100-Person Poll

Compare Spending and Saving Habits
TEACHERSSUITSSERVICE WORKERS (↓)

What money-related nightmares and daydreams float through the collective New York consciousness? To find out, we asked 100 suit-clad midtown pedestrians, 100 uniformed Manhattan Mall employees, and 100 schoolteachers all over the city about their spending and saving habits. Among other things, we learned that income disparity worries those at the top almost as much as those on the lower rungs, and that almost everyone likes a classy pair of shoes.

Photo: Eric McNatt

SERVICE WORKERS

Gender
Male 52
Female 48

Age
18–29 … 63
30–39 … 19
40–49 … 13
50–59 … 5

Are you married?
No … 70
Yes … 21
Living with partner … 9

How many kids do you have?
None … 56
1 … 20
2 … 13
3 … 5
4 or more … 6

What’s your approximate salary?
Less than $35k … 61
$35k–$50k … 18
$50k–$75k … 13
$75k–$100k … 5
$100k–$150k … 3

Are you underpaid or overpaid?
Underpaid … 69
Overpaid … 0
Paid the right amount … 25

What salary would someone need to live comfortably in New York?
$100,000 … 22
$300,000 … 16
$500,000 … 14
$750,000 … 7
$1 million … 9
$10 million … 5
It’s never enough … 25

Do you worry that New York is becoming a city only for the wealthy?
Yes … 79
No … 19

Where do you live?
Brooklyn … 33
Upper East Side … 5
Queens … 17
New Jersey … 4
Bronx … 15
Long Island … 2
Downtown … 7
Midtown … 2
Harlem … 6
Upper West Side … 6
Other … 3

Do you rent or own?
Rent … 83
Own … 14

How much do you spend each month on housing?
Under $1,500 … 67
$1,500–$3,000 … 25
$3,000–$5000 … 5
$5,000–$10,000 … 1

What’s your biggest money worry?
Housing … 24
Kids/family … 10
Tuition/college loans … 9
Retirement … 6
Health care … 5
Job security … 4
“Food,” “social life,” “my daughter,” “not being able to give my family what they need”

How much credit-card debt do you carry?
Pay it off every month … 40
Less than $5,000 … 32
$5,000–$10,000 … 8
$10,000–$15,000 … 5
More than $15,000 … 9

How much do you save for retirement?
At least 10 percent of my monthly income … 31
I put a little away when I can … 20
I’ll start saving when I make more money … 27
None. I’ll work until I die … 18

How often do you eat out each week?
Never … 6
Once … 23
Twice … 19
Three times … 26
Almost nightly … 26

What’s the most you’d spend on dinner for two?
$0–$24 … 5
$25–$74 … 19
$75–$149 … 29
$150–$249 … 19
$250–$499 … 5

The most you’d spend on a pair of shoes?
$0–$24 … 3
$25–$74 … 13
$75–$149 … 33
$150–$249 … 24
$250–$499 … 5
$500+ … 4

Do you ever think twice about taking a taxi because the subway is less expensive?
Yes … 59
No … 40

Which of the following do you consider necessities?
Cable TV … 53
Car … 45
Designer clothes … 23
Gym membership … 16
Private school for kids … 15
Eating out at least four days a week … 14
Maid/nanny … 5
Doorman … 3
“Having a girlfriend or mistress with money,” “a place to go away on weekends,” “phone,” “going clubbing,” “dog walker,” “dry cleaning”

What item have you splurged on in the last year?
Tattoo … $150
iPod … $250
Shoes … “$320 give or take—shhhh!”
Gucci boots … $450
Sneakers … $500
Coach bag … $580
Coat … $600
Gold chain and bracelet … $1,200
Car accident … $1,500
D&G fur vest … $1,700
Engagement ring … $2,100
Louis Vuitton bag … $3,000
Laptop … $3,200
Flat-screen HDTV … $3,500
Vacation … $4,000
Schooling … $5,000
Motorcycle … $28,000
Condo … $187,000

Compare Spending and Saving Habits
TEACHERS (↓)SUITSSERVICE WORKERS

Photo: Eric McNatt

TEACHERS

Gender
Male … 29
Female … 71

Age
20–29 … 43
30–39 … 29
40–49 … 11
50–59 … 15
60 and over … 2

Are you married?
No … 52
Yes … 38
Living with partner … 10

How many kids do you have?
None … 69
1 … 11
2 … 16
3 … 1
4 or more … 3

What’s your approximate salary?
Less than $35k … 9
$35k–$50k … 42
$50k–$75k … 29
$75k–$100k … 16
$100k–$150k … 1
$150k–$250k … 3

Are you underpaid or overpaid?
Underpaid … 77
Overpaid … 0
Paid the right amount … 23

How much would someone need to live comfortably in New York?
$100,000 … 41
$300,000 … 36
$500,000 … 8
$750,000 … 2
$1 million … 4
$10 million … 1
It’s never enough … 4

Do you worry that New York is becoming a city only for the wealthy?
Yes … 88
No … 11

Where do you live?
Brooklyn … 50
Inwood … 2
Downtown … 16
Harlem … 2
Queens … 7
New Jersey … 1
Upper East Side … 6
Long Island … 1
Upper West Side … 5
Staten Island … 1
Bronx … 3
Westchester … 3
Other … 3

Do you rent or own?
Rent… 67
Own … 31

How much do you spend each month on housing?
Under $1,500… 62
$1,500–$3,000 … 34
$3,000–$5,000 … 3
$5,000–$10,000 … 1

What’s your biggest money worry?
Retirement … 29
Housing … 17
Tuition/college loans … 16
Kids/family … 8
Health 3
“That I’m 45 and don’t own a house or car,” “my variable interest-rate mortgage,” “buying a house big enough to raise a family”

