The Johnsons both work, earning $90,000 between them, not a princely sum but one that places the couple squarely in the middle of household incomes for the Washington region. But for the Johnsons and many other American families, being middle class means living paycheck to paycheck.
The couple’s retirement savings are meager. The college fund? Nonexistent.
The Johnsons, whose blended family includes three children under 18, are part of a drawn-out, disquieting shift that is recasting what it means to be middle class in America.
Interesting side discussion to the article on what is “Middle Class.” A bit of a failure to address that much of the cost-of-living expenses in flyover country are less than on either coast or some middle urban areas. In my neck of the woods one can live in a mingling (i.e.: people don’t feel out of their comfort zone socializing with each other) middle-class lifestyle in a range of $60k-$180k. In other parts of my state the figure is slightly lower, or very much higher with entrance fees at $120,000+. Wages for everyone I know who is not in upper management have been stagnant for several years (what were once middle managers are to be found in Starbucks or the equivalent, networking), making it interesting to watch as the deck chairs get shuffled around.
Does anyone see the financial ghost hiding in this story? It starts with a D and is and has been haunting the family on both sides for at least two generations.
Once you see the ghost, re-read the story and realize how creepy the writing is.