I read somewhere (I can't remember where now) that when people come into lots of money, they are no more satisfied a year later. The study showed that people are most satisfied with they have "enough and a little bit more".

For you, per month, how much would "enough and a little bit more" be?

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I know this might amaze some people but I would feel rich if we had 2000 a month..I really would...
~C~

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I’ve been SWAK’d!

I feel blessed with what my dh makes now! We are very lucky he is able to support us in the lifestyle we have and we are only in our 20s. He gets two raises every year and a bonus, yes we are very lucky, but it's not luck, my dh works his b*** off for our family! We have enough and a little bit more now, but we also have a goal for our future.

That said to have a nice single family home in the area we live in would costs us almost 1 million dollars, which we could afford to sell our th and buy one if/when he is earning another 1000 a month. We plan on moving back to TX in a few years where we can afford a nice big house and land with it. To get that here in VA and maintain all our savings, retirement and college accounts, we would need him to earn 8-9,000 a month.

So I will say $8,500 after taxes per month is enough and a little bit more for us!

Now if we lived in TX where housing is cheaper that figure would go WAY down, but here in Nova that would get us in a house with a big yard which is one of our goals.

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I am only one, but I am one. I can not do everything, but I can do something. I must not fail to do the something that I can do. -Edward Hale

I think if we had about a thousand more a month we'd be sitting pretty good.

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Ashley

I think this question all depends on the cost of living in your area. We live in the Twin Cities which is a major area, but not quite as expansive as some in the country. I think for us, enough, with a little extra would come in at $2500 after taxes. This would allow us to save some for our retirement which we currently aren't able to do, plus save a little each month for emergencies.

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Well, we too, are very blessed. We are young, but dh makes a good amount of money and we are comfortable. I'd say we make just about "enough and a little bit more". We never have to really worry about money, and we are able to save and invest (what I'd consider) a significant amount every month. We are not comfortable enough to be able to buy here (we'd have to pay at least 550 k to get into something I'd even consider in this area), but we are moving away in two years anyways (at which point we will hopefully have met our saving goal for a down payment).

We don't have a ton of money, but we have enough not to worry, and enough to feel optimistic about reaching our near-future goals.

I'll say about 5500-6000 a month is "enough and a little bit more" for my area, if you're okay with not being able to buy (which we are, for now.) It's not as much as many, many people have around here, but then again, those people have a lot more than "enough and a little bit more". Also, I agree with previous posters who mentioned cost of living as being a HUGE factor in this. We'd need a lot less to be comfortable living in a lot of other places.

Edited: Just wanted to add that I think "enough" has different connotations for everyone. Does it mean you have enough to just cover food and bills or does it mean you have enough for food, bills, vacations, big house, shopping sprees, etc.? Just a thought. Everyone probably interprets the word differently, and I'm sure for a lot of people, not having enough to be able to buy a house would mean just plain not having enough, while for us, we still feel like despite that, we have enough. I'm half tempted to edit my answer so that "enough" includes room for a pricey mortgage in my neck of the woods, but I guess I'll stick with my original, since to me, that seems like enough. (Sorry so wordy, it's late. May have to come back in and edit this tomorrow when I'm more awake.)

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~Vicki~
Mama to Hailey, 4 and Ella, 2

I am satisfied with DH's income. The military lifestyle is good to us. I will admit I am happier, and feel more secure, when I am able to work as well, and bring in my extra money. But we are fine.

For us we are very comfortable, and I make a pretty good penny and DH has his own business and business is doing great right now. And we're always investing. We've both been working since we were in our late teens and have lots saved up already. Currently we're living comfortably and a bit more with about $8000-9000 a month.

For us it would be $3700 a month. This would allow us to put the amount I would like in to savings.

i would have to say $3000 a month. pay the bills and put some into savings and be able to live comfortable.

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Jaime

"Live each day like its your last"