ARE YOU MAKING ENOUGH MONEY TO MEET YOUR FAMILIES NEEDS?

I'm not sure what a person is supposed to strive for, but it seems harder and harder to get to your destination today. People are being offered more money to start a job, than some of us who have been working for years have ever worked our way up to.

Although I'm happy for those folks who are now getting an opportunity to move their way up the ladder, I wonder, how much do you actually have to make to get to at least middle class? I consider the middle class being the area where people can feel like day to day is comfortable. There is a little room for splurging on the small things in life, like movies, a new car, or maybe even a trip every now and then. But how much does it actually take to get there?

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MIDDLE CLASS IN MINNESOTA

Gobankingrates.com analyzed data on two, three, and four-family homes, to see how much money those size families had to earn as a household to be considered middle class. Depending on where you live, it also makes a difference. If you are looking to live in a state that it costs less to live in, we've got data for another story regarding those numbers, but lets get back to Minnesota.

MIDDLE CLASS STATS

In order to be considered middle class in Minnesota:

  • 2 member families income: Approximately $50,200 -$150,000
  • 3 member families income: Approximately $60,800 - $182,000
  • 4 member families income: Approximately $73,000 - $217,500

Comparatively, where do you fall?

WAYS TO GET AHEAD AND STAY AHEAD

If you fall in the range of most Minnesotans, but still feel like you aren't making enough to get by, there are a few things you can do to start getting ahead.

1. Stop spending money on stupid things. I guess stupid is in the eye of the beholder, but if you spend $6 on getting a fancy coffee every weekday, that can add up to $120 a month. If you get coffee and breakfast every morning, it adds up to approximately $240 a month! That could be a car payment, your electric bill, or an extra week of groceries.

2. Don't overpay for necessities. You should check on your home insurance, car insurance, and other policies for the best rates and best deals to make sure you aren't overpaying for those things that we have to have. You might be surprised how much money you can save.

3. How much are you paying for your home? I'm not sure how much longer you'll be able to get fantastic rates, but it's always worth checking on to see what you are paying in interest for your home mortgage and see if you can refinance to pay less or pay the same over a shorter period of time, which can save you hundreds of thousands of dollars over time.

 

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