$300,000 per year - Could you survive?
By zoey7879
@zoey7879 (3092)
United States
August 17, 2009 11:53pm CST
I just read an article from the online Washington Post about a woman who claims she is squeaking by on $300,000 per year. Her job as a vice president for Mastercard pays her $150k per year plus bonus. Her property tax is approximately $30k per year. She receives $75k per year child support from her husband, receives a yearly bonus from Mastercard (and complaining because it's smaller this year), and she has personal investments that could bring her an additional $50k this year to "pick up the slack". The article states that a vegetable drink in her neighborhood costs nearly $8.00 per drink.
She cited that her standard of living was set with being a married woman in mind, but however, she's now divorced and having to pull the weight of the bills alone. Does anyone else find this woman absurd for being upset? I mean, $300k is a good sum of money. She's paying $40k a year for a nanny - doesn't it make more sense to just hire an hourly babysitter for a couple hundred bucks a month and do the cleaning herself?
$300k a year is 6 times the average median income of where I live. I do realize that the cost of living is much more expensive in the metropolitan areas, but I just feel that there is something seriously wrong if someone is calling one quarter of a million dollars "just squeaking by"! I think about all of the medical needs of people, the hungry, and the lower income brackets in general and this woman just makes me sick. Thousands if not millions of people live on less than $25k per year supporting even larger families and don't complain.
The nerve of some people! :(
4 people like this
27 responses
@realan (518)
• United States
18 Aug 09
I agree it is ridiculous and can't believe she is whining. I'm sure there are tons to things she can cut! I've had to do that so many times! I can see how people do get in trouble though. The more money you make the more you spend. You get a bigger house, go out a little more etc... I work in New York City. I don't know how people afford to live here. Apartments cost close to a million dollars. So, I commute into the city. Sometimes it takes close to almost 2 hours but i do what I need to do. Unfortunately I do live in an expensive area of the US. Everywhere else people can live on a third of the money. Sometimes I wish I could move somewhere less epensive but not possible right now. Well, I'll just keep playing the lottery and typing away on Mylot! LOL!
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
19 Aug 09
expensive grass is always greener ah I know New York
'is expensive but orange county southern californis'
is right up there an old crummy apartment with two'
bedrooms rents at 1400 a month houses more like two third'of aZ million to four or five million we have a horrible
jobless rate and wages dont rise as quickly As rents do.
wish I could move to where myson could get A job And
we could afford Appartment rent
@realan (518)
• United States
18 Aug 09
It's horrible how expensive it is in this city. I live in NJ and live a more humble lifestyle! Not making anywhere near what this women is making. But, I do work with many of these people who make insane money, and it's unbelieveable what they spend it on. (I do have to give some credit, for some donate and give back a lot of time and funds to the less fortunate.) But obviously this woman is spoiled and can cut back so much. At least she has a job, which is more than I can say for tons of people who have been laid off here in NY. I've seen dozens of lay offs around me in my 12 years here, especially in the last year, and it is truly depressing. I am thankful everyday that I still have my job, family and health!
1 person likes this
@caraj444 (1075)
• Canada
18 Aug 09
I agree i think its absolutly ridiculous but i think most people increase there standard of living as there income increases and this woman was obviously used to having probably twice that amount of money when she was with her husband so even though its hard to understand for those of us that survive on much much less its all what you get used to living with and its probably very hard to downsize and get used to living with less and learning how to cut corners to make the amount of money she now earns be enough to support her
1 person likes this
@zoey7879 (3092)
• United States
18 Aug 09
I'm sorry, but I was taught how to "cut corners" and budget in my high school economics class. You'd think that working for a credit company that she would understand the importance of this. Nannies aren't needed, a property where the tax is $30-$40k per year (My family paid $1k on 47 acres with a $60k house sitting on it, so I have to wonder about this home). I wonder why some people think that they are above everything. I think about how many hungry kids who's parents are struggling , how many medical needs go unmet each year in which that kind of money could take care of each year.
@moribus2 (106)
• India
18 Aug 09
Her it is lol, like if you live on Maggi Noodles, you cannot comedown to Top ramen. If you are useing 500$ Waterman Pens with $50 seafarers ink, cant you comedown to 2$ hero pens with 0.99 unbranded ink. Would your hand hurt a lot. As I said before countries with a hundred thousand population have a gross income of 150-200KL dollars. How the hell do you expect they live. Even the highest paid software professional's salary is less the 60k anually. How do you expect he lives?
If she finds so difficult to live, change and move on, go to shabbier quarter, fire the nanny, afterall what does a mother do. Does she feel nauseated to clean her own baby's goo? How the hell does her mother raised her up?
@momtrying2makeit (3270)
• United States
18 Aug 09
I would not be complaining but you know when you grow accoustomed to a certain amount of money to go down can hurt. I call it refigure your budget. If the money you once had is now gone because of whatever reason you must decide what is imporant and what is not. I guess for me if I had that kinda of money I would never really be complaing but some people to me are just too greedy. Take care and happy mylotting to you. 
