wish I could've done something similar, but at this stage, I don't have the committment to do it and even if I did, it is more likely than not that the business would fail.

 

[Aharami]

AoS, how did you get your business started? How old were you then?