What is the perfect salary to be happy?

[RedViking]

It is actually really simple.

Go read through this thread.

If you are still smiling and jumping with joy when you have reached the end of it, you have reached the point of happiness.

Let's see if wee can get this thread back on track.

Age: 33
Job: Software dev +- 5 years exp.
CTC: R124k pm
Deductions: R24k pm (pension, provident, medical, life, UIF)
Net: R67k pm

Rent: R7k
Water & Elec: R1k
Insurances: R1k
Groceries: R2k
Internet: R700
Domestic; R500
Bank fees: R150 I wanna leave FNB for Capitec soon)
Misc: R4k

Everything else pretty much goes into savings pocket.. which brings me to this; how do I get started with TFSA, ETFS, Trusts etc. I need to start investing outside of standard pension but all these acronyms are overwhelming. There's almost too much info out there it's confusing.

 

[RedViking]

This guy is clearly happy....

I earn in a year what some of you Okes earn in a month I shouldn't of partied so hard in school and gotten my Matric instead

...with regret.

 

[shinji]

Mostly depends on where you want to live...

Live in a dorpie in the Free State - R17,500 take home p/m (single) will have you live like a king
Live in Pretoria (decent area) - R30,000 take home p/m (single) to get by reasonably well
Live on the North Coast with a seaview - R75,000 take home p/m (single) and live like Charlie Harper

FYI, I live off about R4k at the moment (retrenched in March, live in an area with 0% need for my skill set, trying to get a business off the ground we started in Feb 2020...).
You'll be surprised at how much money we waste on nonsense like DSTV, Netflix, Cellphones etc.
Once you have to cut costs, you'd be surprised at how little you actually HAVE to pay every month to get by.

Hopefully I'll be laughing in 2022, these last 2 years have been real k@k.

 

[Lupus]

Correct. In my area, we pay on average around R4800 a month (some months around R4400 and some R5200, depending on when actual readings are done) for electricity and municipality bill and another R1,000 for pre-paid water. We are a family of 5.

School fees for next year are R10,500 for three kids in a government high school.

We managed to cut down on groceries and meat for a whole month to around R10k. This excludes daily things like milk, bread, cigarettes for me, fruit or vegetables, etc. I spend on average another R4k a month on these expenses alone.

So, without rent, cellphone costs, internet expenses, petrol, vehicle finance, clothing, other school expenses, medical aid, we are already at around R31k.

South Africa is bats**t expensive, unless you do not mind living like a pauper.

Wait the 10k doesn't include meat and fruit and vegetables??? You need to relook at your groceries and where you shop, I do about 5k a month of groceries for 3 of us and that's quite a bit of meat and luxuries.

 

[saturnz]

happiness is an illusion

not to mention that being happy and earning a salary is also a little delusional

 

[TheChamp]

Ever see a sad person in a lambo? Exactly

 

[nazmo]

Maybe they're sad on the inside, that's why they bought one. People buy lambos to impress others, it's not the most practical car and it's expensive to maintain. Have to worry about where it's parked, the low profile is difficult on speed bumps and ditches. Also you get a lot of unwanted attention. It actually creates a lot of anxiety having a lambo.

Maybe for alot of them yes to impress others. Personally If i was at the means. I would get a Hurracan Performante, last of the great NA cars, blistering fast around bends and such a beautiful design. I wont use it to cruise past bars in camps bay, instead Ill be up at 5am doing Franshoek mountain passes. Also if you can truly afford one, then maintenance and practicality doesnt matter.

 

[nazmo]

When i started working, after graduating. I came home with under 3k after tax. Was probably the "happiest" time as I was early 20s, with the money go out, party, have fun, be with friends.

Now much later, earning much more, Im not as "happy" in terms of youthfull bliss, but more fullfilled. Happiness is now defined by security, healthy family, home ownership, RTX3080 (pre inflated prices)... But it was alot of hard work and "inadequate salaries later"

So there definately isnt a figure so to speak. Define happiness in terms of fullfillment. Often it just takes patience and hard work.

 

[HowTo]

Maybe they're sad on the inside, that's why they bought one. People buy lambos to impress others, it's not the most practical car and it's expensive to maintain. Have to worry about where it's parked, the low profile is difficult on speed bumps and ditches. Also you get a lot of unwanted attention. It actually creates a lot of anxiety having a lambo.

Keep on dreaming

 

[Lupus]

When i started working, after graduating. I came home with under 3k after tax. Was probably the "happiest" time as I was early 20s, with the money go out, party, have fun, be with friends.

