Trill I think you raise a really good point - why are families around the $150K still "hanging on by their teeth"??? Is it because of real spending pressures, or have we just adopted different lifestyle "norms" and expect more right across the board, when paying for all of that is what creates the pressure?
That is such a tough one, as it all depends as to what start in life you had (did you live at home board free to save a deposit), did you buy your house before the price rises, where do you live, where do you need to live in order to work, do you or a family member have health issues or a disability etc Yes there is a certain amount of different lifestyle norms, but it is very hard to say that every family earning $150k is well off. I know if it was us, yes we would be quite comfortable, others, well not at all.