More flee California state than move in

[PlatyPius 5]

Most people in this country would be very happy with $150,000 yearly

I'd be happy and have NO worries at all with $75,000.....

If you (generic "you") constantly think there needs to be more, better, etc, then you are setting yourself up for disappointment. No matter what field you're in, there IS a level beyond which you can no longer "progress".

I know people who make little, but are happy. I know people who make a lot, but are miserable. I would say that feeling like you always need to do better, get more - money, stuff, prestige - guarantees misery. And triteness.

[mawilson 2,133]

Northern and Central NJ has, according to local newspapers, about half a million households with over 250k household incomes.

If you want > $250k, you can

1) send your wife to work,

2) get a second job, or

3) start your own business.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

If you (generic "you") constantly think there needs to be more, better, etc, then you are setting yourself up for disappointment. No matter what field you're in, there IS a level beyond which you can no longer "progress".

I know people who make little, but are happy. I know people who make a lot, but are miserable. I would say that feeling like you always need to do better, get more - money, stuff, prestige - guarantees misery. And triteness.

Very true. As to the "level beyond which one can no longer progress", that level is often a quite comfortable one. I remember my first boss in the US - I worked for somewhat of a sweatshop type employer that paid you well enough but worked you to death in return. Whenever one of us managers left (and did we have a turnover rate*) particularly those that left to pursue opportunities with a certain local financial institution, he said that those guys might now work 9 - 5 but will be making 30K** for the rest of their lives while they could have made six figures in this company if only they worked hard enough and saw it through. What a bunch of garbage.

I eventually followed some of my former peers into the financial industry - taking a pay-cut initially - and I've never looked back. My compensation has gone up quite significantly over the years to where I am making about triple now compared to what I made when I first started out. I've seen raises in double digits most years - some as high as 25% - more even when changing from one employer to the next. And I am nowhere near the ceiling yet. At the same time, I get to balance life and work quite well with my current employer as I have with the previous two in the industry. Work-Life balance has become extremely important to me. You come to realize at some point that money might buy you a lot but time it doesn't buy.

* to illustrate how bad that turnover rate was, we had about 20 managers in the city and over the three years I slaved for this employer, I've seen no less than 120 of them come and go. The average life-span was something like 3 months and we had some drop out after half a day.

** put into perspective, this was the mid - late 90's and it was what Gupt would call flyover country

[PlatyPius 5]

If you (generic "you") constantly think there needs to be more, better, etc, then you are setting yourself up for disappointment. No matter what field you're in, there IS a level beyond which you can no longer "progress".

I know people who make little, but are happy. I know people who make a lot, but are miserable. I would say that feeling like you always need to do better, get more - money, stuff, prestige - guarantees misery. And triteness.

Very true. As to the "level beyond which one can no longer progress", that level is often a quite comfortable one. I remember my first boss in the US - I worked for somewhat of a sweatshop type employer that paid you well enough but worked you to death in return. Whenever one of us managers left (and did we have a turnover rate*) particularly those that left to pursue opportunities with a certain local financial institution, he said that those guys might now work 9 - 5 but will be making 30K** for the rest of their lives while they could have made six figures in this company if only they worked hard enough and saw it through. What a bunch of garbage.

I eventually followed some of my former peers into the financial industry - taking a pay-cut initially - and I've never looked back. My compensation has gone up quite significantly over the years to where I am making about triple now compared to what I made when I first started out. I've seen raises in double digits most years - some as high as 25% - more even when changing from one employer to the next. And I am nowhere near the ceiling yet. At the same time, I get to balance life and work quite well with my current employer as I have with the previous two in the industry. Work-Life balance has become extremely important to me. You come to realize at some point that money might buy you a lot but time it doesn't buy.

* to illustrate how bad that turnover rate was, we had about 20 managers in the city and over the three years I slaved for this employer, I've seen no less than 120 of them come and go. The average life-span was something like 3 months and we had some drop out after half a day.

** put into perspective, this was the mid - late 90's and it was what Gupt would call flyover country

Aye. I value my time much more than I value money. What's the point of having money - or living, really - if your every moment and thought is spent trying to acquire more money? I'd rather have time to see my wife, ride my bike, walk in the woods, build a bookcase, or some such thing. I can't believe that our sole purpose on this spinning blue-green orb is to constantly quest for small bits of paper and/or metal. If that's what life really is, then count me out.

[mawilson 2,133]

Aye. I value my time much more than I value money. What's the point of having money - or living, really - if your every moment and thought is spent trying to acquire more money? I'd rather have time to see my wife, ride my bike, walk in the woods, build a bookcase, or some such thing. I can't believe that our sole purpose on this spinning blue-green orb is to constantly quest for small bits of paper and/or metal. If that's what life really is, then count me out.

That's what life really is, Platy, and you're out!

[Ban Hammer 13,678]

I can't believe that our sole purpose on this spinning blue-green orb is to constantly quest for small bits of paper and/or metal. If that's what life really is, then count me out.

it's not - it's to acquire more and more cats

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Northern and Central NJ has, according to local newspapers, about half a million households with over 250k household incomes.

If you want > $250k, you can

1) send your wife to work,

2) get a second job, or

3) start your own business.

Gupt's wife doesn't work?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Northern and Central NJ has, according to local newspapers, about half a million households with over 250k household incomes.

If you want > $250k, you can

1) send your wife to work,

2) get a second job, or

3) start your own business.

Gupt's wife doesn't work?

She works. She's a teacher.

As for the rest of the posts, I don't want to be argumentative about this. You all make good points.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

This is true for Jersey as well. It's not a good sign for either state.

Hard to afford a house in either state.

There's a lot of high quality housing in both states. Most of it is occupied so clearly many can afford it. But I can't. So, if I can't afford it, I'm starting to think maybe I should focus on getting the kind of skillset that would allow me to buy the same homes so many others are buying. It's clear to me that a BS in CS doesn't cut it anymore, at least not in the greater NYC area. I could move out, but that would be admitting defeat. This is where the rich people are. This is where the money is. Moving away would mean I say bye-bye to all that for good. It's admitting, they win, I lose.

Your money can go much further in other parts of the country. Making $75,000 in parts of the country is like making $500,000 in the NYC area.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Northern and Central NJ has, according to local newspapers, about half a million households with over 250k household incomes.

If you want > $250k, you can

1) send your wife to work,

2) get a second job, or

3) start your own business.

Gupt's wife doesn't work?

She works. She's a teacher.

As for the rest of the posts, I don't want to be argumentative about this. You all make good points.

I Mrs. Gupt.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Gupt's wife doesn't work?

What's so terrible about a stay at home wifey?

[mawilson 2,133]

She works. She's a teacher.

Yeah, that's bad. Send her back to school to become a lawyer or a hedge fund manager.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Gupt's wife doesn't work?

What's so terrible about a stay at home wifey?

If a couple doesn't have any children, staying at home is just weird, IMO.

[PlatyPius 5]

Gupt's wife doesn't work?

What's so terrible about a stay at home wifey?

If a couple doesn't have any children, staying at home is just weird, IMO.

Why?

Not being a ####, just wondering. I don't think it's weird at all. Why should both people work if they don't need to?

[Fandango 1,440]

Gupt's wife doesn't work?

What's so terrible about a stay at home wifey?

If a couple doesn't have any children, staying at home is just weird, IMO.

tut tut, that sounds like a judgement, Fancypants