How much credit-card debt do you carry?
Pay it off every month … 56
Less than $5,000 … 26
$5,000–$10,000 … 10
$10,000–$15,000 … 2
More than $15,000… 5

How much do you save for retirement?
At least 10 percent of my monthly income … 44
I put a little away when I can … 34
I’ll start saving when I make more money … 15
None. I’ll work until I die … 7

How often do you eat out each week?
Never… 8
Once… 45
Twice … 27
Three times … 14
Almost nightly … 6

What’s the most you’d spend on dinner for two?
$0–$24… 2
$25–$74 … 21
$75–$149 … 40
$150–$249… 23
$250–$499… 4

The most you’d spend on a pair of shoes?
$25–$74 … 15
$75–$149 … 49
$150–$249… 22
$250–$499 … 2
$500+ … 1

Do you ever think twice about taking a taxi because the subway is less expensive?
Yes… 89
No … 11

Which of the following do you consider necessities?
Cable TV … 44
Gym membership… 42
Car … 28
Vacation … 13
Private school for kids … 12
Place to go away on weekends… 11
Eating out at least four days a week… 8
Designer clothes… 6
Maid/nanny … 5
“A doorman,” “good, non-designer shoes,” “dance and music lessons for kids,” “non-Starbucks coffee,” “life insurance,” “NBA League Pass,” “nice makeup,” “comic books,” “live-in hedge-fund boyfriend,” “air-conditioning,” “Seasons 1 through 4 of 24,” “weekly manicures”

What item have you splurged on in the last year?
Season 3 of Arrested Development$23
Marijuana … $50
Haircut … $120
Bass guitar … $200
“Night in a New York hotel” … $400
Vacuum … $500
Bonnaroo weekend … $600
“An Aeron desk chair because I herniated a disk” … $675
Surfboard … $750
Big-screen TV… $1,400
Tempur-Pedic mattress … $1,500
Cello bow … $3,000
Apartment renovations … $60,000
New house … $450,000

Compare Spending and Saving Habits
SERVICE WORKERSTEACHERSSUITS (↓)

Photo: Eric McNatt

SUITS

Gender
Male … 76
Female … 24

Age
20–29 … 33
30–39 … 39
40–49 … 18
50–59 … 5
60 and over … 5

Are you married?
No … 50
Yes … 47
Living with partner … 3

How many kids do you have?
None … 56
1 … 17
2 … 17
3 … 8
4 or more … 2

What’s your approximate salary?
Less than $35k … 4
$35k–$50k … 6
$50k–$75k … 15
$75k–$100k … 16
$100k–$150k … 16
$150k–$250k … 27
$250k–$500k … 9
$500k–$1m … 2
$1m–$5m … 3
More than $5m … 1

Are you underpaid or overpaid?
Underpaid … 50
Overpaid … 8
Paid the right amount … 42

How much would someone need to live comfortably in New York?
$100,000 … 18
$300,000 … 43
$500,000 … 16
$750,000 … 4
$1 million … 9
$10 million … 2
It’s never enough … 6

Do you worry that New York is becoming a city only for the wealthy?
Yes … 61
No … 35

Where do you live?
Queens … 14
New Jersey … 9
Downtown … 13
Connecticut … 6
Upper West Side … 12
Westchester … 5
Upper East Side … 10
Bronx … 1
Midtown … 10
Long Island … 1
Brooklyn … 10

Do you rent or own?
Rent … 52
Own … 43

How much do you spend on housing per month?
Under $1,500 … 28
$1,500–$3,000 … 45
$3,000–$5000 … 18
$5,000–$10,000 … 8
Over $10,000 … 1

What’s your biggest money worry?
Retirement … 18
Housing … 15
Tuition/college loans … 6
Kids/family … 8
“Job elimination,” “retirement care for aging parent,” “not getting more,” “the IRS,” “paying for the shore house,” “not being able to buy a house for my kids”

How much credit-card debt do you carry?
Pay it off every month … 51
Less than $5,000 … 31
$5,000–$10,000 … 12
$10,000–$15,000 … 1
More than $15,000 … 4

How much do you save for retirement?
At least 10 percent of my monthly income … 60
I put a little away when I can … 27
I’ll start saving when I make more money … 6
None. I’ll work until I die … 4

How often do you eat out each week?
Never … 3
Once … 20
Twice … 29
Three times … 30
Almost nightly … 17

What’s the most you’d spend on dinner for two?
$25–$74 … 5
$75–$149 … 8
$150–$249 … 25
$250–$499 … 29
$500+ … 12

The most you’d spend on a pair of shoes?
$25–$74 … 3
$75–$149 … 21
$150–$249 … 30
$250–$499 … 18
$500+ … 10

Do you ever think twice about taking a taxi because the subway is less expensive?
Yes … 47
No … 51

Which of the following do you consider necessities?
Cable TV … 72
Car … 56
Gym membership … 40
Place to go away on weekends … 26
Eating out at least four days a week … 24
Private school for kids … 22
Maid/nanny … 20
Designer clothes … 19
Doorman … 15
“Making more money than I can spend,” “glamour care,” “Sunday nights at Pastis,” “good food and wine,” “online poker”

What item have you splurged on in the last year?
iPod … $250
Painting … $400
Purse … $500
Plasma TV … $2,000
Mountain bike … $3,000
Artwork … $4,000
Trip to India … $5,000
Engagement ring … $9,000
Guitar … $12,000
Used Mercedes… $14,000
New car… $70,000
Divorce attorney… $100,000
Shore house … $500,000

Polls conducted by Wren Abbot, Amos Barshad, Ariel Brewster, Ilana Diamond, Jocelyn Guest, Ben Mathis-Lilley, Julia Ramey, Emma Rosenblum, Nitasha Tikul, and Wesley Wade.

100-Person Poll