1 person likes this
@zoey7879 (3092)
• United States
18 Aug 09
I eek by on far, far loss than she does and my only real complaint is not being able to afford even a used vehicle and being able to get all of my needed prescriptions covered. Other than that, I'm quite content on not being wound up in the material world - No one's forcing her to live there, and she'd probably spend less each year on a commute and an hourly babysitter than she does on that damn nanny!
@moribus2 (106)
• India
18 Aug 09
The where I live one could buy 2 or 3 mountains with that much sum. Thats 144cr Indian rupees, which is the annual income of many small countries in Africa etc. What we must understand, that man has an inert desire to excel and flourish no matter what. Every achievement seems insignificant against the proposed goal. Maybe the lady nurtures the ambition of becoming Bill Gates. LOL.
@prashanthalva (2272)
• India
18 Aug 09
I Do Agree With you .. This Lady Is One Hell Of A Woman .. If A Few Thousand Rupees is Not enough For A Comfortable Survival We Can Understand .. But the Amount Adds Up to Hundreds Of Thousand Rupees .. Bless Me With Such Money .. Is this A Dream .. Am wondering ..
@mequan (141)
• United States
19 Aug 09
If I was making this much money I could definitely survive. There would be no doubt about it. How can you complain about that. That's more then the average job in America. She is so unappreciative and doesn't deserve it. Give me the money? hahaha
1 person likes this
@Celanith (2327)
• United States
19 Aug 09
Some one needs to take this lady and start showing her how little she needs. None of us NEED that much money. We need, food, water, shelter, warmth, love. We can get all that in the humblest of shacks. Having lots of money is nice but it can be abused too. I think this lady definately abuses it.
@highflyingxangel (9225)
• United States
18 Aug 09
Oh my goodness if I lived on $300,000 a year I would have about $250,000 left over. I don't spend that much money, I don't have many bills right now aside from my student loans that I'll have to start repayment on soon. I barely buy anything for myself, I have to force myself to go out and actually buy clothing when I seriously need it. I can't figure out what she's complaining about!
1 person likes this
@dreamr802 (985)
• United States
18 Aug 09
Wow, if I had $300,000/year I would be so much better. I can understand having trouble because you are a single mom but if you are making that kind of money you have no excuse. I can understand hiring a nanny...but you do the cleaning and whatnot. And if a vegetable drink costs $8 then treat once in a while! When I was working I was making $35k and I was doing good. I just have a lot of debt to pay off so that is why my money was really tight. But if I'm making 50k I would be all set.
1 person likes this
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
18 Aug 09
To answer the title of my post. If we had $300k a yr, we'd be living VERY WELL!
You know some people haven't had a reality check in so long they have no idea what it's like to be literally just scraping by! No idea the humiliation of applying for any kind of assistance or going to a food pantry what that is like. People like that make me want to reach thru the screen and slap some sense into them.
There was a baseball player earlier this year who felt his millions were not enough to sustain his family. Oh BOOO HOOOO for him! Poor thing when the rest of the real world lives on much less.
1 person likes this
@charblaize (1026)
• United States
18 Aug 09
I feel this lady should live like us "hard working" people and see what she says. This is just ridicoulous and maybe she should stop living the luxurous life and stay out of stores, spas, pedicures/manicures and rebudget her money or have someone hold it for her......
If she's a single mom, maybe should cut her nanny half time and spend time with the kids and not in the company as much and clean herself....live like a regular person.
Sometimes I wish the government officials will like us (ones paying their salary) and they may think differently about some of "issues"
1 person likes this
@glords (2614)
• United States
18 Aug 09
I doubt that she could do without a nanny. A nanny is much more then a babysitter. If she is a V.P. she probably has little or no time to raise her children... the job of raising the kids falls almost completely on the nanny. It would be cruel to take away the child's parental figure, especially right now, after a divorce.
However we get by on a lot less money then she has... and in my opinion, if you can't afford your lifestyle, its time to get a new lifestyle.
@khayshenz (1384)
• United States
18 Aug 09
Unfortunately - it's true. Some spoiled rich people, they don't know what it's like to not have much or not have anything at all. They've never gone through financial hardship, so they don't know how they'll survive when they have less money to go around.
HECK! I'm an engineer - and I'm still here trying to make extra cash! And no - I don't see that kind of money annually. Heck - I'll be happy if I make just half of that!!
Such is life though. I think it's good for her that she lost so much money - that's the only way she'll learn to get by with $300K a year! (That's A LOT of money!!)
@Celanith (2327)
• United States
19 Aug 09
ROFLOL this lady is totally spoiled and rotten as well. I would love to take her way way way out in the boonies and give her a nylon rope, a magnifying glass, 10 matches, rolled oats, raisins, Jerky, some chocolate bars, a canteen with water, a sleeping bag and knife. Then see how well she can survive for three weeks. She would learn the true meaning of survival. My dad did this with all of us kids.
