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View Poll Results: Which describes you?
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Financially self reliant, over median age, over median income.
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94 |
70.15% |
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Financially self reliant, over median age, under median income.
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10 |
7.46% |
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Financially self reliant, under median age, over median income.
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25 |
18.66% |
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Financially self reliant, under median age, under median income.
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3 |
2.24% |
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Not financially self reliant, over median age, over median income.
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0 |
0% |
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Not financially self reliant, over median age, under median income.
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0 |
0% |
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Not financially self reliant, under median age, over median income.
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1 |
0.75% |
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Not financially self reliant, under median age, under median income.
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1 |
0.75% |
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11-01-2007, 09:57 AM
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#1
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,500
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Financial Self Reliance
To me, being financially self-reliant means that one has a realistic financial plan, and is working towards some sort of realistic financial goals (whether these are big goals like building an empire, or smaller goals like paying off your credit card debt) and relying on one's own capability or ingenuity to arrive at these goals.
My perception is that most of us here are financially self-reliant at this point, but that this self-reliance increases with age (moreso than with income).
According to census.gov, median age in the U.S. is 36.4 years old. Median household income in 2006 was $48,451.
Do you consider yourself to be pretty much financially self-reliant?
Are you above or below the median age (36.4)?
Is your household income above or below the median ($48,451) ?
__________________
Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.
Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
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11-01-2007, 10:31 AM
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#2
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Gone but not forgotten
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Sarasota,fl.
Posts: 11,447
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I'm very financially self reliant but I have been most of my life .I was reliant when I was a young single mother .My reliance increased with responsibility more than with income or age .
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11-01-2007, 11:51 AM
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#3
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 11,401
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Yes, yes and yes. I have considered myself financially self-reliant since getting my first job.
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11-01-2007, 02:02 PM
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#4
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Dryer sheet aficionado
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 34
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Yes.
No. 29 yrs old.
Yes.
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11-01-2007, 02:45 PM
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#5
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Oahu
Posts: 26,860
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Yes, yes, and yes again if the "income" part is unearned. No W-2 for me and not much longer for spouse...
__________________
*
Co-author (with my daughter) of “Raising Your Money-Savvy Family For Next Generation Financial Independence.”
Author of the book written on E-R.org: "The Military Guide to Financial Independence and Retirement."
I don't spend much time here— please send a PM.
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11-01-2007, 02:59 PM
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#6
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 17,242
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I think the vast majority will be yes, yes, yes.. (and guess what... the poll is showing that)...
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11-01-2007, 03:00 PM
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#7
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: DFW
Posts: 2,016
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Yes, yes, yes. I worked for 43 years and could go back, although reluctantly. Being poor is now a distant memory, as is being below the median age. Four years of retirement have instilled the expectation that I could do this indefinitely. Of course, Vanguard Index Funds and pensions have my back.
__________________
Resist much. Obey Little. . . . Ed Abbey
Disclaimer: My Posts are for my amusement only.
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11-01-2007, 03:19 PM
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#8
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,500
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 Quote:
Originally Posted by Texas Proud
I think the vast majority will be yes, yes, yes.. (and guess what... the poll is showing that)...
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Yeah, I think this is the worst poll I have ever designed! My apologies to the group.
Looks like we are highly skewed towards being rich old pharts with a plan. 
I had honestly thought we would be at least about 35-40% below median age, and with all the LBYM talk, I would have thought more of us would be below median household income. Sheesh!
__________________
Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.
Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
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11-01-2007, 03:29 PM
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#9
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Oahu
Posts: 26,860
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Want2retire
I had honestly thought we would be at least about 35-40% below median age, and with all the LBYM talk, I would have thought more of us would be below median household income. Sheesh!
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I think what's unusual is the savings, not so much the income.
And apparently few below the median age find any reason to hang out here...
__________________
*
Co-author (with my daughter) of “Raising Your Money-Savvy Family For Next Generation Financial Independence.”
Author of the book written on E-R.org: "The Military Guide to Financial Independence and Retirement."
I don't spend much time here— please send a PM.
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11-01-2007, 09:08 PM
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#10
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: North of Montana
Posts: 2,769
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Sorry, no plan just luck.
I took over the family farm while I was in high-school. Ran it thru university until my brothers (who wanted it) were old enough to take over. Joined megacorp, good salary, saved (althought they gave me what I thought were worthless stock options). In my mid 50's stock took off and I ER'd. I keep selling, it keeps going up.
