Is life easier making less money?
03-01-2018, 09:08 PM
#1
KILLAB17VTEC
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 2,855
Is life easier making less money?
Wondering
It takes more money to make more money, more time and effort. I feel like I am back at the start of a megaman stage. Just at a different level.
Certifications, continuing education hours, parking passes, bridge toll passes, more hours, more taxes.
Maybe I'm doing something wrong.
There's a sweet spot I believe, law of diminishing returns or something.
It takes more money to make more money, more time and effort. I feel like I am back at the start of a megaman stage. Just at a different level.
Certifications, continuing education hours, parking passes, bridge toll passes, more hours, more taxes.
Maybe I'm doing something wrong.
There's a sweet spot I believe, law of diminishing returns or something.
03-01-2018, 09:11 PM
#3
footwork mastery
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Bigger, Faster, Smarter, Stronger
Posts: 5,598
Re: Is life easier making less money?
You live in an expensive area. You have to work much harder to not be poor/ struggling. Move out of CA and you’d be shocked how far 70-80k a year goes.
03-01-2018, 09:13 PM
#4
KILLAB17VTEC
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 2,855
Re: Is life easier making less money?
Hey grimace, but if I move out of California, won't the pay in the area I move to balance everything out?
03-01-2018, 09:49 PM
#5
footwork mastery
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Bigger, Faster, Smarter, Stronger
Posts: 5,598
Re: Is life easier making less money?
No
03-01-2018, 09:54 PM
#6
Honda-Tech Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Austin, Tx
Posts: 10,348
Re: Is life easier making less money?
Depends on your lifestyle. Some people can live a simple life, not talking about small living spaces but hey that might be it as well. then you have the one's who desire nice cars, big king ranch living
03-01-2018, 10:37 PM
#7
KILLAB17VTEC
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 2,855
Re: Is life easier making less money?
I recently saw a video on McMansions.
I remember going to Sacramento to pic up some car stuff and driving through a suburb. I saw some huge houses that I could not say why, but they were uggly.
I always thought "mcmansion" was a term for just big cookie cutter homes. But there's more to it than that. And indeed the video explained why they are ugly.It's not designed. Imagine if caar manufactures remove artists and engineers and let the accountants design the cars.
I remember going to Sacramento to pic up some car stuff and driving through a suburb. I saw some huge houses that I could not say why, but they were uggly.
I always thought "mcmansion" was a term for just big cookie cutter homes. But there's more to it than that. And indeed the video explained why they are ugly.It's not designed. Imagine if caar manufactures remove artists and engineers and let the accountants design the cars.
03-01-2018, 11:01 PM
#8
Re: Is life easier making less money?
Originally Posted by rico91stang
$75k is the sweet spot according to studies. $95k is the the upper limit of the happiness scale.
03-02-2018, 01:20 AM
#9
Re: Is life easier making less money?
Yes there is definitely a sweet spot but that number varies on your location and profession for sure.
Speaking from experience, 7 years ago I was doing okay, didn’t go without but had a decent salary by any standard that allowed me to do most things I wanted without living in excess. Through progression and working myself into the ground, my salary jumped to 4x that in short order, but I’m positive that my overall happiness didnt increase by any stretch. In my previous consulting position I remember one of those years had 189 hotel stays and 125k miles flown, I was buying **** just to justify why I was putting myself through bullshit, it was madness and the rat race by every definition. Fortunately, I’m in a better spot now professionally and even took a bit of a pay cut last year to take a position that provided better balance.
Speaking from experience, 7 years ago I was doing okay, didn’t go without but had a decent salary by any standard that allowed me to do most things I wanted without living in excess. Through progression and working myself into the ground, my salary jumped to 4x that in short order, but I’m positive that my overall happiness didnt increase by any stretch. In my previous consulting position I remember one of those years had 189 hotel stays and 125k miles flown, I was buying **** just to justify why I was putting myself through bullshit, it was madness and the rat race by every definition. Fortunately, I’m in a better spot now professionally and even took a bit of a pay cut last year to take a position that provided better balance.
Last edited by itrSteez; 03-02-2018 at 01:36 AM.
03-02-2018, 03:04 AM
#10
Re: Is life easier making less money?
Once my debit is paid off minus the house, 70-75k would be very comfortable. We are also moving towards more sustainability like raising chickens, canning food, gardening, eventually solar to supplement power and a wood burning stove for winter. To me all that stuff is work yes, but Id rather do that work and learn new skills then be in debt / rely on money for everything. If I lose my job, we would still be fine.
03-02-2018, 03:15 AM
#11
at the jetties fishin'
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: james island, sc
Posts: 3,615
Re: Is life easier making less money?
sweet spot? haha, no. I always want more money.
those studies obviously did not interview me.
those studies obviously did not interview me.
03-02-2018, 03:57 AM
#12
aka DaZman69!
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 34
Re: Is life easier making less money?
