The Perfect Salary for Happiness: $75,000

[Bandito]

i don't drive a mercedes.

but your point is to sacrifice now so one can live and enjoy it later. that works, but is that really happiness if a guy in his 20s, 30s, 40s have to endure that sacrificial period first? if he has to wait till 60-something to finally enjoy a good life, he missed out on the prime years.

if one has to do that, then i don't think it's a salary of happiness. to me, a true salary of happiness should afford one to live in the moment AND also in the future when he's done with working for good. with all other things equal, i think a guy with that life is happier than the guy who had to make sacrifices throughout his youth and prime.

It depends on the person. For me driving a Mercedes is not happiness is just a waste of money. I am not one that likes to fvcks strangers or show off to strangers so for me driving a Yaris is fine as long as the car works fine.

Also in order to get that 75 thou a year the person would have to make sacrifices because a job like that is going to ask for a lot of time in the job probably. For me sacrificing that time in a meaningless job instead of just being at my house doing what I like, or just going to the gym is just way worse than not having a Mercedes. That's what I mean by sacrifices. Sacrifices like that are good, but in reality everyone wants the expensive clothes, the 1000$ Iphones and 50 thou++ cars let's be honest.

[JEFFERSON MONEY]

Only constant is change.

We gonna need a much stronger idealogy/philosophy than f*cking happiness to bring out the best in Mankind.

[DeuceWallaces]

Lol, my idea of sacrifice is not trading in a Mercedes for my Ford Fusion.

[JohnnySic]

$75K is more than enough for a single person, unless they are massive idiots and do something idiotic like rent a 1 bedroom apartment for $2,700 month.

For a married person looking to raise a family, perhaps not (depends on where you live) but most couples are duel income and a combined salary of say $120k is enough to live comfortably in most areas.

[ALBballer]

^Anywhere in the states minus NYC, LA, Boston, San Fran, Seattle, D.C. metropolitan areas and maybe even Chicago too. Also Hawaii.

75k will amount to around 55k after taxes depending on the state. 55k amounts to around $4,600/month and general rule is housing costs should amount to 25-30% of your take home pay which would be around $1,400/month. $1,400 is doable for most cities.

[Fawker]

75K is enough for married with children in California.

[kenuffff]

single guy here, made 75k before now i make 6 figures. i'd like to make as much as humanly possible. that's just me though. im never sastified with where i am, i want more, and to be better, if you're like "welp i have 75k a year now, im set!" you're a loser.

[DCL]

single guy here, made 75k before now i make 6 figures. i'd like to make as much as humanly possible. that's just me though. im never sastified with where i am, i want more, and to be better, if you're like "welp i have 75k a year now, im set!" you're a loser.

[knickballer]

of course, you can live and survive on that amount, and even less than that figure, but i wouldn't call it "perfect salary for happiness."

check out sundizz's breakdown. that's just very basic stuff without even factoring any fun.

fun = happy, and fun costs money.

Living in an apartment that costs $2,700/month(doesn't include utilities/parking either) is not "very basic". I understand he probably lives in or near a downtown in a major market but he's still overpaying to the max and those apartments aren't probably meant for individuals like him. I live in the NYC area and he can probably get an apartment in Manhattan for that same price which is one of the most expensive housing markets in the world. Again, he's living out of his means and in an apartment he has no business living in.


For most people 75k is too little for them because they are accustomed to spending. They are used to eating out every other night, going to bars for daily drinks and buying goods they don't need(Shoes, shirts, etc)

I do understand if you are married and have kids. That's another story..

[DCL]

Living in an apartment that costs $2,700/month(doesn't include utilities/parking either) is not "very basic". I understand he probably lives in or near a downtown in a major market but he's still overpaying to the max and those apartments aren't probably meant for individuals like him. I live in the NYC area and he can probably get an apartment in Manhattan for that same price which is one of the most expensive housing markets in the world. Again, he's living out of his means and in an apartment he has no business living in.


For most people 75k is too little for them because they are accustomed to spending. They are used to eating out every other night, going to bars for daily drinks and buying goods they don't need(Shoes, shirts, etc)

I do understand if you are married and have kids. That's another story..

i think the debate is more about "if 75k is the perfecr salary of happiness" instead of "can a dude live on 75k???"

of course, every single dude or even families can live on 75k. many, including myself, have even survived on much less amounts (inflation adjusted) during our college and early years. but the question is if it's the salary that maxizes happiness and my response is a resounding no. not even close.

as for sundizz, only he can answer for himself. but if i take a stab at it, sure, he can obviously save some mobey by living away in the suburbs with several roommates. maybe he can even get rid if his car too to save parking and gas.

but then it comes back to the original debate. is it the perfect salary of happness if he has to do all those things? i dont have to ask sundizz but i think we can guess his answer.

