Middle class is the worst
Rich enough to be sensitive to any losses, but not enough to be financially free. Rich enough to not qualify for most education grants and tax breaks (and hit AMT), but not enough to qualify for some tax benefits for the rich. Rich enough to lost the guts to start a revolution but not enough to buy political influence. Rich enough to not get help from govt but not enough to not need it. That's why they are the stabilizing force for a country because they sweat and toil the most yet get rewarded the least relative to their input. But they are most willing to do so. So they end up on the rat race for the rest of their lives guarding that single family house on a mortgage and their two family sedans. God forbid if one of them loses their job or get terminal illness. Their live on a high balance beam with nothing to catch them if they fall.
I hear you bro. How about this - quit your day gig, become homeless (I.e poor), then rob a bank (be rich), then get incarcerated.. you don’t have to think about all that you ranted about!
You should learn about 'system surfing.' It is possible to live well and be 'poor' if you are smart about applying to government programs. Homelessness is not the only kind of poor.
You hurled a polite unasked insult, and labeled me a jerk? 🤔
Would you rather be poor
He is not talking about you guys with the 480k TC. He is talking about families of 4 with 80k-120k TC
“Rich” is almost always defined behind who’s above you.
OP didn't leetcode hard enough
None of us are middle class. We're all upper middle at least and if your spouse is also an engineer, you might be legit upper class.
That's not true. Middle class is an income bracket, not a jones-based average car brand in your cul-de-sac
What is your income compared to the median in the bay area? I can assure you, you are not middle class
Getting a mortgage and 2 brand new sedans is a stupid decision. Step down from the balance beam without being an idiot. You are the 1% of the world
If you really think being middle class is worse than being poor you can always ask for a pay cut or just donate your money to charity and be poor
Brute Force answer. O(1). Love it.
Try being poor for a few years for perspective and report back. We’ll wait.
Thank your blue state policies!
Do you really blame this guy's aggressive spending habits and rat race mentality on political policies?
I blame both, but most of this is self imposed.
Try having less stuff. It works great. I have a tiny house and one vehicle. Wife is self employed from home. No need to pay for child care. We vacation constantly. It's amazing how much you can have if you're willing to give up stuff.
I'd much rather by middle class than be poor mate. Do you even hear yourself speak? You get 20k USD per month because you can solve puzzles. Save when you can, and almost all of your fears are meaningless. Sure, rich is better than middle class. But life has never been this good for non-rich in all of human history.
This. I would rather be middle class than be poor.
Perfect reply! But damn son, 20k/month?