Poll: What's your income bracket?

Yay!?!

*does the poverty level dance* Woohoo!! Anyone else want to dance with me?

*dances*

I don't think I have ever NOT been doing the poverty dance. word.

i'd rather not talk about it, thank you very much. *goes to read bend it like beckham slash instead*

nowhere, unfortunately. it was wishful thinking. :(

You can always remedy that you know.

i'm afraid to try writing anything but dvn slash. at least with dvn slash, it's *supposed* to be funny and bad.

$13,000 in Canada. Po.

Yeah baby, that's how much I'm worth. What?...ooooh, how much do I *make*. Ah. well. no.I wish.someday.maybe?....if I win a lottery and invest right. bah. Right now I'm poor and out of work. suxor.

Bah, the lottery is just a tax on stupidity. Funny how most winners end up bankrupt in two years. How many times have you heard a winner declare they are going back to school to get an advance degree or other such forward thinking things?

I'm constantly amused by people who think that having the trappings of wealth constitutes being weathly. Did you know most of America's millionaires live in middle income areas and have a net worth six times greater than their neighbors?

Ok Andy, I'll bite. First, let me point out the attempt I was making to be entirely facetious. Except for the last sentence, which unfortunately happens to be true, but I am optimistic that will change.

Second, I live in Canada. I realize the lottery situation in most states tends to be those gigantic powerball lotteries with super huge prizes. Much like other huge rags-to-riches stories, whether in music or marrying a prince, I am never too surprised when things go terribly wrong. Up here, we have a lottery that pays out twice a week, usually the top prize is in the $2-$10 million range, often split between several people, either because they group purchase tickets or they randomly selected the same numbers. The point is, the amounts are not nearly so stratospheric. I really doubt if the majority of these people go bankrupt as you suggest. They may not have much left in the bank after 2 years, paying off mortgages and buying cars and maybe a large trip. But overall a positive effect on their net worth at least.

But I agree, lotteries are a fools game and I (almost) never buy a ticket.

My state doesn't participate in Powerball. :(

I don't have the cites handy for Texas, but they found that 53% of lottery winners have either a) filed for bankruptcy, or b) are riddled with debt after about two years.

The national trend is roughly one-third (which granted is not "most", but is still a shocking large number) (source: Paul Tharp, �Lottery raises issue of cents and sensibility,� New York Post, November 15, 1997.)

Even with nominal payouts, many of the winners do not have a net worth near what they won after two years. Note, that's net WORTH, not necessarily how much money they have (i.e. houses, cars, and other assets which you own factor in). They don't invest it wisely, they spend it all on the trappings of wealth. (Source: "The Millionaire Next Door", Stanley and Danko, Ph.D.s, ISBN: 0-7434-2037-3)

and so what? or is this just another thing you feel you can cite that makes you feel bigger than everyone else?

I was being asked for a cite, duh.

And I don't need to feel bigger than everyone else, I already know that I *AM* bigger and better than everyone else. Get with the program!

Heeee, as of April I moved from one bracket to another. Yay yearly raises! :)

Where is the poverty line, officially, anyway?

The poverty guideline for 2003 in the 48 contiguous United States for one person is $8,980/year.  This is used to determine eligibility for various federal entitlement programs.  The guideline is different from the poverty threshold, which is a stastical measure used to estimate the number or people who live in poverty each year.  In the US, that threshold for 2002 for one person under the age of 65 is $9,359.  More info about this can be obtained at this US HHS Site.

I'm a full-time volunteer!

You do have to remember what the Cdns answer depends on whether we're talking US or CDN dollars *g* *ducks*

So was this poll in US or CDN currency? :D

US, obviously.

In canadian, we're all millionaires! :D

Okay here are where the flames start! ;D

Nah, won't be any need to flame if the US economy doesn't get the lead out. The Cdn. dollar has been creeping up, Robin and I are holding our breath and hoping it continues, it would make it so much easier for us to pay off her US student loans.