https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 28 Apr 2026 02:26:51 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-define-middle-class/page/2#post-947695 Sat, 20 Jul 2013 01:13:11 +0000 mrsjazz 947695@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sunny: @yoursilverlining: I actually used to think of myself as poor or "working class" (I defined that as living paycheck to paycheck) until I read articles about what it means to be middle class. Even though I'm not working now, our household income still places us in the middle class, though we're obviously on the low end now, especially in NYC. But we both also have masters' degrees and work in careers that require degrees.</p> <p>I feel like I will always feel poor even though I'm not. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-define-middle-class/page/2#post-947689 Sat, 20 Jul 2013 01:02:37 +0000 Ginabean3 947689@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Navy_Mommy: agreed, totally depends where you live...I think being middle class living on the east/west coasts is different from middle class in the middle of the country. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-define-middle-class/page/2#post-947683 Sat, 20 Jul 2013 00:59:34 +0000 sunny 947683@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@yoursilverlining: Yup I totally agree. Nearly everyone seems to think of themselves as middle class, regardless of what income bracket they fall into. In fact, I'd be curious to open a poll to see if I'm right. :-) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-define-middle-class/page/2#post-942026 Thu, 18 Jul 2013 13:05:20 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 942026@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Class implies status. In grad school we were not allowes to use "class" rather we said middle income, low income, high income extra. And in part what determined your income was your purchasing power to @MsLipGloss: point.</p> <p>@Looch: mentioned someone's class determined by their last name. That made me think of the Romney's when they deacribed how they struggled when they were first married and Mitt was in law school.</p> <p>Yes! @yoursilverlining: That is why we have have the term Upper Middle Class. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-define-middle-class/page/2#post-942022 Thu, 18 Jul 2013 13:04:57 +0000 yoursilverlining 942022@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hilsy85: I think it's in part because the majority of people don't want to define themselves as "poor" or "lower class" since both terms have negative conotations. On the flip side, people who make salaries well outside of the "middle" income in the US don't feel like they are "rich" because of ideas about what that word means. </p> <p>For me, middle class is an income level, but it's also social - how you value education and money, and the type of work you do, to an extent. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-define-middle-class#post-941945 Thu, 18 Jul 2013 12:48:13 +0000 littlek 941945@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@yin: I personally do not think that the governments definition of "rich" is accurate. I know lots of working couples that make more than $250k a year and I don't consider any of them as "rich". I have some wealthy clients that may choose to defer income, because they don't need it, that is wealthy in my books! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-define-middle-class#post-941931 Thu, 18 Jul 2013 12:43:57 +0000 yin 941931@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I consider us middle class, but DH says that according to our household income we are more in line with lower middle class. We can afford all of our basic needs, and we have no debt other than our mortgage. We don't have much in savings besides what we put into our 401k. DH's definition is more in line with income and tax bracket instead of standard of living. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-define-middle-class#post-941921 Thu, 18 Jul 2013 12:41:33 +0000 looch 941921@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MsLipGloss: I think that makes perfect sense. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-define-middle-class#post-941914 Thu, 18 Jul 2013 12:40:28 +0000 hilsy85 941914@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MsLipGloss: hmm ok, so another words the technical definitions are constant, even though people's interpretations might change? I would agree with that! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-define-middle-class#post-941909 Thu, 18 Jul 2013 12:39:27 +0000 MsLipGloss 941909@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hilsy85: I actually think a lot of those things are universal, i.e., education, profession, etc. I think regional *opinions* vary as to what is considered MC versus UMC, but, what actually constitutes MC and UMC are constant (at least to me). </p> <p>This is really hard to condense in to a short response! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-define-middle-class#post-941906 Thu, 18 Jul 2013 12:37:20 +0000 Adira 941906@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MsLipGloss: Okay, thanks for clarifying. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-define-middle-class#post-941900 Thu, 18 Jul 2013 12:35:00 +0000 MsLipGloss 941900@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: A small differential in salary (say, $10-20k in salary) isn't enough, in my book, to off-set any of the factors, when combined, to determine *class* level (in the sense that we are talking about it here). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-define-middle-class#post-941895 Thu, 18 Jul 2013 12:33:45 +0000 hilsy85 941895@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@yoursilverlining: just curious, why do you think that is? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-define-middle-class#post-941893 Thu, 18 Jul 2013 12:33:22 +0000 yoursilverlining 941893@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think most people's definitions of middle class are skewed to make sure they are included in that definition. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-define-middle-class#post-941890 Thu, 18 Jul 2013 12:31:43 +0000 hilsy85 941890@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MsLipGloss: I agree with that, but I think regional differences do change what those things MEAN--working in finance can something different in Iowa versus NY, and making 200k a year can also mean something different, depending on where you live. