What does a $5-10MM net worth actually afford you?

I always struggle with the idea of saving and investing. I get that its a good Idea to save and compounding interest is 8th wonder of the world... blah blah... but I can't help but feel that I should save less and enjoy more now.  Like is it bad to think I can ball out here or there? 

I think this all seeded from a idea that a $5-10MM net worth doesn't really afford you that nice of a lifestyle.  What does a $5-10MM net worth actually afford you? 

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Honestly not that much.. In NYC, Bay Area, or LA, that is not going to get you far. Definitely not private school for your kids, and probably a modest 1-2 million dollar home in a 2nd class neighborhood. You won't have to worry about paying the bills, but you certainly will have to think twice about eating out every night. 

I worked at an RIA in LA. They said to live a comfortable life- (private school, vacations, a little charity, the occasional splurge) it takes 20 million+your primary residence in California. Comfortable 1 million in interest after taxes

 
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So many of these posts, it is crazy. $1mm after taxes is comfortable? Sure it’s comfortable, so I guess not wrong, but what is required to be comfortable? No, that’s insane. 
 

I understand we are talking about retirement savings (so no income growth or future income outside of investment returns), but I’ll skip over that right now. I make a bit more than that after taxes, and I still have debt (only a mortgage) but the lifestyle you can afford with $1mm after taxes is way above and beyond what any rational person would consider “comfortable”. With that much money you don’t worry about expenses unless you are doing crazy stupid shit (and I’ve even done crazy stupid shit with money)  

These posts come around every few months and everyone always has a different definition of comfortable. Easiest way to sort this out is describe what you want to be able to do, what lifestyle you want (house, multiple houses? Michelin Star food every night? Etc) and work from there. Rarely do you get to $1mm post tax income. But outside of that you’ll end up with these back and forth conversations about what level of income is required, some people grew up flying private so they think you need $5mm a year to “maintain my lifestyle” while others want a small house in the middle of nowhere, it comes down to how you define comfortable. 

 

To turn this around... how many people starting out in IB will accomplish this if they make MD?

 

I would hesitate to say most. There's a lifestyle creep trend amongst them. It's a very stressful job that they blow steam off by spendign money. Divorce / alimonies common among my old MD's. Living in NY? Kids gotta go to private school, wives joining social clubs. Keep in mind the key word is "net" in net worth. 

 

ive been homeless and lived semi comfortably on nothing but random couches. Funny to see other perspectives. Personally could be comfortably with 70k EASY. 

path less traveled
 

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