[Cu3PO42]

One thing that immediately stood out to me was the following quote at the beginning of the article:

> You don’t think much about $200,000; it’s not life-changing

I'm happy for the author that $200,000 isn't and wasn't a life-changing amount of money for her, but to so many people it would be incredibly life-changing. I could very comfortably live off that amount of money for 10 years. As an alternative view, that's more than four years of my net income. Obviously my cost of living is also dramatically lower than it is in SF.

For someone working minimum wage where I live it would be more like 11 or 12 years, that's an incredible amount of money and I think it's important not to forget about that entirely.

EDIT: I've said this in a grand-child comment, but I just want to clarify this here since it has come up more than once. I don't mean to say that $200,000 is or should be a life-changing amount of money to her. I just think it's easy to forget the scales sometimes. I've had the same "whatever" reaction to smaller amounts of money that would have been life-changing to someone else. My point is: those of use who are fortunate (and I include myself in this group), let's not forget it.

[partisan]

For your life circumstances, is there an amount of money that is large enough to celebrate, but not so large as to be life changing? If so, then you can relate to the author's point, but for a different value of N. The author is speaking from their experience. I think if they were to caveat every point like this, it would be a much longer read and one would get tired of reading the disclaimers.

In the past few years, I've received bonuses that were massive and I could only have dreamed of some years ago. Since then I've come to realize that sums like that were not life changing. When I dreamed of them some time ago, I imagined they would have been. I would have bought the car I really wanted or bought a bigger apartment or something. But in the end, I would have still had a car and somewhere to live, working to sustain that quality of life. Is it life changing?

[Cu3PO42]

I'm sure there would be such an amount of money for me. And I don't mean to say that $200,000 must be a life-changing amount of money to her, or anyone else for that matter.

But she didn't say "I don't think much [...]", she said "You don't think much [...]", which makes it sound like this notion wasn't specific to her, but rather a sentiment shared by some majority. Now my point is that while it may be true for the majority of her social circle, it's important not to loose track entirely of how others are doing, because our lifes aren't isolated from one another.

Maybe I'm reading too much into the specific choice of words , and if that is true just take my comment as a friendly reminder to us all not to forget those less fortunate than us.

[ckdarby]

Life changing is a moving goal post and it is contextual for the individual.

Roughly 10 years ago when I first started in software development I was making ~$40k and thought I had made it and I'd be able to achieve everything I wanted on that amount assuming I just kept up with inflation.

Fast forward, I bought $500 of Basic Attention Tokens at $0.17 and after currency conversion it is over $5k. The money has 10x'ed but in the present I wouldn't describe it as life changing at all. The impact isn't notable at all to the point I'm like, either it goes to $0 or it goes to $50k to be "worthwhile".

It's all percentages. If the author's lifetime earnings were already going to be $5M than $200k might not seem like a life changing amount but anyone's who lifetime earnings are going to be $1M could see that as a life changing amount.

[bryanrasmussen]

>anyone's who lifetime earnings are going to be $1M could see that as a life changing amount.

I would define life changing as being able to have kids if you couldn't before, moving to a radically different environment than before, or being able to stop working if you were working before.

So probably it needs to double what you were expected to make without it.

[supportlocal4h]

I would say that the money did change your life. It's tempting to say that you just didn't recognize it, but clearly you did. By your own account, your life changed and your attitude has changed.

I hope that you are helping to make other lives better. I wish you well.

[kwyjobojoe]

The rich and powerful have no idea on the cost of living, and yet they control the world for the majority.

The Australian Gov floated making people pay for doctor visits that are currently free, and bagged out disagreement that it was 'only the price of a coffee'. Those on benefits cannot afford a coffee, as that would be almost 10% of money they had to per day to pay for everything. Meanwhile they use government flights costing $60000+, or give themselves raises more that a minimum wage earner gets per year.

Bill Gates was on a show and they made fun of him because he had no idea what bread and milk costs. Yet people like him are the ones that politicians listen to.

[Cthulhu_]

> Yet people like him are the ones that politicians listen to.

Isn't this often the case? Rich people looking at even richer people as something to aspire to. Middle-class people look up at the rich as something to aspire to. And the poor / working class look up at middle class as something to aspire to.

Everybody wants to move up in the world.

[Pelic4n]

The worldwide median anual household income per capita is about $3000: https://news.gallup.com/poll/166211/worldwide-median-househo...

Which means most humans won't make $200K in their entire lives. Considering that it's not a life changing amount of money just shows how the 1% has lost touch with reality.

[blackoil]

Looking at everything as a global stat, also doesn't make any sense. If I spend a 100 USD on dinner, that is all earned/spent by me on my experience in my time-space bubble. Farmer in Africa on an orphan in Gaza wouldn't be directly impacted by that.

[tonyedgecombe]

>Farmer in Africa on an orphan in Gaza wouldn't be directly impacted by that.

I think they probably would albeit in a small way. No doubt your dinner will include ingredients that are traded globally, cooked using energy and fuels bought in international markets, served by an immigrant from a poorer country, eaten using cutlery made in another. Driving your car to the restaurant will emit CO2 that is going to impact the poorest countries first.

For better or worse we live in a globalised world where commodities are freely traded and some people are inevitably outbid.

[supportlocal4h]

Whether you are a 1%er or an 80%er, there is some amount of money that wouldn't mean much to you but would mean a lot to somebody else. If it rubs you that wealthier people aren't more gracious with their wealth, please try to make a point of being gracious with your wealth. Figure out how to use $100 to change somebody else's life in a positive way. I think you'll find it is life changing for you after all. If $100 seems steep, try it with $20. Your life will get better quickly.

[lordnacho]

I think it's life-changing in the sense that for 99% of people they would have enough time to at least look for a better job over the course of a year. For a fair few people it would even give you enough time to get a qualification.

All depends on what you mean by life-changing though.

[mclouts91]

I think she means you couldn’t just leave your job, especially in San Fran

[ac29]

No, but even in an ultra high cost of living area, on a high salary, $200k would let you retire a year or two earlier than you would have otherwise. Might not be life changing today, but personally I get excited at the prospect of money that would give me the option to retire even a few weeks earlier than I would have otherwise, even though that's likely 25 years out for me.

[McScroogy]

Moving to where you live would probably be unpleasant for her, as she would lose all her friends and family. Where she lives now, 200k may not be life changing.

Maybe the smart thing to do would be to take the money and move to a cheap place. But there would be another price besides the money. And after 10 years, you would have a problem.

[131012]

A rich kid getting richer? How boring.