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-define-middle-class#post-941885 Thu, 18 Jul 2013 12:30:13 +0000 Adira 941885@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MsLipGloss: Why do you say it doesn't change your income? My company has a salary range for a position that varies depending on where you live. So here it's New England, it's one range, but move somewhere else, and the range is different. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-define-middle-class#post-941867 Thu, 18 Jul 2013 12:26:10 +0000 MsLipGloss 941867@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: I don't think that regions matter much either . . . while cost of living factors in to how far your money may stretch, it doesn't change your profession, education, net worth, or income. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-define-middle-class#post-941851 Thu, 18 Jul 2013 12:21:08 +0000 looch 941851@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't mean the category specifically. What I meant was the households are broken down into categories based on asset level. They are standard across the firm, they don't vary by region of the country. If you have $xxmillion and you are from NY or TN, you are the same category. </p> <p>That's why a regional variance doesn't compute in my mind, but maybe I am making more of it than it s. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-define-middle-class#post-941849 Thu, 18 Jul 2013 12:20:15 +0000 ShootingStar 941849@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The NYT ran this years ago, and I think it's a great indicator of "class". It combines occupation, education, income and wealth. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/national/20050515_CLASS_GRAPHIC/index_01.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/national/20050515_CLASS_GRAPHIC/index_01.html</a></p> <p>ETA: using my income alone I'm in the 79th percentile. I have a master's degree and a well paying job in the tech field, but comparatively low savings. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-define-middle-class#post-941841 Thu, 18 Jul 2013 12:19:06 +0000 mrbee 941841@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: I'm not really clear on what you were asking? The Ultra High Net Worth category is pretty far beyond what I was thinking was the range of what is middle class or not... but I think I'm missing something. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-define-middle-class#post-941831 Thu, 18 Jul 2013 12:16:42 +0000 looch 941831@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: yes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-define-middle-class#post-941824 Thu, 18 Jul 2013 12:15:34 +0000 mrbee 941824@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: Are we talking about defining middle class still? A bit confused! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-define-middle-class#post-941799 Thu, 18 Jul 2013 12:09:18 +0000 Modern Daisy 941799@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My parents started out in the poverty category when they were first married and are now upper class! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-define-middle-class#post-941795 Thu, 18 Jul 2013 12:07:37 +0000 looch 941795@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So how does it work if there is no social component and there are regional differences? </p> <p>I guess it doesn't compute in my mind, here's why...I work for a financial firm and let's say we break out households by assets...Ultra High Net worth is $xx million. It doesn't vary by location in the country. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-define-middle-class#post-941789 Thu, 18 Jul 2013 12:05:57 +0000 mrbee 941789@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: A few people were asking for a definition of middle class in another thread, so I just spun it off as a separate discussion! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-define-middle-class#post-941778 Thu, 18 Jul 2013 12:03:04 +0000 TheReelDeal 941778@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't think there is a true definition anymore. I think it depends on your location (cost of living) and relationship with money.</p> <p>While, we don't need to worry about money, I still do. Sometimes I think that's what keeps us from getting too spendy. It's like how some celebs don't buy big fancy houses and cars just because they are "rich". Money, is a here today, gone tomorrow type thing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-define-middle-class#post-941769 Thu, 18 Jul 2013 12:00:33 +0000 MsLipGloss 941769@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: @littlek: It's definitely an alternate universe/reality of which most people are not even aware! And yeah, it can have absolutely nothing to do with net worth. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-define-middle-class#post-941767 Thu, 18 Jul 2013 12:00:23 +0000 looch 941767@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Maybe another way to phrase the question is to ask what people think it means to be rich or wealthy? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-define-middle-class#post-941766 Thu, 18 Jul 2013 11:59:50 +0000 mrsjazz 941766@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Does the working class still exist? What about the people who have jobs and can afford their basic needs, but are living paycheck to paycheck? I wouldn't define that as being middle class.</p> <p>@mrbee: Your definitions make sense though I also agree with @looch: that it's not just about wealth. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-define-middle-class#post-941761 Thu, 18 Jul 2013 11:59:19 +0000 mrbee 941761@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MsLipGloss: Haha yah but when I just wrote "new money" I wasn't sure if that was as clear I was talking about people. Probably should've just said, nouveau riche! I just don't like using French sayings... I'm not fancy enough. :)</p> <p>@looch: I think most socio-economic classifications tend to combine social and economic divisions since they tend to co-vary? But you're right that they don't always have to. I don't really focus on social power/status personally (proving your point!), so I was focusing more on the economic side of things. </p>