Msnbc.com’s Allison Linn joined us for a live web chat Wednesday to discuss her recent “We Are the Median” series of stories about families living on around $50,000 a year.

Here’s one of her answers to questions from the live chat. (See below for the full Q&A.)

Marlet Jones asked:

“Do you believe that $50,000 a year is a sufficient wage for Americans everywhere in America?”

Allison replied:

“Hi Marlet - great question! One thing we learned from this series is that a living wage definitely varies depending on where you live. For example, we profiled one woman in the series who couldn't afford her rent on around $50k in New York, while a family of six in Utah was doing just fine.”

If you have a question for our TODAY Money experts, submit it here. 

To sign up for an e-mail reminder for our next chat, click here.

Companies that focus on results rather than face time in the office may end up with healthier employees, a new study shows.

When management is more flexible about how and when a job gets done, workers get more sleep and exercise, have the time to make doctors’ appointments and are less likely to come to work sick, according to the study, which was published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior.

By putting the focus on the end product — whether that is a report or customer satisfaction — the company allows people to make their own schedules, explained the study’s lead author Phyllis Moen, a professor of sociology and McKnight Presidential Endowed Chair at the University of Minnesota. That lowers stress and allows people to better take care of their health, she added.

Moen and her colleagues stumbled on a unique opportunity when they learned that electronics retailer Best Buy was about to switch to a new work structure at its corporate headquarters. And because the company was going to make the switch one department at a time, the researchers would be able to compare workers from the same company — some working under the old structure and some under the new. It was, Moen said, a “natural experiment.”

The new structure was something called ROWE, or Results Only Work Environment.

To see what impact ROWE would have on employee health, Moen and her colleagues asked employees from a department that was about to switch over to ROWE to fill out a series of questionnaires that looked at everything from hours of sleep to whether employees went to the doctor when sick.

The researchers also asked another group of employees — from a department that wasn’t yet slated to change — to fill out the same questionnaires.

Six months later, Moen and her colleagues came back and questioned both groups again. 

They found that employees from the department that had switched to ROWE were getting an hour more sleep each night compared to six months earlier. These workers were also finding more time to exercise and go to the doctor when they were sick. They were also far less likely to show up at work when they came down with a cold or flu.

The group from the department that had maintained status quo showed no such changes in health behaviors.

“Before ROWE, people said they would drag themselves to work no matter what their temperature was,” Moen said. “And they wouldn’t see the doctor. That’s because in [a standard work environment] it’s so important that we be seen as working hard that we don’t even have time to get to the doctor. And that has become a badge of honor.”

So, is this the wave of the future?

Moen thinks it is.

“To be competitive in the global economy employees are going to have to work smarter — and often do the jobs of two or three people,” she explained. “We have to give them greater control over their time so they can get everything done — so they can keep all the balls in the air without dropping them.”

Brandon Thibodeaux for msnbc.com

Samuel and Megan Moss stand in their kitchen with their 10-month-old daughter, Mary Margaret, at their apartment in Plano, Texas.

With careful budgeting, Sam and Megan Moss are able to get by on their combined salaries of about $50,000 a year.

But the couple is weighed down by around $110,000 in student loan debt that Sam, now 28, accrued while they were students at University of Mississippi.

Megan, 25, says they don’t want their 10-month-old daughter, Mary Margaret, to be burdened by such high debt when she goes to college. That’s one reason the Plano, Texas, couple is unsure whether they will have more children.

“I would love for her to have siblings … but I don’t see us being able to afford it,” Megan said.

Megan works full-time in sales for a hotel company, while Sam is in the mortgage industry.

What's it like to live on around $50,000 a year?

It is a challenge. It definitely takes planning and budgeting to make everything work.

How has the weak economy affected your finances?

We have been affected simply through the rising cost of living. Everything is more expensive, from gas to groceries to utilities.

Do you worry about money?

I'm not worried about the everyday, for example not being able to put food on the table or buy diapers or gas, but I worry about emergencies.  I worry that our cars, which are both older models, might give out on us and we don't have the extra cash flow to fix (them). I worry about something happening to one of us that makes us unable to work, or in some way negatively affects our job situation.

What are your biggest expenses?

Our biggest expenses are rent, student loan payments and daycare. We pay about $550 a month on Sam’s student loan payments. Our daycare bill every month is close to $800; it is a mortgage payment for some people.

