[jveritas]

This is a very extreme analysis by Forbes on how much money is required to live well in the Northeast. In the vast majority of the NorthEast people can live "well" with $ 120,000 household income.

[Selkie]

Yeah that's about the $$$ amount I was thinking was sufficient to live 'comfortably'

Since Im single and unmarried though, I don't know exactly how much is needed, so the Forbes article freaked me out for the future.

lol

[ChicagoHebrew]

I live in NYC and make somewhere between $100-150k a year. I rent atiny studio apartment, don't have a car, buy much of my clothing at TJ Maxx etc. Forbes estimates might be extreme, but even $250k barely buys a "middle class" lifestyle in Manhattan.

[nopardons]

Not if they are sending one child to a good private school ( non-parochial ) and another to a private college, they can't.

[photodawg]

Even 120,000 is arbitrary. It isn't material possessions and lavish lifestyle that determines how well you live. Its finding your priorities, your values, your core, and following your heart. How can we put a dollar value on family friends, doing a job you love, being physically active and healthy?
I never saved a dime for my children's college education, even though I worked two professions, and many years made between 100,000 and 150,000. I felt that if they wanted an education we would find a way. One never liked school and enlisted in the army and is doing quite well since his discharge after a three year hitch. My second is in her 4th year at state U and we both have some loans to pay back. Between her working and living at home instead of at school, her total costs have been less than 30 thousand dollars. Some people spend that in one year. I'm not saying either way is correct, just different paths to same thing. Your choices and priorities determine how much money you need to live. One rule for all however, spend less than you make :-)