[Bosnian Sajo]

Simple math:

SF 1 bedroom apartment: $2,700
Utilities/parking: $300
Car insurance: $150
Car payment: $300
Gas: $175
Student loan payment: $200
Meals: $400
Gym membership: $50

$4,275 of monthly bill. This doesn't even take into account any entertainment spending, and any other random bills (like a hospital visit/vaca, car maintenance).

Let's say $5,000 to cover base + any minor unexpected stuff. You would need to make $60k after taxes just to have a very low middle class life. It really makes living with others/getting married/having a 2nd owner worth it tenfold in a big city. That tax benefit you get from marrying a broad is literally money.

So don't stay in SF then...tf I look like paying 2.7k for a one bedroom apartment, get yourself a nice 3 bed appartment here in Clearwater for around 800/month. And some of us don't have student loans to pay off, we already payed off the school. 75k is more than a decent salary, isn't the median in the US like 40,000ish? And that's counting the top 10%, take them away and the average American is making well under 40g's a year.

[sundizz]

So don't stay in SF then...tf I look like paying 2.7k for a one bedroom apartment, get yourself a nice 3 bed appartment here in Clearwater for around 800/month. And some of us don't have student loans to pay off, we already payed off the school. 75k is more than a decent salary, isn't the median in the US like 40,000ish? And that's counting the top 10%, take them away and the average American is making well under 40g's a year.

I would be much happier living in SF. And no, you can't live "happily" there for 75k. It's just the simple economic truth of the matter.

The statement is just a blanket statement, and the actual value should of course be adjusted for geography.

However, the concept is nonsense to me because some people are content with what they have in life, and some people simply aren't. I always want moar. Moar girls, more money, more wtv. Doesn't mean i'm not happy...just means I'm not content.

The misconception about this stupid quote is that money stops mattering at a certain point. That's bs that poor people tell themselves. Money in itself is nothing - but the drive to earn money = passion for life. It'd be like saying 20 minutes of bball is enough to get the daily exercise you need. Yeah, maybe that's true...but who the hell wouldn't want to play more if it is there passion. As you get older, earning money becomes that passion for many successful people.

[JohnnySic]

single guy here, made 75k before now i make 6 figures. i'd like to make as much as humanly possible. that's just me though. im never sastified with where i am, i want more, and to be better, if you're like "welp i have 75k a year now, im set!" you're a loser.

I'll happily take 75K to work 40 hrs and have time for fun, working out, family, etc, than 150K to work 80 hours and run myself into the ground. But that's just me.

[kamil]

it's like hearing a kid say the perfect allowance for happiness is $100.

$100 may be more than enough for a little kid, but sooner or later, he or she is gonna realize, fk man, this ain't shit. can't even buy a playstation.

same thing with 75K salary. might be appealing to a young single person whose current salary is half of that. but as he gets older, have a family, have one or several kids, that 75K ain't shit. AND when he figures out retirement planning and the need to save a few to put into longterm planning, that 75K is easily depleted after taxes, basic expenses, child care, and all that shit.

That's why your woman needs to put in her share. 75k x 2 is plenty to support a family.

[sundizz]

DC is the most expensive city in america and I live here happily for far less than 75K so you're wrong and really bad at simple economics dum dum.


Get a cheaper place to live. If you aren't happy unless you have a nice apartment to yourself yr a cvnt and you don't deserve happiness

glad you are happy.

I put in hard work with undergrad, and grad school. I'll put in long hours at work. My definition of happy is being able to afford a 1 bedroom apartment to come home and relax in. I don't think that's ballin or something...that rent isn't even for a good 1 bedroom...it's for a shizzy hole in the wall. Of course I could pay less and share a place, but as a grown man I don't want to be dealing with roommates. If I wanted that I could just live at home with my rents and not pay any rent.

So in short go fck yourself...

If you ever have a medical emergency for you/loved one you'll realize how desperate and shizzy your "happy salary" will make you feel because you can't help them when they need it the most. Life isn't about making yourself happy anyways...beta mentality. It's about being a provider for the people in your life you care about.