We could probably find a cheaper apartment to live in, but it is worth it to us to pay a little bit more and not have to worry about the neighborhood we live in, or commute too far to work. We both drive less than three miles to work every day.

What do you splurge on?

We splurge on our cable, because it is our entertainment. And occasionally we will go to a movie or out with friends if my parents are available and willing to watch the baby for us. We also splurge on stuff for the baby.

Brandon Thibodeaux for msnbc.com

The Moss family

What kind of debt do you have, and do you find it hard to pay off your loans or other debts?

Sam has student loan debt, quite a bit of it. It averages out to about a $500+ monthly payment.

 I am lucky enough to have a grandfather who is generous enough to pay for my education (as well as my three brothers and my cousins). It was (and still is) the best gift I have ever been given, other than my daughter. I don't know if I will ever be able to fully thank him or show him enough gratitude for what he has done for me.

We also have (around $2500 of) credit card debt that we got into while I was on maternity leave for three months. We pay minimum monthly payments for those every month, and plan to use our tax refund to pay those down completely.

Are you able to save money for the future?

Right now, unfortunately, we are not able to. We have plans though to put the money that has been going to credit card payments into a savings account when we pay those off. 

What are you most proud of in terms of your financial situation?

We own both of our cars. We have steady jobs, with growth potential in the near future.

 Are there any financial mistakes you think you've made?

 I’d say our biggest mistake is not saving the money we had to spare before the baby was born. We didn’t plan as well as we would have liked, financially, before her birth. Hindsight is always 20/20, though.

Over the next few years, do you expect things to get better or worse for you financially?

I hope things will get better for us. We both have the potential for growth in our careers, and we are lucky enough to work in companies that offer those opportunities.

Right now, I would say we are on the right path for success. However, Sam’s loans are on an adjustable rate, and when rates go back up it could really make things more difficult.

More on this series:

Click here to see previous stories in our "We are the median" series. We’re also sharing our thoughts — and yours — on Twitter (hashtag #median), Facebook and Google Plus. We invite you to comment on our posts — but keep it civil and on topic, please!

How much would you have to make to consider yourself rich?

For many Americans, $150,000 is the magic number.

A new Gallup poll finds that the median annual income Americans would want to earn to consider themselves rich is $150,000.

That’s about three times the actual median household income of the United States, which is currently around $50,000 a year. (Life Inc. has been chronicling what it’s like to live on the midpoint of the nation's household income spectrum in a series called We are the median.)

The amount you actually make plays a big role in how much you’d want to make to consider yourself rich.

The Gallup pollsters found that households making less than $50,000 a year would want to earn $100,000 to consider themselves rich.

For households bringing in more than $50,000 a year, the median income needed to feel rich was $200,000 a year.

When it comes to net worth, Americans want to be millionaires.

Gallup found that the median amount of savings, real estate holdings and other investments Americans would want to have in the bank in order to feel rich was $1 million.

The Gallup survey of about 1,000 people was conducted a couple weeks ago.

Related:

When it comes to income, what percent are you?

Nathan Weber for msnbc.com

Mark Dominas, 46 and his mother Connie, 77, live together in a house they purchased about four years ago as part of an investment and a way to conserve money.

Mark Dominas, 46, and his mom, Constance, 77, share a home in Zion, Ill. Mark’s business as a real estate photographer has dropped off sharply in recent years, leaving him more dependent on his part-time job as an overnight operations supervisor for UPS. Between his earnings and Constance’s Social Security payments, the two bring in about $50,000 a year.

TODAY.com’s Life Inc. blog interviewed Mark Dominas as part of a series of stories on what it’s like to live on around $50,000 a year, the nation’s median household income.

What’s it like to live on around $50,000 a year?
It takes a lot of planning. Fortunately for me, my mother has had many years of experience planning a family budget. Married for over 50 years and raising three children on a blue-collar budget, she is keenly aware of what it takes to “get by.”

How has the weak economy affected your finances?
As for my business (photographing virtual tours for the real estate market) I’ve seen my orders drop from nearly 400 in 2008 to what will be almost 100 by the end of 2011. Fortunately, my part-time job at UPS has given me modest increases over that same period, but increases in health care premiums and a couple of hospital stays have all but abolished those gains in income.

As for my mother, she has not seen any increase in Social Security for a while so she continues to adjust accordingly as day-to-day expenses like groceries and gas continue to rise.

Do you worry about money?
Every day. My business doesn’t provide a consistent source of income so it’s hard to budget when I don’t know how many orders I will get from week to week.

