https://www.cougarboard.com/board/message.html?id=27283975

It's in that same range, a little higher, but not outrageously so. Our expenses are a little different, since we're supporting college students, and only have one at home.

Here are some ways my lifestyle does not look rich.

1. Our kids go to public school. We played the stupid SF lottery system and got him into one of the good schools in the city. Our older kids have all attended public universities.

2. We don't own a car. There's no parking where we live, and I didn't want to park it on the street or pay $300 a month for a private space. We rent a Zip car when needed to get around the city, use public transportation often, and rent a car for getaways. I'm getting tired of this arrangement and will probably get a car shortly.

3. We don't own a house. We'd never been renters in our entire lives, but I didn't want to drop 1.5M on a small home when we'll probably move in a few years. SF was never going to be a permanent move for us. Our rent is $4,300 a month, down from $4,800 before the pandemic. We upgraded to bigger space in a nice three bedroom in a good neighborhood.

4. We eat out maybe once a week, and it's usually picking up pizza or sushi, or some other inexpensive thing. This is partly budget--restaurants are quite expensive, and a lot of city dwellers blow huge sums on the enticing options available--but mostly because we've always cooked and eaten our meals together.

Here are ways our lifestyle does look rich.

1. We always spend a lot on travel. We went to Portugal this year, spent a week in the Sierras, and are planning a trip to Japan next year. Travel feels relatively inexpensive compared to when we lived in cheaper surroundings, because the direct flights are more economical, housing on the other end always looks like a bargain compared to SF, and it's just a lower overall part of the budget.

2. We save like crazy. A lot of wealthy people don't consider fully funding their 401Ks and setting aside money in taxable accounts, education savings plans, etc., to be part of a rich lifestyle, but it is. The stress of not having savings or knowing how you're going to retire is a big pressure on working class people.

3. We have some investments that generate passive income, including one that pays a big dividend around the holidays. We've never had to worry about not being able to pay off credit cards, buying an auto with a payment, etc.