I'm a rich old phart who worked hard early and got lucky later. Luck trumps hard work any time. Plan accordingly. 
__________________
There are two kinds of people in the world: those who can extrapolate conclusions from insufficient data and ..
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11-02-2007, 02:48 AM
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#11
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 5,350
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Want2retire
Yeah, I think this is the worst poll I have ever designed! My apologies to the group.
I had honestly thought we would be at least about 35-40% below median age, and with all the LBYM talk, I would have thought more of us would be below median household income. Sheesh!
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I actually thought less of us were below the median income. Including me it's at 12%. I was thinking more like 5%. Reading the posts, it seems like many are around twice the median. Makes me feel a little better about my 43K. Even though I just had a review with no raise. 
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11-02-2007, 04:51 AM
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#12
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: New York
Posts: 898
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Want2retire
Median household income in 2006 was $48,451.
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That's per month, right?
__________________
Money's just something you need in case you don't die tomorrow.
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11-02-2007, 05:34 AM
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#13
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Columbus
Posts: 769
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Guilty as charged your Honor. 
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11-02-2007, 06:32 AM
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#14
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Florida
Posts: 854
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Yes, yes and Yes here as well. For the group of people here that will be the norm, except for the few who are still "underage".
__________________
I would not have anyone adopt my mode of living...but I would have each one be very careful to find out and pursue his own way, and not his father's or his mother's or his neighbor's instead. Thoreau, Walden
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11-02-2007, 07:06 AM
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#15
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,500
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sandy
Yes, yes and Yes here as well. For the group of people here that will be the norm, except for the few who are still "underage".
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At this point 97 people have already responded, I would say that is a pretty accurate summary of poll results. Although as you point out, at this point 21/97 are below the median age, yesterday for a while it looked like it would be a much smaller percentage.
I think the small number below median income is a little disconcerting, only 11 out of 97 so far. I would like to think that we are not just a bunch of well-heeled, self-congratulatory people with lots of extra money to invest, but instead that we are a group with the wisdom to have shepherded what great or small income we have and LBYM'ed our way to ER. Oh well.
__________________
Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.
Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
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11-02-2007, 07:09 AM
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#16
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,500
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Sorry to hear about no raise!! With inflation hitting all of us and gas prices on their way up, that is really crummy. With any luck I hope that maybe the job is at least one that is relatively pleasant and low stress. That is worth a lot these days.
I'm at about twice the median but like many here, I live on only a fraction of my salary. My higher salary (these days) is helping me to get to ER a little faster. I will have gone from having nothing but debt to ER in 11 years, if all goes well, and if my salary was still below the median, I probably couldn't have done it anywhere near as fast.
__________________
Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.
Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
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11-02-2007, 07:34 AM
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#17
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,895
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while i've always been responsible for what i have, i am only reluctantly self-reliant. i'm above medium age but i'm told i look younger than my years which i think is a polite way of telling me i'm immature. while working as a single person household, my income was slightly greater than the medium if i include benefits. now my unearned income is a little better than that with the additional benefit of not working.
__________________
"off with their heads"~~dr. joseph-ignace guillotin
"life should begin with age and its privileges and accumulations, and end with youth and its capacity to splendidly enjoy such advantages."~~mark twain - letter to edward kimmitt 1901
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11-02-2007, 07:43 AM
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#18
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Minneapolis
Posts: 4,455
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11-02-2007, 07:56 AM
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#19
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: North Oregon Coast
Posts: 16,483
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Spanky
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I think most of us are in a very fortunate position to the point where it's easy to forget that a lot of people don't have it nearly so well.
And the more I keep that in mind, the more determined I am to not screw up my relatively good fortune.
__________________
"Hey, for every ten dollars, that's another hour that I have to be in the work place. That's an hour of my life. And my life is a very finite thing. I have only 'x' number of hours left before I'm dead. So how do I want to use these hours of my life? Do I want to use them just spending it on more crap and more stuff, or do I want to start getting a handle on it and using my life more intelligently?" -- Joe Dominguez (1938 - 1997)
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11-02-2007, 08:33 AM
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#20
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,500
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Spanky
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Good searching!! It is not easy to find.
I got the 2006 median household income figure from the census.gov American FactFinder page,
American FactFinder
If you enter any location, you get a page of statistics for that location and the numbers for the U.S. are also given on that page for comparison.
The census.gov website is fascinating for any who are interested in what life might be like in other parts of the U.S. Maybe the act of browsing that site could be termed "numerical tourism".
__________________
Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.
Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
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