Nathan Weber for msnbc.com

Mark Dominas, 46, prepares to make pictures of a house for a real estate listing.

What are your biggest expenses?
Our house.

What do you splurge on?
Home improvements. We always keep in mind the possibility that we may have to sell our house so we try to keep it in “marketable” condition.

Is there anything you wish you could afford but can’t?
I could use a new computer and my car is getting pretty old.

Is it difficult to pay your bills every month?
We sometimes have to pay the “roof over our head” bills like the mortgage and utilities before bills like cable or credit cards.

What kind of debt do you have, and do you find it hard to pay off your loans or other debts?
All the usual debts. I have some medical debt, which was unexpected and hard to budget for.

Are you able to save money for the future?
No, unless “the future” means within the next week or two.

What are you most proud of in terms of your financial situation?
I’m proud of my mother. She is far better at keeping us above water.

Are there any financial mistakes you think you’ve made?
Starting my business 10 years ago really trashed my credit. Even though I started to make significant improvements five years ago, the economy started to tank and now I’m falling back in to that same hole.

Over the next few years, do you expect things to get better or worse for you financially?
(It) really depends on the economy and the marketplace for my business. My part-time job at UPS will probably never become a full-time opportunity since I don’t have a college degree and I can’t afford one at this point. I’m 46 and going to school part-time would put me at retirement age by the time I received a degree. And who hires 55-year-old recent grads?

More on this series:

Click here to see previous stories in our "We are the median" series. We’re also sharing our thoughts — and yours — on Twitter (hashtag #median), Facebook and Google Plus. We invite you to comment on our posts — but keep it civil and on topic, please!

If you knew your company was doing something wrong, would you be a whistleblower?

A new survey conducted on behalf of the law firm Labaton Sucharow finds that most people would be willing to report their companies’ bad behavior — if they could do it anonymously and without fear of retribution, and get a financial reward.

In August, the Securities and Exchange Commission launched a new whistleblower program that offers financial rewards to people who provide information about securities law violations that leads to enforcement actions.

The whistleblowers are eligible to receive between 10 and 30 percent of the money collected.

The program also allows people to submit tips anonymously, through a lawyer, and prohibits retaliation against employees who tattle on their employers.

The Labaton Sucharow survey found that nearly 8 in 10 people said they would blow the whistle with those safeguards, and that potential for a payout.

However, it also found that about seven in 10 people don’t know about the SEC program.

Apparently, this isn't a theoretical question for everyone. About one-third of those surveyed said they do know of misconduct at their company.

 The whistleblower program was launched as part of the Dodd-Frank financial reform act, passed in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.

Your abusive boss’s blow-ups may be doing more than just making you miserable. They may also be ruining your marriage, a new study shows.

We all like to think we can leave the tantrums and rude comments of bad supervisors behind when we close the office door and head home. But researchers now say that the fallout from all that nastiness can insidiously chip away at our marriages and harm our home life.

“It spills over and affects our families,” said the study’s lead author Dawn Carlson, a professor of management and the H.R. Gibson Chair of Organizational Development at the Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University. “It translates into tensions with your spouse. And that leads to poor family functioning.”

To get a handle on how bad bosses affect families Carlson and her colleagues surveyed 280 full-time employees and their spouses.

Participants were asked how often their supervisors behaved in ways such as “Tells me my thoughts or feelings are stupid,” "Expresses anger at me when he/she is mad for another reason,” “Puts me down in front of others,” and “Tells me I’m incompetent.” 

The researchers then asked participants to rate a series of statements from one to five according to how applicable they were. Included in the questionnaire were statements such as, “When I get home I am often too frazzled to participate in family activities/responsibilities.”

The researchers decided to dig a little deeper by questioning spouses about their marital relationships and the inner workings of the family.

Spouses were asked, for example, how often during the past month they felt “irritated or resentful about things your (husband/wife/partner) did or didn’t do” or felt “tense from fighting arguing or disagreeing with your (husband/wife/partner)."

They were also asked to rate on a scale of one to five how well statements such as the following fit their family: “Our family can express feelings to each other,” “Our family is able to make decisions about how to solve problems” and "Our family confides in each other.”

While the employees with bad bosses didn’t report problems with their families, their spouses often did. Bad bosses led to more blow-ups between husbands and wives and to families that didn’t communicate well and weren’t close.

