31-Year-Old Couple Making $210K Has Only $100 Left to Spend Each Week — Now They're Asking 'Is This Really What Upper Middle Class Looks Like?'

If someone making over $200,000 a year told you they only had $50 a week left to spend, you'd probably assume there was a Porsche in the driveway or a private school tuition buried in the budget. But one couple insists it's not lavish living—it's just life.

A post in r/MiddleClassFinance detailed the situation: a household income of $210,000 between a husband and wife living in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. They own a $320,000 home with a $2,000 mortgage. No debt. No splurging. Just a laser focus on saving.

They're contributing 12% of both salaries to Roth 401(k)s, putting $14,000 annually into Roth IRAs, sending $7,000 to a health savings account, allocating 10% of income to an employee stock purchase plan, dropping $420 a week on daycare, and stashing away $3,000 a year for college. After groceries and utilities, they said they're left with just around $50 each per week in spending money.

"Am I over-saving, being cheap, or is this just what upper middle class should look like?" they asked.

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Reddit didn't hesitate to answer.

"You're saving a lot lol—that's the reason why," one commenter replied bluntly.

Another was far less amused: "I always see these f**ing articles about ‘Families making $200K living paycheck to paycheck!' It's the dumbest clickbait bulls**t If you can afford to save a bunch of money toward retirement, you aren't living paycheck to paycheck—you're being smart."

Many users pointed out the difference between feeling broke and actually being broke. "Money isn't actually tight for you," one person said. "You just feel tight because your cash flow is mostly tied up in your savings rate and daycare."

"You're living like a pauper in order to save at a rate that is overkill," another added. "Sure, more is better—but at what cost?"

To be fair, the couple wasn't pretending to be broke. They emphasized they were looking for feedback—not sympathy. Still, the post drew pushback for the title alone: "Upper middle class – 200k family income but money feels tight."

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According to a Pew Research report published in September 2024, middle-income households are defined as earning two-thirds to double the U.S. median household income. That range currently falls between $56,600 and $169,800 for a family of three. Anything above that is considered upper income.

At $210,000, this couple is well above that line. And in Minnesota, the gap is even wider.

The median household income in Minnesota is $86,372, and according to a report by GoBankingRates using U.S. Census Bureau data, the upper-middle class range there starts at $134,357 and tops out at $172,744. Minnesota also ranks 38th in affordability for reaching upper-middle class status—meaning it's not exactly cheap, but it's far from the priciest.

By any national or state-level metric, this couple is not middle class. They're upper income, with savings to match.

But that doesn't mean they're swimming in luxury. Their tight budget is self-imposed—driven by discipline, not scarcity. It's a strategy with trade-offs. As Shaquille O'Neal once said, "It's not about how much money you make. It's about how much you keep."

And in this case, they're keeping plenty. It just doesn't leave much room for anything else.

Whether that's responsible or restrictive depends on your perspective—and apparently, how many Reddit tabs you've got open.

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