Canadian Moms & Moms to be!

[Tiff]

I looked up online, and apparently if you earn around $60-$70,000 per year then you are considered "middle class". Anything above 70K and you are upper class and anything below you're lower class.

My parents were definitely (wage wise) considered upper class, but not elitist if that makes sense. It seemed the social norm for us because everyone else that lived around us had the same things as us. It wasn't until I went to a different high school that I saw people who lived in apartments or townhouses.

ETA - Not that there is ANYTHING wrong with living in an apartment or townhouse! More what I'm trying to say is how naive I personally felt as I thought everyone lived in the same type of house that we did. I felt pretty silly after that.

 

[BlackBerry25]

Well B makes about 70k, and I consider ourselves working class Def more on the low end lol.

I have a fancy new car but that eats up all of our money. We have never gone on a vacation in our lives. Not even as kids. We don't own a house. We don't have gym memberships or hobbies, because we can't afford it. I know people have lower, but it seems like until you have a really big amount of money, you are basically screwed. Not screwed as in have a horrible life, but screwed as in, luxuries are harder to come by these days (without credit debt) I think!

 

[Tiff]

Growing up we always had family vacations, each year we'd go somewhere. We went to Florida when I was in Grade 7, a two week skiing vacation in Michigan when I was in Grade 9... etc. We had an inground pool and my parents let us to any sort of extracurricular activities we wanted regardless of price.

P makes about the same and I definitely consider us working class as well. We're not destitute however we do struggle more than we are comfortable, that's for sure. There's no way we could do things if we didn't put it on our credit cards. However we don't go crazy either, and we pay off one thing before we go and do another. Honestly I don't think we'd have anything if we didn't have CC to help us out on them.

 

[Melissa_M]

Well according to that I was upper class as a kid and am lower class now
BUT that's not taking into account that my parents had 5 kids. It seems weird that it's such a small range for middle class, doesn't it?
When Nathan and I were both working we were definitely doing great, making over $100K....and even though we're making half that now, we still have our house more than half paid off, two cars, nice furniture, etc. So I would never say we were lower class.

 

[BlackBerry25]

I think that is def. an outdated figure.

 

[codegirl]

That must be outdated because according that that, when I'm not on mat leave, we are upper class... or maybe each of us is middle class

We don't have a lot of spare money, and I live in a getto house and drive an older car and am looking to buy a used van (and then sell the car). We only have one vehicle and hardly go on vacation but...

we don't have a lot of debt, only our house.

I feel like our lifestyle is defiantly middle class.

 

[Tiff]

I think its more than just income that decides it. For example - $100,000k a year would take you a great deal further in Barrie or North Bay versus Toronto where the cost of living is astronomical.

Or even in places like Calgary and Edmonton where its really expensive to live. So yeah, I don't think wage alone dictates what "class" you are either.

 

[codegirl]

ya, I wish we could make what we make but live somewhere else.... we would be laughing but it is what it is, and DH won't ever move out of Edmonton anyways.

 

[Vickie]

If we had our income in the Texas panhandle we'd be doing great

I consider us middle class I guess. We can afford a nice place to live, food on the table, plus a few extras. I don't consider us upper class at all We live pay check to pay check, we don't have a car, don't own a home, etc.

 

[readynwilling]

its hard to because i think we always see ourselves as normal, nobody wants to say "yeah im upper class". and i know how hard we work for our $. I mean tim hasn't taken a day off in weeks (i mean he is working 10h days, 7 days a week) and i would trade the $$ for him to spend a day home with us in a heartbeat.

Tim and I would be considered upper. we made $130k last year combined. We have 4 vehicles for two of us (i would like to say that only one is mine, 3 are his) and we own our home, and i never go without. but, we are upper class living paycheck to paycheck - probably because like so many we spend beyond our means when we were growing up we were both lower class.

i think we are all just families - trying to make it by and do our best with what we have - and that makes us all the same!

 

[Vickie]

ohhhhhhhh boy Hannah refused dinner and now that it's time for swim class she wants to eat (I think she thinks I am going to give in and let her have goldfish or fruit on the bus but I'm sending her dinner with her instead )

 

[BlackBerry25]

No I would like to say yeah I'm upper class

 

[readynwilling]

haha wendy.

J napped in the truck on our way to the grocery store - and so i drove around for 45 mintues because she was really cranky before she fell asleep she is in a much much better mood now LOL

 

[MommyKC]

I think a big thing is money doesn't go as far as it used to. Sure, people used to make less but things were still cheaper overall. My parents bought their first house in 1980 for $55,000 and it was a nice 3-bedroom, two bathroom house! Right in the city! Can you imagine?
But I also think part of it, is most people live within their means, or often beyond it even. I mean, Pete and I probably make over $85k combined but I don't think we're upper class in the LEAST! Sure, we own a home, have two cars, etc... but when the bills are paid, there really isn't much $$$ left over! But if we lived in a cheap little apartment, and didn't have cars... we'd have lots of extra money. But because we CAN typically afford those things, we have them. But, we don't have much disposable income after the fact. I think that's how it works with most people.

Sara - I've done that before. If one of the girls fall asleep in the car and I know going home and trying to put them down won't work, I just keep driving around.

Oh, and isn't porridge just oatmeal?

 

[Melissa_M]

I think you could be making $200K/year or $50K/year and still be living paycheck to paycheck...just depends on how you spend!

I wouldn't mind being upper class too Wendy But middle class is alright....makes things more interesting

Joss and I went to the movies tonight and saw Breaking Dawn...it was good! Makes me want to see the next one immediately. I don't think it comes out till next winter though.

 

[MommyKC]

Yeah it comes out next November. I feel like I've been waiting FOREVER for this one, and now I have to wait another year!

 

[ryder]

lol!!! ya next november is a long ways away... booooooo

I enjoy the movie night! I havent been to the movies with a friend in a long time, so it was nice

 

[tasha41]

I watched Breaking Dawn last night too, I was like k now show me the resttttt, like I knew it would cut off there, but I really wanted it to be only 45 minutes in or something lol. I liked how they actually put Bella & Edward like, ENJOYING time together in this movie.. in the others they just look miserable and it's like whyyyyy not go the easy route with Jacob! lol.

I got my college certificate in the mail today... it made me really anxious to start finishing my diploma. I should be able to swing it in January, since all of my Christmas shopping is basically done, well the stuff that counts (for Elyse).

And tonight I won the 50/50 draw at my work Christmas party! $265

 

[readynwilling]

Sweet Tasha!! and congrats!

 

[Melissa_M]

Nice Tasha!

I know I'm glad Bella and Edward had more chemistry this movie....I was shocked when she actually smiled at the beginning!!