What’s happening, Carlson said, is that employees think they’re leaving their problems behind in the office, but they’re really just playing them out at home.

“They come home grouchy, tense and irritable and that makes them more likely to start an argument,” she explained. “And when Mom and Dad are fighting that makes for more tension in the family.”

What workers have to understand is that a bad job situation isn’t just hurting them, it’s harming their families, too.

There’s a tendency for people to think they can tough it out for the sake of the family, Carlson said. But this study, she said, “shows the importance of trying to remove yourself from a situation like this because it’s not just hurting you, it’s hurting your wife and your kids.”

With the bad economy that can be a tough message for people to hear, Carlson said. “I’m not saying this from an ivory tower,” she added. “I know it’s not easy. But it’s imperative that you try to get assistance, whether it’s from inside the organization or without.”

Linda Carroll is a regular contributor to msnbc.com and TODAY.com. She is co-author of the new book "The Concussion Crisis: Anatomy of a Silent Epidemic.”

John Brecher / msnbc.com

Brian and Katie Delano are doing well on the median annual household income of about $50,000.

Katie Delano has seen what it’s like to struggle financially. She’s determined to avoid that.

Delano, now 21, was a teenager when her father was out of work for nine months. Her mother’s salary as a teacher was only enough to cover the family of five’s health care costs. They ended up with credit card debt and other financial woes.

“Those nine months put, like, a fear in me,” she said.

Katie’s husband, Brian, 23, also saw his family's finances squeezed when he was a teenager and his parents took care of two of his cousins (and their own four children) for a couple of years because of a family emergency.

TODAY.com’s Life Inc. blog interviewed the Delanos as part of a series of stories on what it’s like to live on around $50,000 a year, the nation’s median household income.

The Delanos, who live in Tacoma, Wash., both consider themselves lucky to have stable, full-time jobs. She works as a barista for Nordstorm and he works for Home Depot.

Katie is going to school full-time and Brian is working another 17 hours a week as a tutor in preparation for a career in teaching. The plan is for Brian to start school again once Katie graduates next year with a degree in law and justice.

John Brecher / msnbc.com

Brian and Katie Delano play with their dogs at their home in Tacoma, Wash.

They are paying Katie’s $10,000-a-year tuition payments as they go and don’t plan to take on any student loan debt. Their only debt is for their vehicles, and they rent a house.

Together since high school, they got married in 2010. They have two dogs and say their budget would be a lot tighter if they had kids.

The couple uses a financial planning program her father created to set a budget and plan ahead for things like holidays and birthdays. They try to buy only what they need and use coupons whenever possible.

They have a three-month emergency fund in case one of them loses a job and a general long-term financial plan.

Katie says she finds it comforting to have a budget.

“It sounds like we don’t have any fun, but we have budgeted fun,” she said. “It’s nice not to worry.”

More on this series:

Click here to see previous stories in our "We are the median" series. We’re also sharing our thoughts — and yours — on Twitter (hashtag #median), Facebook and Google Plus. We invite you to comment on our posts — but keep it civil and on topic, please!

John Makely / msnbc.com

Ann Valencia looks on as movers unload a truck full of her belongings and load them into a storage unit she rented. Valencia has had to downsize and move in with a friend

This week, Life Inc. hit the road to profile people around the country who are living on around $50,000 a year, the nation’s median household income.

Wow, did you have a lot to say about it.

The first week of the series garnered tens of thousands of comments, hundreds of e-mails and numerous mentions on Facebook, Twitter and other social media.

More than 76,000 of you responded to our poll on whether you could live on around $50,000 a year.

Since that is the midpoint of household incomes in this country, it wasn’t surprising that you were about equally split on whether it would work or not.

 “Was making more than twice that a few years ago. Amazing how you can live on less after you lose a good job. We're making out OK,” one reader wrote.

But others said they couldn’t imagine making all their bills on that salary.

“I don't even think $100k is enough for a family of 4 to have health care, food, gas, college tuition. ... no way,” another reader wrote.

Many readers told us that they get by but occasionally struggle with expenses like gas, rent and health care costs. The rising cost of food, a major expense for one family we profiled this week, is squeezing many people's budgets.

"I grocery shop once a week and every time I go I see another regular part of my bill go up; eggs, meat, butter, milk," one reader wrote.

Our story about a military family with a long-term financial plan prompted a lot of discussion about how feasible it is to plan ahead financially. About half of you said that these days, you are just trying to get by day to day.

