Are you "Upper Middle Class"?

[wetwillie]

For me, the greater my income has been, the less I've worried about taxes. These days, I just know there's crap that goes into accounts and crap that comes out and I don't pay much attention to any of it. And that always makes me think that people who claim to be upper middle class and talk about taxes are lying about their income.

I am same as you, but people don't have a universal attitude toward money.  Not everyone places the same value on a dollar.

Yeah, and I'd expect that most people don't manage money well, either. STILL, I just often get the feeling that people who like to bitch about taxes also like to lie about their income. Could be wrong. Just a feeling.

That's an interesting perspective. I'm sure there are plenty of people who are pretty nonchalant about finances - incomes, expenses, taxes etc. but I wonder if it has any connection to your circumstances and responsibilities. If you don't mind sharing, what's your approx age, income and number of kids?

What in the world? 

 I think Chum1 just got A/S/L 'd   

[Dr Rick Daris]

like, look at me i'm so important and make so much money that the government needs it to pay for all these poor people who aren't as good as i am. it's so annoying. hey check out my new iphone.

[K-S-U-Wildcats!]

I'm not good at knowing where the dividing lines between classes are. Is it a hard metric or more of a feel thing?

People toss "_____ class" as a pretty vague term and it's definitely in the eye of the beholder. I use "upper middle class" to describe HENRYs - people who make a good income and live reasonably comfortably. They own nice homes and relatively new cars. They take nice vacations, but they're still flying coach unless they've racked up miles through work. They still have to live within a budget and they have a lot of expenses, like a mortgage, saving for college, lessons, etc. Theyre not wealthy enough to shelter their income like the truly "rich" can , and they generally pay the highest tax burden by percentage.

[michigancat]

they generally pay the highest tax burden by percentage.

You keep repeating this, do you have a source?

And sorry about flying coach on your vacation bro. It's hard out there for a HENRY.

[Dr Rick Daris]

meanwhile, normal functioning adults don't need the validation/self jerk off and just go about living their lives and pay whatever they are supposed to pay. like i have no idea what my tax rate is. 24%? 36%? don't know and don't care. meanwhile, i'm going to stay at the riu palace americas next week and i absolutely can not find out whether their outdoor "jacuzzi pool" is a hot tub type pool like we would think of in the states or just a small pool with pool temperatures but jets like you commonly see in mexican/carribean resorts and it's bugging the absolute crap out of me. no information on the internet and even calling the resort didn't help. absolutely maddening.

[star seed 7]

Ksuw is obsessed with money, this is def not a new revelation. Meanwhile he seems to be living beyond his means if taxes are such a hardship for him and his 10 kids

[michigancat]

Ksuw is obsessed with money, this is def not a new revelation. Meanwhile he seems to be living beyond his means if taxes are such a hardship for him and his 10 kids

Yes, if your household income in north of $400k as he implies and you live in the kc metro and are struggling, you are definitely living beyond your means.

[Kat Kid]

It really is funny how the primary critique that ksuw offers is that poor people and others he doesn't like feel as though they are owed something but he is always complaining about why things aren't fair and he isn't getting what he deserves.

Why don't you just go out there and make yourself happy?  Free will and liberty and what not.

[michigancat]

Post

[steve dave]

OT Sorta: ksuw, I fly first/biz class most of the time and have a vacation booked in May where I will be sitting a 1 year old in a first class seat next to mrs. dave and I's first class seats. I cannot wait to watch the defeated HENRYs walk by to the back of the bus watching my 1 year old get a hot towel handed to him by a stewardess. see the CC thread for more details.

[Dr Rick Daris]

normally i wouldn't care but highs are supposed to be mid 70's and every review i read says that the building casts a shadow over the entire pool area starting around 2pm.

[michigancat]

Rick, I'm going to the Riu Santa Fe in cabo in April. Flying coach, though.

[steve dave]

What sucks though is we are about to qualify for the SW companion pass and will have about 200k SW miles to go along with it so I'm going to probably fly shitloads of free SW coach in the next two years

[Dr Rick Daris]

you guys know what's kind of funny? i'm flying there on sw coach from mci to cancun w/ miles.

also just found out that there is an actual hot tub at the riu cancun next door and that if you are staying at palace americas you can use the cancun facilities as much as you want but they can't use the palaces. 

[wetwillie]

KSU's student loans from the graduate degree he got just accrued another 300$ while I typed this.

[Headinjun]

Geez KSU, you could've not had a 6th child, lived in a smaller older house and drove an older car.  Those are all things that could've saved you money.

The majority of the taxes you pay are based on the decisions that YOU make. 

Question, if marijuana was legally sold in JOCO and was used to offset property tax deductions, would you be for it? 

[sys]

my tax rate (total, not marginal) is ridiculously low.  i almost lol @ the govt i'm raping it so bad.

[06wildcat]

Rick, I'm going to the Riu Santa Fe in cabo in April. Flying coach, though.

Use the money saved flying coach to upgrade to the Riu Palace.

[michigancat]

Rick, I'm going to the Riu Santa Fe in cabo in April. Flying coach, though.

Use the money saved flying coach to upgrade to the Riu Palace.

I've heard it's not much of an upgrade. Plus I can barely afford flying coach.

[sys]

I can barely afford flying coach.

it's a shame.  if you were rich you'd be able to deduct the upgrade.  or if you were poor, you'd get it free.  it's just a shame.

[sys]

by rich, i mean if you feel rich, obviously.  not rich in the sense of having more money than other people.

[michigancat]

I can barely afford flying coach.

it's a shame.  if you were rich you'd be able to deduct the upgrade.  or if you were poor, you'd get it free.  it's just a shame.

I'm basically getting crap on by both sides. Worst position to be in.

[06wildcat]

Rick, I'm going to the Riu Santa Fe in cabo in April. Flying coach, though.

Use the money saved flying coach to upgrade to the Riu Palace.

I've heard it's not much of an upgrade. Plus I can barely afford flying coach.

Depends on reason you're going, but that's probably accurate. I also don't have any idea on cost difference.

[michigancat]

Rick, I'm going to the Riu Santa Fe in cabo in April. Flying coach, though.

Use the money saved flying coach to upgrade to the Riu Palace.

I've heard it's not much of an upgrade. Plus I can barely afford flying coach.

Depends on reason you're going, but that's probably accurate. I also don't have any idea on cost difference.

I'm going with kids

[06wildcat]

Rick, I'm going to the Riu Santa Fe in cabo in April. Flying coach, though.

Use the money saved flying coach to upgrade to the Riu Palace.

I've heard it's not much of an upgrade. Plus I can barely afford flying coach.

Depends on reason you're going, but that's probably accurate. I also don't have any idea on cost difference.

I'm going with kids