How much money do you need each year to live?
Generally, $100,000 per year is a good goal for most people.
The average household's monthly expenses are $6,081 ($72,967 over the entire year). That's up from $5,557 ($66,928 over the entire year) in 2022. The average annual income after taxes is $83,195, up from $78,743 in 2022. Housing is the largest average cost at $2,025 per month, making up 33% of typical spending.
While you might need $10 million to fund your ideal life in perpetuity, saving that amount of money is not a realistic goal for the vast majority of us. If you had a take-home pay of $100,000 per year and invested half of that at 8% per year, it would still take you 36 years to save $10 million.
How much do you need? Everybody has a different opinion. Most financial experts suggest you need a cash stash equal to six months of expenses: If you need $5,000 to survive every month, save $30,000.
In 2023, we have calculated that a single person needs to earn £29,500 to have an acceptable standard of living, up from £25,000 in 2022. A couple with two children need to earn £50,000, compared to £44,500 in 2022.
Securing both financial success and career opportunities comes at a cost — one that is growing each year. Overall, Americans need an average post-tax income of $68,499 to live comfortably in the U.S., according to recent data from SmartAsset.
This brings us to the question -- can a retired person live on $4,000 a month? The answer is yes, almost 1 in 3 retirees today are spending between $2,000 and $3,999 per month, implying that $4,000 is a good monthly income for a retiree.
Living on $1,000 per month is a challenge. From the high costs of housing, transportation and food, plus trying to keep your bills to a minimum, it would be difficult for anyone living alone to make this work. But with some creativity, roommates and strategy, you might be able to pull it off.
So $100 million is - at minimum - 50 times what you'd need to live an average life for you and your family. So, you'd think as long as you keep your spending below 50 times what people, on average, spend - about $2.5 million a year - it would last you your whole life.
What do studies say about money and happiness? Purdue University found the ideal average income for people worldwide is $95,000 and $105,000 in the U.S. Beyond that, satisfaction with life deteriorates, it said.
Is $20000 a year poverty?
Pew Research considers middle class to be $56,000 to $156,000 for families of three. Thus, a family of three on $20,000 is not middle-class; it's actually below the poverty level. While an individual on $20,000 a year is not below the poverty line, they are still not considered middle-class.
While $5,000 is certainly an impressive amount of money to have in the bank, it may not be enough to constitute a true emergency fund.
Not Being Able to Pay Your Bills
As long as you aren't renting a luxurious high rise or leasing a fancy car you truly can't afford, you should be making enough to pay your basic bills. It can be difficult to save money with a low income.
Middle class: The middle class is officially those whose earnings put them in the 40th to 60th percentile of household income. The income range is $55,001 to $89,744. Upper middle class: Anyone with earnings in the 60th to 80th percentile would be considered upper middle class.
Know What You Can Afford to Spend
"And the rule of thumb is 30% to 33% of your income as your housing budget." This is good guidance for all renters. But Beauchamp especially stresses the importance of sticking to that 30% to 33% threshold with her single clients. "You only have one income to work with," she says.
| Average Expenses of U.S. Households in 2022 and 2021 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | Annually | |
| One person | $3,693 | $44,312 |
| Family of two | $6,372 | $76,468 |
| Family of three | $7,189 | $86,265 |
Is it true that even making $10,000 a month won't have you a comfortable middle class lifestyle in the USA? Unless you're living in a ridiculously overpriced area (think The Bay Area in San Fransisco or certain parts of New York), that idea is absolute nonsense. $10,000 a month means $120,000 a year.
You can retire comfortably on $3,000 a month in retirement income by choosing to retire in a place with a cost of living that matches your financial resources. Housing cost is the key factor since it's both the largest component of retiree budgets and the household cost that varies most according to geography.
Living on $2,000 per month is doable, but you won't be able to live just anywhere. This is important because at the time of writing the average Social Security benefit paid is $1,701 per month.
The 50-30-20 rule recommends putting 50% of your money toward needs, 30% toward wants, and 20% toward savings. The savings category also includes money you will need to realize your future goals. Let's take a closer look at each category.
Is it possible to live on $1200 a month?
It's enough for a couple of years, but not long term. If you already owned your basics, and could share rental/utility costs, you would be fine, but if you suddenly needed a new refrigerator, or worse, a car, you'd be hurting.
The reality is that many people around the world struggle to make ends meet daily. While $600 a week may seem like a comfortable living to some, it is a luxury that most people in developing countries can only dream of. In many parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America, the average monthly income is less than $600.
If someone then gave you a billion dollars and you spent $1,000 each day, you would be spending for about 2,740 years before you went broke.
Spectrum also found that the number of U.S. ultra-high-net-worth individuals—they count UHNWIs as owning between $5 million and $25 million (excluding the value of their primary residence)—grew 21.3% in 2020 to a total of 1.8 million households.
Under the 4% method, investment advisors suggest that you plan on drawing down 4% of your retirement account each year. With a $750,000 portfolio, that would give you $30,000 per year in income. At that rate of withdrawal, your portfolio would last 25 years before hitting zero.