“I used to be such a planner, until every plan I made was thwarted by the Great Recession. It is hard to plan with no stability or hope!” one reader lamented.

Clearly, one’s ability to live on around $50,000 a year depends a lot on where you live and who you are supporting. This week, we wrote about a family of six in Utah who are getting by just fine, while a widow in pricier New York found that the nation’s median income isn’t enough to afford housing expenses.

Still, many said it’s not as simple as moving to a cheaper area to cut costs.

“Sure location is important. However, a cheaper cost of living also means lower wages. So, it is not usually an even trade-off,” one reader wrote.

Thanks to everyone who read this week’s stories, wrote to us, took our votes and shared our stories on social media.

Stay tuned next week as we wrap up our series next week with a few more profiles and a video piece on people living on $50,000 a year, in their own words.

With the rise in the tendency for local businesses to offer extreme discounts through Web sites like Groupon and LivingSocial, coupon-clipping has gone mainstream. 

Still, one might assume that the good old-fashioned coupons that are cut out from the newspaper or offered at the entrance of the grocery store are primarily used by shoppers on the lower end of the socioeconomic spectrum, who the need discounts the most. But that’s not the case, according to a new study conducted at the University of Arizona’s Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences.

A team led by professor and department chair Anita Bhappu studied coupon use among people who were responsible for doing the household grocery shopping, and found that 26 percent of the shoppers made up a category of shopper they dubbed as the “coupon diva.” (Bhappu’s group used a third-party market research firm to administer the survey, which was taken by over 250 people nationwide and represented the U.S. population in terms of gender and race distribution).

These shoppers, who would use six or more coupons on each shopping trip over the three-month period of the study, were high earners, with 24 percent of them reporting at least $75,000 in household income; 78 percent of the coupon divas were white; and 51 percent of them were women.

"They don’t use coupons because of financial constraints, but because they perceive coupons as saving them money," said Bhappu in a statement. “Part of it is the value perception. It's not just about money – it's about time and money."

On the other hand, 71 percent of the people surveyed were “non-users” in that they rarely or never used coupons when they went shopping. Of the non-users, 61 percent had incomes of $35,000 or less, and 26 percent were African-American and Asian-American. That’s compared with 16 percent of the coupon divas who were African-American or Asian-American, and 68 percent of the non-users who were white.

One other standout characteristic that differed among the so-called coupon divas and the non-users was whether or not they had children—64 percent of coupon divas had children at home, while 81 percent of the non-users did not have any kids. So one plausible explanation about coupon use could have to do with the number of mouths to feed in a given household. “Their grocery bill is just larger than the non-users,” surmised Bhappu. “That may be one of the reasons they’re looking to save money on their grocery bill.”

Bhappu's team had previously conducted studies about how and why Arizona shoppers use digital coupons and found that use by so-called "early adopters," who also happen to be affluent, was rising.

And while paper coupons are still used more often than digital coupons, the noteable takeaway from the previous study, Bhappu said, is that there was no perceived stigma or embarrassment at all among the frequent coupon users. In fact, “they give coupons to other people in line who don’t have them,” said Bhappu. “They chastise people who don’t use them, saying, ‘You’re wasting your money.’”

So now, perhaps, coupons are so mainstream that even affluent shoppers feel comfortable cashing in on discounts without feeling like people are looking at them funny.

Indeed, the popularity of sites like Groupon and Living Social have put coupons in the spotlight and made their use commonplace, particularly by affluent females. And so has the advent of TLC’s “Extreme Couponing,” the madcap TV show in which discount-obsessed shoppers load up on cartfuls of more goods than any one family could possible handle, all for mere pocket change and aided by a fanatical use of coupons.

But Bhappu also pointed out that the “coupon divas” tended to see value in the time spent searching for and using coupons, while the non-users did not, which could also relate to whether or not there was a stay-at-home parent in the picture who had the time to clip coupons to save on groceries for the family, versus an employed person who didn't have kids but also lacked as much time at home. (She would also like to control for employment status or type of job in future studies.)

And with the longstanding economic recession, more Americans are living paycheck to paycheck - and, perhaps, coupon to coupon.

Jim Seida / msnbc.com

Jeremy Wilson reads to his 14-month-old daughter Samantha while his wife Jamie folds diapers in their Anderson, Calif. home. The Wilsons feel squeezed on their $50,000-a-year income.

ANDERSON, Calif. - When Jamie Wilson learned she was pregnant with her daughter, Samantha, she fully expected that she would be a full-time working mom.