I would then like to take and stick her in a rustic cabin, no running water but a creek nearby, and out house. No electricity but a wood cook stove and kerosene lanterns and lamps, seeds for garden plot, a shovel and rake and buckets. Dishes and bedding, clothing etc. The basics. No telephone either not even a cell, she could have a dog. Leave her there for 3 months check on her once a week and take in staples. Yeah she has no clue about surviving.
I live on $18,790 per year and hubby and I get by, we frequently have grandkids here 2-4 nights and days per week. We make do and do without. We raised 4 kids on under $20,000 and had livestock. She needs a reality check.
@sacmom (14192)
• United States
19 Aug 09
Sure, I could survive. Heck, my husband is the only one with a paying job and he makes no where near as much as this. Even if he made only made a 3rd of what this woman makes it'll still be a lot more than what he makes now.
However, in a way I can understand this woman's "dilemma" (please don't bite my head off LOL). Okay, so it is ridiculous to those of us that are truly squeaking by, but at the same time people can get accustomed to a set amount of money and they'd be at a loss if they couldn't continue to live a rich life, especially if they don't know any better to begin with.
Happy mylotting!
@mikeysmom (2088)
• United States
18 Aug 09
as someone who struggles financially, not for lack of working my butt off either, i feel she is delusional. if she would like to come here and live in my shoes for even one day i say bring it. in order for me to be here for my son before and after school and during summer breaks i work from home babysitting 32-40 hours per week, i am the bookkeeper for my husband's small businessand i work online part time doing surveys and product testing. so i work about 50 hours per week on top of taking care of the home and all that entails and driving my son to and from school and helping him with all his homework etc. not saying i deserve a pat on the back but if you saw what i make for doing all that in comparison to what she is raking in it is pitiful. do i complain? i just work harder and harder. sure i could work outside the home and make alot more money and have benefits and all but for me it is a personal preference of wanting to be the one to raise my own child and not a babysitter or a daycare worker who really does not care about him but just the paycheck. further more if i did work outside the home full time i would have to spend at least half of my paycheck on childcare and have no guarantee that he would be well taken care of anyway. but to complain about making that kind of money. i wish she were standing here in front of me right now. the nerve of some people is right!
@zoey7879 (3092)
• United States
18 Aug 09
I kind of agree with the delusional part. When I was 18, I worked 30 hours a week at one job that paid hourly, and another 75-80 (7 days a week for the second job) at a family job. The family job didn't pay me squat, and it kept me away from home a LOT. So.. 30 @5.15 and then add about another $40 to that.. all I made. I still managed to make time to clean my own place and not hire someone to look after the house.. Not sure how a nanny is necessary. Generations before this woman did the single parent home making far less money and surviving on MUCH worse conditions. I'm so sick of people that take everything for granted because theyre too dumb to really realize what they've got. For her property taxes to be so high, could you imagine the type of home she has to be living in! I read another article here a while back about someone who made good money (not quite this good, but we're talking at least $75k a year) and had two cars boo effin hoo'ing because they were going to have to downgrade. It sucks, but thats life sometimes and I just don't get how people could be so damn bratty. Makes me think of that song "Common People"
@MysticTomatoes (1053)
• United States
18 Aug 09
My heart bleeds peanut butter for this woman.
Seriously? She calls 300K a year hard to live on? My DH and I live on half of that a year PLUS we live in one of the states with one of the highest costs of living in the country. I don't have rental property or alimony coming my way. I actually have to WORK for my money as does my husband and I bet this hag walks around all day in Gucci shoes carrying D&G sunglasses that cost more than my first car and attends salons and tennis matches all day while some assistant she hired and pays maybe $15 an hour does all the REAL WORK.
Get over yourself lady.
@MysticTomatoes (1053)
• United States
18 Aug 09
Thanks for the BR. Much appreciated.
Stories like this always make me mad. Especially when I see sports stars and movie stars talking about how bad the economy has gotten and they've had to downsize. WTFE. Downsizing means not eating out at all or getting rid of one of your cars and taking more public transportation.
It does NOT mean getting rid of a 70 inch plasma and trading it in on a 65 inch plasma TV.
@CJscott (4187)
• Portage La Prairie, Manitoba
19 Aug 09
Ah the joys of reading something like this. Well, we could look at it practically. She is VP of MasterCard, she could probably work from a home office too.
Then she wouldn't need a nanny. But if this is a cut back, she might be accustomed to 600 000 a year. What do you figure her mortgage payment is? I would move, but some people can't stand to leave the luxury? How many cars does she own? Insure? Keep in good repair? 8 bucks for a glass of V8...I am sure there is a Wal-Mart just down the road, but she would lose her rep if she was seen there. That is for sure.
Perhaps with all the bills she has accumulated, 300k won't make them and she doesn't know what to do, because she couldn't stand to live by people that are less off then her or something.
You are right my dear yellow friend, she has no right to be complaining, I will trade her my salary for the year in a heartbeat, be debt free and living large. And she wouldn't know what to do with my 28K that is for sure.
Cheers.
