Poll
Question:
What is your annual gross household income?
Option 1: $500,000 - $1,000,000+
Option 2: $250,000 - $500,000
Option 3: $100,000 - $250,000
Option 4: $50,000 - $100,000
Option 5: $0 - $50,000
A friend posted a comment in a totally unrelated thread about his current cash position and it got me thinking about a lot of different things. For instance, it got me thinking about how sometimes I feel like my family is struggling, all the things we need, all the things we want and also all the things we already have. It got me thinking about how it could really be so so much worse, and that I really cannot remember a time in my life when buying something as simple as a computer game would break my bank. My wife and I are VERY hard workers and we always complain about how high taxes are and how we feel underpaid...but the truth is, I suppose we are much more fortunate than many.
So I'm curious...what is the average household annual income of our regular users. You can respond to the poll totally anonymously. I think it will be some pretty interesting information to see what the needs of our members are, especially now that the holiday season is upon us. We already have dedicated threads for game and hardware giveaways, but maybe we have some friends around here who need more than games? Clothes? non-perishable food? toys for their kids? If the need is there, we can set up a dedicated thread for these kinds of necessity donations.
My thought is that members can post what they have to offer...for instance, I have a Grecco baby stroller that the baby has outgrown. I could post I have this available, and then someone in need could PM the donator. That way, its a private affair between the one who is giving and the one who is in need...
Anyway, just some of my thoughts...
I was just thinking the other night about this very subject, JH. I wonder how many will participate. Money, and how much you make, is a touchy subject for a lot of folks. The funniest thing that I find is, those that don't have it, get defensive when people try to help them out. While those that do have it, get defensive when people question how they got it.
I understand and appreciate the spirit behind starting this. I hope to be able to contribute to those in need and be gracious when I find myself on the receiving end. And I see you didn't vote in your own poll, JH. ;)
well, my salary and extras look better in dollars than they do in pounds!!!
i have an ex wife who gets £325 in maintenance payments if anyone wants her
Quote from: MetalDog on October 24, 2014, 09:19:39 AM
And I see you didn't vote in your own poll, JH. ;)
I didn't want to vote right away because that takes some of the anonymity out of it. My intention is to cast my ballot once we get a few more votes in the poll. 8)
Quote from: undercovergeek on October 24, 2014, 09:21:52 AM
well, my salary and extras look better in dollars than they do in pounds!!!
i have an ex wife who gets £325 in maintenance payments if anyone wants her
Good point...the poll is obviously in USD. Also, it is a gross income poll, so that 325 pounds should be included in your calculation. If I changed the poll to net, the results would be drastically different, particularly for me.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on October 24, 2014, 09:31:37 AM
Quote from: undercovergeek on October 24, 2014, 09:21:52 AM
well, my salary and extras look better in dollars than they do in pounds!!!
i have an ex wife who gets £325 in maintenance payments if anyone wants her
Good point...the poll is obviously in USD. Also, it is a gross income poll, so that 325 pounds should be included in your calculation. If I changed the poll to net, the results would be drastically different, particularly for me.
that sounds like a man with an accountant!
its cool, its included
Quote from: undercovergeek on October 24, 2014, 09:42:04 AM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on October 24, 2014, 09:31:37 AM
Quote from: undercovergeek on October 24, 2014, 09:21:52 AM
well, my salary and extras look better in dollars than they do in pounds!!!
i have an ex wife who gets £325 in maintenance payments if anyone wants her
Good point...the poll is obviously in USD. Also, it is a gross income poll, so that 325 pounds should be included in your calculation. If I changed the poll to net, the results would be drastically different, particularly for me.
that sounds like a man with an accountant!
its cool, its included
More like a man who is in desperate need of a good accountant.
Jarhead:
The important number is disposable income, not gross income. If memory serves, you live in New York which has extraordinary levels of taxation which cuts your disposable income and drives up the prices of everything. If you live in New York City - the tax situation is even worse.
I live in Alabama where taxes are low, the BBQ is better, and you can own a gun without being afraid to go to jail.
If we made the exact same income, my disposable (spendable) income would be much higher than yours simply due to the NY taxes and corresponding cost of living.
^^
yeah, but you blow it all on ammo and Auburn tickets! :)
Quote from: airboy on October 24, 2014, 11:51:22 AM
Jarhead:
The important number is disposable income, not gross income. If memory serves, you live in New York which has extraordinary levels of taxation which cuts your disposable income and drives up the prices of everything. If you live in New York City - the tax situation is even worse.
I live in Alabama where taxes are low, the BBQ is better, and you can own a gun without being afraid to go to jail.
If we made the exact same income, my disposable (spendable) income would be much higher than yours simply due to the NY taxes and corresponding cost of living.
Yes. I realize this. That is why I commented the numbers would be drastically different if I was referencing net income. I think you can still get a decent idea of financial standing looking at gross income though. For instance, I doubt someone who is earning $250,000 in gross income annually is living in a trailer park. I don't need to get too specific and too personal. I'm just curious as to how everyone is doing and what the needs of our members might be.
Kinda depends on how many there are in your household and how many are earning and income as well.
I think a lot of need $250,000 a year jobs.
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on October 24, 2014, 02:31:07 PM
I think a lot of need $250,000 a year jobs.
Amen, brother.
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on October 24, 2014, 02:30:04 PM
Kinda depends on how many there are in your household and how many are earning and income as well.
That is not a factor. The poll is looking for gross annual HOUSEHOLD income. That includes income from all earners.
If you think the taxation in NY is bad, look at Quebec :)
Wheres the nice part of Alabama Con?
I live in Boston
Lots of nice parts but you pay for them
Con
I misread, I think I meant airboy!
My gross income is all over the map. On my last project my cheque was about 150k IIRC. When getting a line of credit with the bank I made my stated income on this, doing a project every 2 years (to start) So I stated $75k. I deposited it with them so they have "Proof of income". Without a property sale my income is Zero. There is also high risk, with many events (mostly weather) out of my control. As the business grows I expect to do 1 per year. Until that happens ... :(
I should add the lawyer removes 15% capital gains before giving you the cheque.
bump for more votes. The stats so far are interesting, but not surprising.
I am slightly surprised, that they're quite as high as they are. Then again, the last demographic survey we did didn't probe beyond six figures.
Several years ago (maybe more than a decade) we ran a survey asking similar questions. The results came back that approximately 20% of the readership had better than a college education and about the same percent made over six figures (I don't think we went beyond $100,000+).
Not long after I was chatting with the folks from StrategyPage and they shared their demographics - the results were similar enough to not consider ours a fluke.
That said there were a substantial number of folks with only a high school education, or with just some college. The average (and I recognize that has several definitions which can cause the outcome to vary) was ~$50k.
Quote from: endfire79 on October 24, 2014, 04:11:41 PM
I misread, I think I meant airboy!
Auburn is regularly listed as one of the nicest small towns to live in for the entire USA. Tuscaloosa probably is also. Huntsville also frequently ranks very high.