But when she tried going back to work, she said it was too hard to be away from her daughter.

“Once she was born, it changed my whole outlook on everything,” Jamie said.

Instead, Wilson, 31, opted to go back to her job with Shasta County Health and Human Services just one day a week. Her husband, Jeremy, works four 10-hour shifts as an analyst, also with Shasta County Health and Human Services, so he can watch Samantha on the day that Jamie works.

That’s left the couple living – with a very careful budget – on the nation’s median income of about $50,000 a year.

TODAY.com’s Life Inc. blog visited the Wilsons in Anderson, Calif., this week as part of our series of stories on what it’s like to live on around $50,000 a year.

The Wilsons say they have a general budget and are careful with money. They also are relieved to have family that can help them out in an emergency.

“We’re pretty lucky in (that) we’re able to cover our necessities, and if there’s something we couldn’t get we’re pretty fortunate that we can go to our families,” Jamie said.

Still, they live paycheck to paycheck and sometimes find themselves squeezed.

“There are times when we get down to a couple of days before the next paycheck when we think, ‘OK, let’s scour the cupboards,'” Jeremy said.

One big expense is food. Jeremy, 30, and the couple’s daughter, Samantha, both suffer from a number of food allergies. That severely limits the family’s diet – and bulks up their food tab.

The Wilsons estimate that a five-pound bag of gluten-free flour costs $14.43, versus $2.12 for a bag of wheat flour. A loaf of gluten-free bread costs double the equivalent wheat bread.

In all, the couple estimates that they spend around $600 a month on food.

To save money, the couple gets what they can at Walmart and online. But Jamie also occasionally makes trips to a nearby health food store, where she can pick up things like vanilla coconut milk, gluten-free bagels, brown rice pasta and cheese substitute.

They even plan those grocery trips carefully; it takes about $7 worth of gas to get there and back.

Health care costs are another huge expense. The Wilsons pay about $600 a month for health insurance, and they also are paying off bills for Jeremy’s appendectomy and Samantha’s birth. Even though they have insurance, they have to pay some portion of their bills out of pocket.

They have a small amount of credit card debt and some student loan debt. In addition, Jamie is taking on additional student loans to get her master’s degree in special education.

Jamie likes the idea of a career that will give her more time with her daughter, although she said the thought of more student loan debt sometimes weighs on her and her husband.

Still, Jamie says she thinks she has learned from the financial mistakes she made in her first marriage, which ended in divorce – and with a foreclosure.

The couple does little things to save money. They bought reusable cloth diapers instead of disposables, and Jamie nurses instead of using formula. They moved to Anderson, in northern California near Redding, in part because it was less expensive than other parts of California.

Her past foreclosure meant the couple could only get approved to buy a $125,000 house, instead of a $200,000 house they wanted to buy. But now, Jamie says she is relieved they bought the cheaper house because it’s easier for her to stay home with Samantha.

Still, the couple says they don’t know whether they can afford to have a second child, especially since Jamie will have to start student teaching in a couple of years and they’ll need child care.

Even a pet is out of the question, for now.

“We would love to have a dog, but we can’t afford one,” Jamie said.

More on this series:

Click here to see previous stories in our "We are the median" series. We’re also sharing our thoughts — and yours — on Twitter (hashtag #median), Facebook and Google Plus. We invite you to comment on our posts — but keep it civil and on topic, please!

Finally, please share your story of what it’s like to be living on about $50,000 a year by clicking here to send me e-mail. We’ll feature some of your stories in future Life Inc. posts. 

Devin Datus, 39, and his wife, Michelle, 36, are raising four kids, ages 9 to 18, in Utah on his military salary. His wife is a full-time student and stay-at-home mom. 

TODAY.com's Life Inc. blog asked the couple about their financial situation as part of a series of stories looking at what it’s like to live on the nation’s median income of about $50,000 a year. Here is their response:

What’s it like to live on around $50,000 a year?
It isn’t that difficult. You just have to spend your money wisely and not overextend yourself. The problems start if you don’t take the time to keep yourself within your means. We have all we need to survive (home, utilities, food, etc.), and the rest of what we want we buy when we can afford it. …

Obviously, we will never be able to buy million-dollar homes or high-dollar sports cars, but that is fine. I have been able to provide quite well for my family, give them a lot of what they want and also send my oldest to college.