Maybe if you don’t have a family, but if you do, money > personal happiness
03-02-2018, 04:13 AM
#13
No Big Whoop
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: A little closer to the Ecuator
Posts: 2,096
Re: Is life easier making less money?
It's not about how much you make, it's about how much you spend, THAT is the real trick.
Yo can live comfortably with less if you don't have to keep up with the Johnson's or having to have the latest gear.
Yo can live comfortably with less if you don't have to keep up with the Johnson's or having to have the latest gear.
03-02-2018, 04:16 AM
#14
Re: Is life easier making less money?
Originally Posted by stackz
sweet spot? haha, no. I always want more money.
those studies obviously did not interview me.
those studies obviously did not interview me.
$95k to $1mm per year in salary.
03-02-2018, 04:18 AM
#15
Drunk Wagon Pilot
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Severn, MD/Washington D.C.
Posts: 1,160
Re: Is life easier making less money?
I was always told get as close to six figures as you can without actually going over it for tax reasons (like if you make $105k/yr you actually get taxed more so you'd end up making less money compared to if you made say $95k)
My wife and I combined make roughly $100k/yr combined but I know if she was making a bit more things would definitely be a lot easier and we could afford to travel more
My wife and I combined make roughly $100k/yr combined but I know if she was making a bit more things would definitely be a lot easier and we could afford to travel more
03-02-2018, 04:19 AM
#16
Re: Is life easier making less money?
my SIL is the definition of a welfare queen/bum/leach on society/etc.
It's easy to criticize her because she lives with her parents when she's not in jail and seemingly never has a job for more than a couple of days at a time.
but I wouldn't wish her life on anyone.
It's easy to criticize her because she lives with her parents when she's not in jail and seemingly never has a job for more than a couple of days at a time.
but I wouldn't wish her life on anyone.
03-02-2018, 04:19 AM
#17
Re: Is life easier making less money?
Originally Posted by Pinja
I was always told get as close to six figures as you can without actually going over it for tax reasons
My wife and I combined make roughly $100k/yr combined but I know if she was making a bit more things would definitely be a lot easier and we could afford to travel more
My wife and I combined make roughly $100k/yr combined but I know if she was making a bit more things would definitely be a lot easier and we could afford to travel more
03-02-2018, 04:23 AM
#18
Video Game Collector
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Calvert County, MD
Posts: 1,711
Re: Is life easier making less money?
No. You need to make enough to live comfortably. After you meet that criteria then yes it's diminishing returns on money = happiness because it doesn't. But not having enough money does indeed cause stress and unhappiness.
03-02-2018, 04:23 AM
#19
aka DaZman69!
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 34
Re: Is life easier making less money?
Originally Posted by rico91stang
There is little difference in your real happiness scale from
$95k to $1mm per year in salary.
$95k to $1mm per year in salary.
a lot of people that make a million/year are workaholics. There are other people that would take that money and buy things that genuinely make them happy and experience things that you couldn’t on 95k a year.
03-02-2018, 04:24 AM
#20
at the jetties fishin'
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: james island, sc
Posts: 3,615
Re: Is life easier making less money?
Originally Posted by rico91stang
There is little difference in your real happiness scale from
$95k to $1mm per year in salary.
$95k to $1mm per year in salary.
I will show you how much happier I can be with $1mm vs $95k
03-02-2018, 04:27 AM
#21
Re: Is life easier making less money?
Originally Posted by sflkgjsfndgn
That depends on the person, maybe on average
a lot of people that make a million/year are workaholics. There are other people that would take that money and buy things that genuinely make them happy and experience things that you couldn’t on 95k a year.
03-02-2018, 04:29 AM
#22
Re: Is life easier making less money?
Originally Posted by stackz
says you haha.
I will show you how much happier I can be with $1mm vs $95k
I will show you how much happier I can be with $1mm vs $95k
03-02-2018, 04:34 AM
#23
Drunk Wagon Pilot
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Severn, MD/Washington D.C.
Posts: 1,160
Re: Is life easier making less money?
Yeah sorry I'm not working 80 hr weeks and having a phone on me at all times to answer emails/calls. If someone else is happy doing that to make extra bucks more power to them.
But my off time is MY off time. Bringing work home with you is just added stress.
But my off time is MY off time. Bringing work home with you is just added stress.
03-02-2018, 04:37 AM
#24
Loves Tossing Salad
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Uh, uh DIPSY
Posts: 869
Re: Is life easier making less money?
Is life easier with less oxygen?
03-02-2018, 05:00 AM
#25
Honda-Tech Member
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 5,564
Re: Is life easier making less money?
Originally Posted by 09chaplak
Is life easier with less oxygen?
OP's question is about as asinine as this one. Is a marathon easier breathing through a straw?
Life is definitively easier making more money. Less cares about debt, if any. More freedom of choice, freedom of movement. Less, if any, stress from bills, mortgages, insurance, medical problems, tuition, retirement, supporting dependents, putting food on the table, etc. etc. etc.
