<prompt> Human: 100K a year used to be the benchmark for financial success, back in the 1980s and early 90s. Whats the new 100,000 a year? My opinion: A salary level that alows you to save enough for retirement, while affording an upper middle class house, in a major metropolitin area suburb, while driving a BMW 3 series and taking a two week vacation to the caymen islands every year. - house: 400,000, 2500 a month paymenmt - BMW: 35,000, 750 a month payment for 5 years - Two week tropical vacation: 3,600 a year, or 300 a month - Car and Health insurnace: 400 a month mid thirties healthy - Utilities nice cable package, iphone, heatetc: 400 - FoodLeisure Shopping at higher end groceriesone decent -restaurant a week, one really nice restaurant a month: 1000 - Saving 15 of 100K pre tax for retirement total: 25007503004004001000 5,350 a month, plus saving 1,250 a month for retirement 6600, rounding to 7,000 to account for stuff I missed emergenciesetcwhich gives, 84K a year pre tax. assuming a 35 total tax 130,000 a year. my gut was around 150-175K a year as the new benchmark..but thought it would be fun to break it down financialyl to see what it might look like. turned out less than I had thought.  <response>: This is assuming you are single or double incomeno kids since you are missing the huge money sinks like daycarecollege savings. Also, what if your wifehusband wants a BMW too?Financial success will vary a lot from people to people in terms of what all these categories are worth to them. 