Ask HN: What is your ideal income?

I currently earn around GBP460 per month (Yeah... no typo... 460)

This is my first job as a programmer, so I'm coming in from the "I'll work for nearly nothing if you discard the lack of a degree for long enough to see how good I really am" perspective, though I have it written in to my contract that I get a wage increase of GBP0.60 for every 2 months I'm employed there for the first year, then if they still want me, they hire me for the same they pay their other employees who hold degrees.

460 is really low, I am broke all the time, I refuse to take government hand outs on principle (I am a very proud person) and my girlfriend doesn't work.

I came from a poor family, I wasn't expected to even attend high school, let alone graduate from it. The way I look at it this this, in a few years time, I could be very well off, or I could not be. There is really no middle ground for me, I will fight tooth and nail to succeed in this industry.

Add to this the news that my girlfriend is pregnant (I literally just found this out about 2 hours ago, clearblue pregnancy test which cost about 1/20th of my monthly wage decided to drop that bomb on me!) and you can see that my situation is pretty dire.

I would love to move on to another job some time soon, hopefully higher paying or in a nicer area, but this is unlikely to happen until I have some serious experience behind me.

All in all, I want around GBP800 per month, to be comfortable, but a realistic amount to start next year is probably more like GBP600.

Truth be told though, I'm still in shock (I'm only 19, wasn't really expecting this) and really worried about my financial future.

I live in Lancashire, England and I support myself and my girlfriend. Also, to digress slightly, I like the name Oliver John. Oliver John Armstrong - that's worth every penny I'll ever own.

Edit: Rewrote that god awful post.

I live in Romania (Satu Mare county), currently earning around $1000 - $1100 per month from my 9 - 5 job, and I'm also working from time to time as a freelancer earning between $300 - $600 per month (I do this only in my free time, which is less and less, approx. 20 hours per week).

Taxes per mont are between $170 - $200, so all in all we make $1430 - $1800 per month.

I'm married, and I have a 4 year old daughter.We have a car (gas it's pretty expensive around here and our debt is around $9000), my wife makes around $300 per month.

Here are my responses:

1. $2500 2. $4000 3. $6000

Min = £10k ($16k) take home. Equiv to £11k ($17.5k) salary

Ideal = £25k ($40k) take home. Equiv to £36k ($57.5k)salary

Realistic = I'd be very happily surprised if I could reach my ideal in 2013, it doesn't sound too unreasonable, does it?

If I could find a role supporting awesome products & customers with the chance to improve my development skills too that would be my perfect outcome for 2013, way more impactful than hitting a particular salary target.

I'm near-broke and unemployed.

I can live on <$10k/yr (maybe as low as $6k)

I imagine myself with $10k being comfortable.

If I get a job (working on it), I'd expect $40k for 2013, would not be too suprised at $60 for some crazy tar-sands job. (I'm a mechanical engineer, and/or programmer).

Supporting myself in Vancouver, BC.

I want more. There is no enough. All money over $10k will go to charity. At least that's the ambition.

São Paulo, Brazil. I'm a full stack dev(ruby/node.js).

1. $30k/y 2. $20k/y 3. $50k/y

Salary rates here sucks balls, my dream is to get clients and then freelance(I'm awesome technically, but got no contacts or whatsoever) and make what an US developer would(60-70k).

Absolute base would be about $70k to pay for living expenses for myself and my family. To be comfortable, I'd like to make about $90k. A realistic, "reach" amount would be $140k based on freelancing 20 hours a week at $60 an hour as well as my day job.

Myself, fiancee and 1 year old son live on about £20k a year at the moment, we do fine and are saving for our wedding in July. I reckon we'll need about £30k annually to not have to worry about money - until we have more babies!

Trying tO get to 3000 PLN a month, I'm American but used to live in Poland and would really like to move back. Passive wise I'm maybe a quarter of the way there

Living in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and still with my parents (I am 21), I would be more than glad with 1.500 USD per month.

Mumbai, India. Married with a 17 month old daughter. Home owner.

1. > $3000/mo 2. > $4000/mo 3. $4000/mo

Toulouse, France. Single 1. $2k/month 2. $4k/month 3. $5k/month