What can a yearly salary of $250,000 get you in life?

$250,000 is the top earners in this country.

If these people are wise, there is no reason why they wouldn't be able to own a very nice home, cars (luxury brand BMV, Audi, etc), and at least one vacation a year. These people still need to manage their money wisely, but they have five times as much money as the average american family ($50k/year), so they won't be hurting.

Depends where you live! Depends even more on how well you manage your money. In Metro NYC, that's hardly enough income to afford a rickety 40-year-old $500,000-600,000 3BR house in need of serious repair and renovation. Where the cheapest fixer-house in town runs in the half-million dollar range, you are hard pressed to find a place to live.

Also, taxes take about half of that income: Social Security, Medicare, federal & state income taxes, property taxes (e.g. Connecticut charges annual property taxes on your CAR - several thousand bucks a year if you can manage payments on a $50,000 Lexus).

Consider that in buying power, what was an ordinary middle-class salary of $25,000 a year just 30 years ago, now takes more than $250,000 to meet in 2010. The US dollar has lost over 90% of its purchasing power in 30 years. What cost $10,000 in the late 70's - early 80's often costs 10 or more times as much these days. That's particularly true of housing costs. But taxes are the biggest bite out of your time and money.

So, you should be able to afford a middle-class 3-4 BR house, two modest cars, save up your kid's education, maybe even afford health insurance! I know a family, self-employed father grosses $300,000, after biz expenses & taxes, nets $100,000, but health insurance for himself, wife, one child?

Guess Again!

$3800/month. More than their mortgage. Add $2000/month in property taxes on house & 2 cars, and they are barely scraping by. No, they do not own a Lexus, or Accord, etc. A 10-yr-old Toyota, and a Honda.

A very nice life, plus periodic abuse from the President of the United States because he thinks that you should pay more in taxes than you do.

It can get you an average lifestyle. It's all about what you want.

holiday . house cars furniture you could go to casino's and play poker,grocery's clothes