I'm in IT too. I don't want to discuss salary specifics. Let's just say that my family is solidly middle class and leave it at that.
If you had told me back when I was 25 that I'd be making what I am now ... I'd have said "OK, sure, I believe you. I have a job, I'm a hard worker, I have a college education. That sounds like an excellent salary and certainly would be attainable."
HOWEVER ... if you had told me back when I was 25 that I'd be making what I am now .... AND needing to cut corners, shop the sales, cut coupons, shop consignment sales religiously, stop eating out, stop taking vacations, basically cut out all the fat and leave only the essentials just to stay above water ....
I'd have told you that you were crazy.
What the heck, I can't complain too loudly about my situation. I have a job and am (barely) staying above water, which is far better off than most people. The thing that bothers me this year is that, due to some large unforseen expenses over the past few months, I've cut out the charitable donations that we usually do. Mrs WBill and I just did something with our church, and that was it.
It's a small thing, I know, but it bugs me. I'm planning to try to make up for lost ground next year.
I could have almost written your post myself. Near identical situations, and same reactions if someone would have told me long ago what my wife and I would be earning now, and would have thought they were nuts if I also found out it would be tough making it on that.
I believe the mad money ‘printing’ at the Fed, and reckless spending by the Congress has cheapened the dollar, and as a result everything costs more, cutting into ‘disposable income’. There isn’t much ‘fun money’ anymore.....