Layout:
Home > how to live well--well beyond your means, that is

how to live well--well beyond your means, that is

December 7th, 2005 at 08:38 pm

I found this "special edition" article by Forbes.com really disturbing:

http://biz.yahoo.com/special/live05.html

These fictional families drive expensive cars, have two homes, and send their children in private schools--but yet they're not portrayed as living beyond their means, even though they save only 1% of their income. The authors admit that "this may not be the most fiscally prudent way to behave, but it is the norm in this country," but I feel that portraying these folks as "living well" is irresponsible. Especially when the article ends with, "So, are you ahead of the game or are you behind?"

I'm sure there are some people who would read that article and feel they're doing something wrong because they don't live like those families.

6 Responses to “how to live well--well beyond your means, that is”

  1. Anonymous Says:
    1133992803

    It does say that you have to earn a nett annual income of between $215000 and $500000 to have that lifestyle though. I'm curious as to what % of Americans would earn that?

    I agree that it is disturbing that they use that sort of scenario as only "living well"??? I'd class myself as "rich" if I had all that!

  2. Anonymous Says:
    1133999386

    No kidding! Yet the article begins with, "We're not talking great riches..." If I made that kind of money, I'd definitely consider myself rich. (Rich and stupid, if I only saved 1% of it--not to harp on the subject...well, maybe just a little...)

  3. Anonymous Says:
    1133999527

    Wow! If we made that kind of money, we'd be retired after a few years! I can't imagine needing all that luxury around me...

  4. Anonymous Says:
    1134006659

    What an absurd article. What a way to make people feel "poor" when they don't have all that. C'mon - three vacations AND a second home? And how on earth do they expect people who only save 1% of their income to come up with a 20% down payment on a house that probably will cost $400k?

  5. Anonymous Says:
    1134016548

    You know of course that this piece is for the advertisers, not necessarily for you. Smile Forbes magazine is trying to make sure - to its advertising base - that its readers consider this amount of consumption "normal".

  6. Anonymous Says:
    1134026886

    Good point, baselle. Is it possible that Forbes magazine (I don't think we have it here in Oz) is aimed at the high-income earners?

Leave a Reply

(Note: If you were logged in, we could automatically fill in these fields for you.)
*
Will not be published.
   

* Please spell out the number 4.  [ Why? ]

vB Code: You can use these tags: [b] [i] [u] [url] [email]