Now much later, earning much more, Im not as "happy" in terms of youthfull bliss, but more fullfilled. Happiness is now defined by security, healthy family, home ownership, RTX3080 (pre inflated prices)... But it was alot of hard work and "inadequate salaries later"

So there definately isnt a figure so to speak. Define happiness in terms of fullfillment. Often it just takes patience and hard work.

Yeah when I was only earning 4500 it was one of the happiest as well, still living at home, rent was only a 4th of my salary, but that 3300 I had left over seemed to stretch.

 

[Gaz{M}]

As I've upgraded my lifestyle from sharing a flat with a friend, to living in a Golf Estate and then driving everything from a basic Fiat Uno to an Audi, I can honestly say that happiness comes more from having the funds to have experiences in life, more so than material possessions. I personally also get far more "happiness" and comfort from feeling safe and secure than from the things I own. There is also a lot of satisfaction from having spare funds available for life's ups and downs and having enough to go on nice holidays. It is also important to have funds available for your interests and hobbies. It can really suck not being able to afford a nice PC if you like gaming as an example but...

The material possessions do give you pleasure and entertainment, but not really much more happiness.

People confuse "Entertainment" and "Happiness". Money buys a lot of Entertainment, but not much happiness.

That said, I reckon about R35k a month net take home pay will meet pretty much all your desires in life and buy you comfort and security.

 

[spiff]

enough for now - but never enough!

 

[Archer]

You need to earn enough to not have worries + some R&R
In other words, enough to have a home, cover your/kids education, medical, be able to deal with unexpected repairs/replacement of various items. But still have enough left over to also get out once in a while, have a holiday, and to give to your friends + family

Now of course getting to this point doesn't magically make you happy. But you won't be worrying about it either, which greatly reduces your stress and anxiety regarding all the topics that do require money. And those are things that directly make you unhappy. So if you can eliminate those with money, well then it's not hard to see that money bought you happiness

 

[thestaggy]

I would say 15 000 for a single person and 25 000 for a couple.

I'd say 15k take home for a single person is the bare minimum considering rent on a 1 bedroom townhouse in a decent area starts at around 6k. Start throwing in car installments on entry level cars, water+electricty, insurance and fuel and you have already spent 10 - 12k before you have even bought an item of food or something to treat yourself.

18 - 20k take home is when a single person will start living worry free but they will still have to pick their housing and car smartly. They won't live a high life, but they will be able to put money away for a rainy day whilst being able to have a bit of fun with their money.

 

[maumau]

Bond of R4000? That's a house of like R500k

.... R1 500 on groceries?????? That won't even cover food let alone cleaning and personal hygiene products.

 

[gregmcc]

There is never a perfect salary. It's always not enough.

 

[notayoba]

.... R1 500 on groceries?????? That won't even cover food let alone cleaning and personal hygiene products.

I'm also amazed at some of these calculations.

1 bag of groceries is like R500. That will last maybe 2 days. R1500 a month must just be flour, oil, salt and some beans. You certainly aren't eating anything fresh or meaty for that.

 

[cr@zydude]

.... R1 500 on groceries?????? That won't even cover food let alone cleaning and personal hygiene products.

What the hell do you buy?

As a single guy I usually make do with around R1 000 on groceries: food, cleaning, personal care and everything else I buy from Pick n Pay or Checkers.

 

[YoungSandwich]

I'd say 15k take home for a single person is the bare minimum considering rent on a 1 bedroom townhouse in a decent area starts at around 6k. Start throwing in car installments on entry level cars, water+electricty, insurance and fuel and you have already spent 10 - 12k before you have even bought an item of food or something to treat yourself.

18 - 20k take home is when a single person will start living worry free but they will still have to pick their housing and car smartly. They won't live a high life, but they will be able to put money away for a rainy day whilst being able to have a bit of fun with their money.

So my basic is around R15k. My salary fluctuates quite rapidly due to overtime, which is paid extremely well at my company. 9 months out of 12 I usually walk away with between R19k to R21k. But on the months I only walk away with my basic of R15k I can live pretty comfortably honestly. My rent is about R5200, power is about R300 a month, the internet is about R300 for a 1gb line fibre (shared with my landlord) food (I usually only cook for myself at night) may be about R1500 a month. Car payment with insurance and tracker + AA about R3600. Minus R2300 for medical aid, and thank God I drive a Polo Vivo because that vehicle gets me through the month on R500 no joke. Leave me with about R1300 just for myself with all my basic needs to survive and keep my standard of living fine. One can have a quality of life on R15k, and can have some fun. But I don't think it is a sustainable strategy. But if you are smart with your cash, your debt etc etc, you can get the ball rolling to start moving up.

 

[backstreetboy]

Ever see a sad person in a lambo? Exactly

Yes...

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=278304523768632