Poor middle class, support group

amother

Mon, May 10 2021, 11:18 am

We bh have a very nice income, usually around 160,000-175,000.
We are a family of 7 and do not have money for extras. No manicures, only shop cheap clothes etc, haven't furnished our home with notmal furniture (embarrassed to have guest because of it...), Make basic cheap meals, no vacations, no extracurriculars for the kids...
I am bh happy and thankful to hashem for providing for us, but I'm kind of resentful that we work so hard, yet cannot afford more than just the basics.

Can we start a support group for us "poor middle class"?

amother

Aubergine

Mon, May 10 2021, 11:27 am

Thank you for starting this thread.
We're poor middle class but I'm just slightly above $100K so we don't even qualify for middle class status.
And it's frustrating because as you said it took a lot of hard work for me to get where I am and I feel like I'm working at my max capacity. So on top of it to live like a shmatta is very difficult.
I try to count my blessings and rely on Hashem. We're going through a very rough stretch right now. We just married off our first child (Baruch Hashem!) and we're running on empty. Every month it's another miracle.

amother

Powderblue

Mon, May 10 2021, 11:46 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

And lucky you (us) Biden considers that rich, so no stimulus for you!! No pandemic food stamps cards either. I just think it's all from Hashem.

(OP, if you are really just at that income spot please see what you can do to get it down and make yourself eligible for stimulus, eg 401k and Ira contribution?)

amother

Royalblue

Mon, May 10 2021, 12:32 pm

I relate to your post alot. We are at about 150k. Bh still qualify for stimulus as we make sizable 401k contributions and child tax credits... but yes we work SO hard and somehow still live in the smallest most falling apart house on the block. Many of my neighbours are still in kollel/Klein kosh but have wealthy parents that help with things like house and renovations. It's hard. I but cheap clothes have no cleaning help, yup only second hand furniture... when we were younger it was ok but as we get older a folding table in the kitchen makes me feel so bad. We're trying to up our income but it's not coming easy for us, we already don't have spare time in the day.

amother

Mon, May 10 2021, 3:20 pm

Anyone else want to start a lawsuit ? Stimulus package bases everything only on income and not on amount of dependents (kids). This is total discrimination against our religion Mad

monsey01

Mon, May 10 2021, 3:57 pm

I often resent "playing it right" and struggling while watching the people who "know how to do it" have plenty of money for clothes, vacations, etc. and are happily filling up their bulging shopping carts on food stamps.

amother

Gray

Mon, May 10 2021, 3:59 pm

monsey01 wrote:

If they're on food stamps they don't have plenty of money for clothes and vacations.

Also, welcome to Imamother! Is this your very first post?

monsey01

Mon, May 10 2021, 4:00 pm

pandemic food stamp cards were given out to income eligable kids enrolled in school and lunch program but were home during lockdown-about $420 per kid

monsey01

Mon, May 10 2021, 4:02 pm

yes, thanks! they are earning plenty of cash so they do have decent lifestyle which includes shopping in jewish stores, camp, bungelow colonies, lots of cleaning help etc... but earning on the books -not so much...

amother

Gray

Mon, May 10 2021, 4:03 pm

monsey01 wrote:

That is very wrong...but not everyone on programs is off the books. We are on programs and completely on the books.

monsey01

Mon, May 10 2021, 4:13 pm

then I don't resent you! I specifically said I resent the people that do not earn fully on the books, have all programs, and don't seem to struggle while middle class plays bye the rules and barely scrapes by...

amother

Vermilion

Tue, May 11 2021, 5:31 am

[quote="monsey01"]yes, thanks! they are earning plenty of cash so they do have decent lifestyle which includes shopping in jewish stores, camp, bungelow colonies, lots of cleaning help etc... but earning on the books -not so much...[/quo
te]
Things are not always what they look like. Maybe they are receiving help from parents, which is legal. Maybe they scrimp on things you don't know about. Maybe they need cleaning help for health reasons. Don't be so sure that you know what is happening in other people's homes.

amother

Snowdrop

Sun, Aug 14 2022, 10:34 pm

I'll take any support I can get

we earn a combined $135,000 for our family of 9

Punch

that punch is for my hsubands employer who wont give him a raise and this is me Banging head

trying to figure out what next

its just TMI

dealing with finances

amother

Crocus

Sun, Aug 14 2022, 10:56 pm

I need this support group! We have 2 kids and a combined net income of around 100k. We’re getting kicked out of our apartment and can’t afford a house so we’re most likely going to end up paying everything left in rent because it’s still just $2-300 cheaper than a mortgage for now. We also qualify for absolutely nothing. I literally don’t understand how anyone functions financially without help.

amother

Heather

Sun, Aug 14 2022, 11:12 pm

Maybe post your budgets so others who have experience with living on tighter budgets can help with ways to save.
We lived with very little for a very long time and stretched what we had. I have alot of ideas but need to know how and what you are spending on and where you live, how many kids etc.
We don't own a house. Houses suck money. Id rather have savings as a safety net and rent and own an investment property.
But that's just me...