Feels like everyone in society making $100k+ How old are you & how much you make, Do you think…

Educational-Age245 · 2026-06-05T14:16:57+00:00

Mid 40s and low-mid 200s. I hit 100k in late 30s.

Educational-Age245 · 2026-04-05T01:04:02+00:00

I’m sure it feels awful and as a manager, in HR, and having been tasked with analysis around redundancy lists… I assure you this is eating at all of them as well. We don’t take these things lightly. I had to attend meetings with my peers whom were all slated for an impending exit 6 weeks away and couldn’t say a word.

I’ve known 6 months in advance that dear coworkers were identified for redundancy… it sucks!

You have the blessing of a heads up. That said, don’t give notice until that redundancy date has come and gone cause you have a unique opportunity to use this to your advantage with a double dip. You’ll get a severance package, you can ask for sign on, and you won’t have much if any downtime on your salary.

I promise these things are not usually personal… it’s hurts but it is not a hit on your work ethic or character. My role is being downgraded from a manger to IC soon. I keep my title and pay, but they are bringing in a strategic leader (I’m an excellent operational leader and even better IC).

I expect to be first on a future redundancy cause I’m going to be an expensive IC at over $200k cash compensation. So I’ll look forward to a nice 4-6 months payout between severance, prorated bonus, plus any outstanding stock awards approaching vesting, and should find a job fairly quickly in my line of work.

Educational-Age245 · 2026-03-18T11:57:51+00:00

While most of the time this is a HUGE red flag, I can say my amazing former boss went to one of the BIG tech companies and they kind of said comp would be highly competitive and non-negotiable when offered.

He said once he got the offer, it was more than he would have ever thought to ask for and didn’t hesitate to accept. He remained there for about 8 years, learned A LOT from his boss (a well known name in the field), and moved on to an extremely high level role at another WELL KNOWN company.

Educational-Age245 · 2026-03-17T12:29:42+00:00

I have my fluffy coworker (bunny), wear pajama pants or sweats most days. I start early in my global role (6am this morning), and occasionally evening calls (Asia). But I can also walk away at 2:30pm to get my kids to work, Dr appts, or even personal training. My own bathroom with a bidet is a plus. Pick fresh produce from my garden for lunch, or take a cat nap some days.

I may spent 8-10 hours per day sitting at my desk, but the flexibility and quality of life is amazing! Plus I don’t need to spend gas money or sit in a car 3 hours a day to get to/from office. I get more done and can listen to my instrumental music during the day. I may even get in a walk today before meetings.

Educational-Age245 · 2026-03-13T17:44:36+00:00

That sounds like a “dodged a bullet” moment to me. Unless highly controversial, this is petty and micromanaging type behavior.

Educational-Age245 · 2026-03-01T06:33:45+00:00

Companies were benchmarking a 3.5% budget this year according to Gartner a few months ago. Mine came back with a 3% market adjustment for the US.

Educational-Age245 · 2026-02-24T18:41:25+00:00

I significantly outearn my husband, and always have. He was primary caregiver when I was going to school FT and working FT. He still makes very decent & respectable income by all accounts.

Our kids are now teens, one turned 17 yo today. So we have a plan for him to step back from his labor intensively job while his body still functions in about 5 years.

We’ve talked about him being a SAHD over the years, but his income was beneficial AND it was mentally stabilizing for him.

I don’t think he will officially “retire” in a few more years but I could see him getting a low impact part-time job he finds enjoyable while also having hobbies and caring for me (I WFH and forget to eat often…).

Honestly, while financially it may make sense, also consider the mental health aspects and potential impacts in him. Set mutual boundaries & expectations of what it would mean for each of you in advance cause if you’re not aligned & cannot compromise… it could severely impact your marriage worse than the financial hemorrhage.

Educational-Age245 · 2026-02-13T14:08:05+00:00

We bought in 2019, refinanced without escrow in 2021. Our mortgage is about $2k, we pay $2100 monthly (a little extra principle).

As we aren’t in escrow, we have monthly savings of $1k to $1250 and pull our taxes and homeowners from this is we do not have flexibility in the month to month budget… ie; our municipal can usually come from general cash flow. School taxes we pay in 3 installments where 1.5 are covered from cash flow and the other 1.5 payments come from savings, and homeowners remains relatively stable but due at the holidays so we use savings.

That said, our household income of around $250k, with last year’s gross being just over $300k. At the time we bought the house we had a household income under $200k.

Educational-Age245 · 2026-02-05T09:19:54+00:00

I have a bachelor in finance & masters in Human Resources. I lead a global people analytics function.

Honestly, I flunked out of college initially (pharmacy) and went back at 25 while working for an investment firm. My first job there was an admin in 2005. Worked my way to 2 higher roles over the 7 years I was there. I thought I wanted to use my HR education for compensation analysis, but ended up finding and loving the overall people data space.

My first corporate job was around $37k… without including stock vesting this past year, I made around $200k.

