I'm in reddit's financialindependance subcategory. someone writes asking about wanting to save 60% of his income.
A reply by doubter #1: Unless you're earning $300k+ in your household, I don't think it's fair to you to say it's easy to keep up a 60% savings rate. For the vast majority of people, it takes a lot of sacrifice to make that happen year after year.
My post: I make $100k, save 40k, and because I save so much my tax is super low. I live in a nice house in the country club and drive a cool car so I don't feel like I'm sacrificing anything. I have one child.
doubter #1: There will always be exceptions but I'm sticking with my assertion that most people need to make sacrifices to save 60% of their take-home pay.
My post:
Paycheck
Salary 8,517 Bonus 852 401k Con 2,044 ARC+Match 852 Fed Tax 285 HSA 658 Med Prem 89 Med Expense 100 Dental 65 Vision 7 LTD 25 Life 42 Legal 16 SS & Medicare &UI 634
Florida House 2080 2nd House 417 Daughters school and misc 474 Two cars 356 Cable and Cells 180 Groceries 600 Other /clothes gifts travel 508 Net Use of Funds 4614
What sacrifice ? As far as I can tell I am blowing way too much money in each category living high on hog.
doubter #2: There is literally zero discretionary spending in there. Do you not travel or have any sort of hobby? You don't have gas for the vehicles or utilities. And your net use of funds is over $55k a year so you're saying you only pay $4700 in income tax, FICA, and healthcare? Sorry bud but I'm calling bullshit on this one.
Me: at some point I drop out of this. I think my other at 508 is a big number and bs caller over here says I have zero discretionary. I kayak, bike, hike, but frankly I blow plenty on all kinds a stuff inside that 508. My tax is low cuz I pump money into deferred accounts and that's how that works. My healthcare is low cuz it work for bigCo and they hook you up. Frankly I budget $100 out of pocket each month in addition to the $100 premium and HSA contribution. I don't really spend that $100.
I give doubter #1 some credit, I said I make 100k, but really the number is $112 with the bonus, and if I add the match and ARC they give me of 10k maybe my number that I said was 100k is actually $122k loaded. The savings numbers I showed come to 42k, frankly its more as my Housing number has principal in it.
Still he/she said you need to make $300k to save 60%. If he/she and I were in an exaggeration contest - I think his number is nuts.
I am new to writing anything online anywhere. So a few questions:
Was I too mean in the way I went about my post. Obviously I struck a nerve and he/she must feel insulted ? What happened. I got -4 votes. What did I miss. Maybe I'm wrong.
Are these folks nuts, and only forums like this have hardcore savers ?
Are doubter #1 and doubter #2 just what MMM calls spendy friends and I should learn to live with them. I guess they are normal and I'm nuts ?
Or are they just plain meanies.