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Marguerita Cheng, a certified financial planner and CEO of Blue Ocean Global Wealth, has a client in the Washington, DC area who makes $450,000 to $600,000 a year but lives paycheck to paycheck. He spends a lot of it on keeping peace with his ex-wife.
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Close to half a million a year sounds like a lot, but he has to pay $8,000 per month to his ex-wife and both of their kids are in private high school. Four years of private high school cost $150,000.
“He basically uses his bonus to cover the private high school tuition,” Cheng said. “I understand that this is an extraordinary situation. I’ll share a saying that my dad taught me: ‘Money may not buy happiness, but it can buy peace.’ In this situation, sometimes you have to do what you have to do to keep an ex-spouse happy.”
Cheng’s client is not alone. Many Americans struggle to make-ends meet on six-figure paychecks – which by some are considered “upper income” or even rich.
The trend of Americans earning six-figure paychecks living from paycheck to paycheck grew during the 2008 recession from 21% to 30% in 2009, according to a CareerBuilder.com survey. A recent survey by SunTrust found that things have not improved much by 2015. About 25% of those making over $100,000 a year still live paycheck to paycheck.
The problem, say financial advisers, might be that the millennials are not used to earning such big paychecks and give in to buying urges. It’s also very likely that they think they have to maintain a certain lifestyle – keep up with the Joneses’ if you will, now that they make six figures.
For some, however, it could just be the added cost of their everyday necessities.
Some folks are living paycheck to paycheck because of lifestyle expenses. It’s not so much the flash
Marguerita Cheng, a certified financial planner
In DC, where many of Cheng’s clients live, its the everyday expenses that can quickly add up. They spend a couple of thousand on a nice house or condo to avoid a long commute and rely on take-out and eating out instead of cooking.
“Clients in DC don’t necessarily purchase flashy cars. A lot of it is housing, education and travel. The clients who spend $2,00o to $2,600 per month on dining are very busy professionals,” Cheng said. “Some folks are living paycheck to paycheck because of lifestyle expenses. It’s not so much the flash.”
When she first opened Ballou Plum Wealth Advisors in California, Lynn Ballou was advising a well-off couple who ate out three times a day, every day.
“They worked incredibly long hours but also, neither knew how to cook. Not even how to make toast!” Ballou said. “So I treated them to two thing: a basic cooking class for couples on the run and a cook book with Quick Recipes for two. They started saving so much by changing their habits, they were able to start fully funding their retirement plans and then soon after, started a family.”
Many “rich” people have problems accepting that they aren’t really that wealthy and the money will not last forever.
“A new client just bragged to me that he bought a one bedroom apartment in San Francisco recently for ‘only’ $535,000!” Ballou said. “If he were to be financing 75% of that with a 4.5% 30 year loan, that’s $2,033 a month. Add in another $600 or so per month for property taxes, and another $400 for dues, utilities and insurance, and you are paying about $3,000 to live in a ONE BEDROOM in SF! If you earn $100,000 a year, then you are paying 36% of your gross income for housing. That doesn’t leave much for food, clothing, transportation, healthcare, and heaven forbid, saving for the future. And even in the Bay Area, it’s not easy to find a job that pays $100,000.”
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/dec/25/wealthy-americans-living-paycheck-to-paycheck-income-paying-bills