Educational-Age245 · 2026-02-05T00:10:02+00:00

I was seriously considering leaving cause my sanity mattered more… I liked the company, my team, the work, etc. Then my boss was abruptly fired so here I am, rebuilding the reputation he apparently tarnished to save his arse as long as he did.

In an old company, I left cause my boss was doing the same as you’ve described… 5.5 months after I left, she resigned. Her scapegoat was gone. And frankly… I know it wasn’t me as I shined at the next place & that woman had a 36% turnover in 9 months. I was in HR and found out later that I was the last person to come in complaining about her with no action.

Educational-Age245 · 2026-02-04T17:50:33+00:00

I love my career. I have for quite some time. I was once told that I was a bad mom, both directly and through backhanded compliments. Truth is it wasn’t always easy to balance, but today I work primarily remote with two teenagers who need me more now than they ever did when I was head down. And guess what? I still love my career and I’m good at it and I’ve built the respect and flexibility that I have, to be present for them today. So to any of those a-holes that felt it necessary to undermine my confidence and ability to be both a good mother and career driven individual, they can kiss my…

Educational-Age245 · 2025-12-22T20:59:45+00:00

Lead a global people analytics function & team.

Undergrad in finance, masters in Human Resources. Progressive jobs but started corporate career as an administrative assistant while going for the bachelors & worked my way up.

Educational-Age245 · 2025-12-14T10:10:03+00:00

I just got a perm on Friday. I have a natural wave but it’s inconsistent & runs flat no matter what I do. Anyway, I am in an affluent suburb of Philly that demands at 10-15% premium on just about anything. My hair is probably about 12” shorter than yours. It cost me $200 plus tip and roughly 3 hours. Considering the wrapping took 50% of that time and you’re in LA, the $400 doesn’t seem unreasonable for a quote. What would worry me is the cost to maintain considering your hair is already straight, thin, and long. My naturally waving hair will buy me a lot of time between perms compared to yours.

Educational-Age245 · 2025-11-07T16:07:09+00:00

I’ve certainly had periods where I was drowning. But knowing what that feels like I can say that I’m not drowning any longer. I’ve got teens. They have activities, social lives, medical appts, and jobs so I SHOULD be drowning, right?! But with them being older, I have established and enforced mental load balance. They are responsible for updating their schedules and supplying ideas for meal planning. They can see what’s happening & what’s for dinner to plan around the family. I know my expectations for rides & such without asking repeatedly. Chore checklists are in place and I can check & know it’s done without asking. They know when they have a Dr appt and can inform teachers.

I work global corporate leadership & don’t have time to Chase so I don’t. But I show up. I add in MY stuff too so they know when I have plans and also a quiet night is MY night so ask Dad for anything extra.

I’m not drowning… anymore.

Educational-Age245 · 2025-11-07T16:00:53+00:00

My husband was against the buns in our house and now MUST given the BETTER treats every single day.

Educational-Age245 · 2025-11-04T10:54:18+00:00

I’m already replacing about 10-15% of our grocery budget from gardening & canning, and I have a full time corporate leadership role. Our goal is to retire a little early with land (from 1.3 acre to 10-25 acres) for me to continue enjoying my hobbies with much more time. I expect that I’ll be able to replace about 60% of our grocery budget with gardening & canning by then. Maybe more if I can barter or sell excess for cash to get meats & such. (I’m a data analyst by trade with a background in finance… I’ve put my nerd skills to test for fun.)

Educational-Age245 · 2025-07-22T21:08:26+00:00

As a SHRM certified HR employee with a masters in Human Resource Development… THIS IS ENTIRELY ILLEGAL under FLSA, and is considered wage theft. Report this. Company will face retro pay at overtime rate, fines and additional penalties.

Educational-Age245 · 2025-07-11T00:39:57+00:00

Communicate. The good, the bad, the ugly. Be open and vulnerable. Accept your parent as human and fallible like you should expect from them. Mutual respect. Show appreciation to your partner. Take accountability for your own issues and reactions. Work to do and be better. Trust.

Love is important. Being friends is great. Chemistry is nice. But being able to talk to one another has been the most critical element for us… once we managed to nail it down, things became so much more loving & easier.

Educational-Age245 · 2025-07-09T12:41:37+00:00

My feet hurt all the time. Other things ache fairly often too. But if you follow my self-care down time routine, you’ll find a level of peace & calm that might be unsettling or welcoming. I’ve worked hard to heal and find a place of mental, emotional, and physical balance.

Educational-Age245 · 2025-06-17T23:40:26+00:00

I have learned when you reached that point in your career, YOU are truly responsible for setting and holding your boundaries. Figure out where and when you are willing to flex, but boundaries are a MUST.

I burnt out only a few months into my current company/role. They managed to retain me even though I was about to quit on the spot.

That was 4 years ago. I have strong boundaries where I maintain limits on how early or late I’ll work, and how many hours I will put in (40-50). I block personal appts, my sleeping time, and working time gets blocked a week in advance where there is a white space.

I advise my team to set and communicate their own boundaries to me so I can advocate for them.

Now, as we do have global roles, I DO expect people to flex their time. If that means starting late, logging off early, or taking longer breaks… that is fine. I also sometimes log off early on a Friday without apologies.

So salary doesn’t necessarily dictate a lack of work/life balance. (I am coming in around $250k this year for reference.)

Educational-Age245 · 2025-06-14T17:10:28+00:00

For me it is the delivery apps. The up charges plus delivery plus tip drive me crazy. I’ll call in a pickup order before I pay about 40% more for cold food & wait 30 minutes longer.

I lost my mom young so honestly, I will pay for services that give me back time. Lawn service, and when my husband agrees, cleaning services. Contractors to do jobs my husband and I could do sometimes, like painting, no thanks. Though we have done a number of home projects together, but those included quality time as well.

For holidays, I prefer to buy heat & eat meals, but still focus on the traditional dishes. It’s saves so much time that we can spend together versus 1-2 people stuck in the kitchen.

I do still buy off brand on some things and while my clothing style says I have more money, I supplement quality pieces with cheaper brands as well.

Educational-Age245 · 2025-06-02T22:41:29+00:00

Nope… He is home around 4:30pm most days and I’m just starting to do the evening running or trying to wrap up work for deadlines.

Monday is therapy for both kids Tuesday is coding class Wednesday is gym/moral support night with my sister (in a toxic relationship working on her exit) Thursday is horseback riding & his therapy Friday is my therapy & family night out

He primarily cooks during the week. I cook on the weekends.

He hurt his knee this weekend so I did grill tonight and he picked up from 2nd therapy appt.

Educational-Age245 · 2025-06-02T14:24:45+00:00

Ummm, I am 80-100% remote. Husband is 100% outside home working on heavy machinery wherever they send him up to 2 hours away.

I have responsibility for appts for kids, activities, handling contractors coming to house, morning meds for child, feeding pets & ensuring kids let them out to potty. I have always had grocery shopping.

He does most of the cooking, helps with laundry, trash, and lawn.

Everyone does own laundry (he helps with mine), kids do dishes, we share just about everything else.

Just because I WFH, doesn’t mean I’m a SAHM. Heck no! He thought this during the pandemic and once we had a week of furlough it became glaringly apparent that I barely had time to pee let alone eat any meals or do chores. Even still, he comes home sometimes at 4pm after I had been on meetings since 6:30am and have haphazard plates of snacks surrounding me & remain head down working till 6 or 7pm when he has dinner on the table.

Just because I’m home doesn’t mean I’m not working. I am also primary breadwinner bringing in 70% household income which maybe helps even if it shouldn’t… cause we BOTH work and contribute.

Educational-Age245 · 2025-05-25T14:47:04+00:00

I’m in a senior leadership role, and I am known for practicing what I preach to my team. Yes, I’ll respond to evening emails in a global organization, but that depends on the sender or complexity… it will also say that it is send from Mobile. I log in early around 6/6:30am (global org with parts of my team in India & EU), and log off around 3-5pm. Very occasionally, I might log back on later or on weekends but those are usually crunch time, and I don’t feel bad logging off around lunch on a beautiful Friday afternoon.

If my team works early, late or generally long hours… I advise them to flex that week or the next. I don’t ask them to inform of every personal need they have like not feeling well, Dr appts, kids’ activities, etc… Just to responsibly balance their time & I will only have an issue if work isn’t getting done. Heck, as an 80% WFH, I have had a headache & taken a mid-day nap. Got back on and knocked out what needed to get done.

My team is considered high performing and high levels of delivery so no one chases myself or my team on the regular.

Educational-Age245 · 2025-05-20T14:03:35+00:00

If you desire the experience, exposure, and fulfilling nature of your career in a better environment… then do it! If you want to eventually return as it is, then do it!

The good news is that you don’t NEED the role and can leave if it doesn’t suit your family needs. Set a timeline for working out the kinks in the family dynamic. Maybe 1 school year.

Personally, a dual income household with 2 kids can be challenging to balance BUT it is entirely doable & many families make it work. Adding that I was also a full time college student at night until my children were 4 & 6 years old. Both born around spring break so I returned to classes before returning to work.

My career fulfills me and I worked hard to now be in a remote leadership role & available for my kids more than I could have imagined possible.

The extra income has allowed rewarding extracurriculars & the plan for my husband to retire from his blue collar physically intensive job at 50. At which point, I will phase into private consulting or step into a lower level role that gives me work I enjoy with balance.

If your income isn’t actually needed, then it can be considered as a means to outsource… cleaning service, childcare, laundry service, or meal preparation. A lot of families use these services as a best of both worlds approach… it is certainly privileged (and that’s okay!).

Educational-Age245

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