How has the weak economy affected your finances?
Not too terribly. The worst part really has been the fuel prices. But in a lot of aspects, the weak economy has been a benefit. We (recently bought a house) with an interest rate that allowed us to purchase more house than we initially planned on.

Also, I have offset the fuel by driving a compact car and staying away from the SUV or truck route that many have taken. (And) we have been able to watch local classified ads for some of the niceties that we have wanted that people overspent on and now have to sell to just get by. It seems cold and heartless, but those of us who planned and did the right thing are now able to live better.

Do you worry about money?
Sometimes. I don’t worry about it too much, though. As long as I am able to put a roof over our heads, provide food and clothing, and keep us warm, well, anything beyond that is just good.

What do you splurge on?
Games (both tabletop and Xbox/Wii), radio-controlled cars, going out to eat, cigars and things my children want. Most of the time we all like the same games and food, so we do a lot of that as a family.

Is there anything you wish you could afford but can’t?
There is a long list: Cars that I have dreamed about since I was 12, taking family vacations outside the country and things like that. It doesn’t mean I am unhappy, but no matter how much money you make, there is always something more you will dream about and not be able to get.

Is it difficult to pay your bills every month?
Not at all.

What kind of debt do you have, and do you find it hard to pay off your loans or other debts?
Mortgages, two credit cards, and a home equity line of credit. But the overall balance is not so high that there is no light at the end of the tunnel.

Are you able to save money for the future?
Yes, cut out a couple trips to fast food per pay period, maybe buy something generic, and so on. It adds up and allows for savings to be slowly built.

What are you most proud of in terms of your financial situation?
Being able to buy a second house. We are upgrading from what we are in and are going to rent out the one we have lived in for the last decade.

Are there any financial mistakes you think you’ve made?
Nobody is perfect. Over the years mistakes have been made with credit cards, not saving as much as we could, and so on. But we just learn from our mistakes and don’t make them again.

Will the upcoming holidays add to your financial burdens?
No, yet again - buy within your means. Also, we do our holiday shopping throughout the year so it won’t all come at one time. 

More on this series:
Click here to see previous stories in our "We are the median" series. We’re also sharing our thoughts — and yours — on Twitter (hashtag #median), Facebook and Google Plus. We invite you to comment on our posts — but keep it civil and on topic, please!

Finally, please share your story of what it’s like to be living on about $50,000 a year by clicking here to send me e-mail. We’ll feature some of your stories in future Life Inc. posts. 

AP

Martha Stewart is having a very good week, basking in the glow of strong book sales and a major deal with J.C. Penney.

With a major new alliance with J.C. Penney Co. and a new hot-selling book, Martha Stewart, the doyenne of entertaining, is celebrating an improbable comeback.

Stewart, 70, seems to have shaken off the taint of her 2004 criminal conviction and has steadily rebuilt an empire that encompasses everything from wall paint to dog leashes. Indeed, most news accounts of the $38.5 million deal with J.C. Penney announced Wednesday barely made mention of her conviction and five-month imprisonment for lying to authorities about a suspicious stock sale.

“You don’t see ‘convicted felon’ and that’s a big victory,” said Ronn Torossian, author of book on crisis public relations and CEO of 5W Public Relations, which has represented clients who have faced scandal. “Martha Stewart is the poster child of what to do right in terms of rebuilding your brand.”

Indeed, Stewart’s brand today includes a long list of products and services marketed under her Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. umbrella including a line of home improvement products at The Home Depot, four magazines, a show on SiriusXM Radio, the Martha Stewart Collection at Macy’s and pet products bearing her name at PetSmart. Under the deal with Penney, which is buying a 17 percent stake in MSLO, the retailer will create Martha Stewart stores within most of its locations beginning in 2013.

Stewart rejoined the board of the company in September after a five-year ban under terms of a settlement she reached with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Shares in the company jumped 33 percent Wednesday on news of the J.C. Penney deal, although they still trade only a bit over $4, compared with a peak of over $35 in 2005. A recent report from RBC Capital Markets said the company's merchandising arm performs well but the company is being hampered by its publishing operations.

Carol Roth, a business strategist and author of “The Entrepreneur Equation,” said there are a host of reasons why Stewart has been able to overcome her prison past to serve as an effective spokeswoman for her company.

“Underdogs are cheered for, even when they weren't the underdog to start with,” she said. “Our culture is one where we both tear people down but also build them back up. We are forgiving unless the action is completely unforgivable.”

For many average people and even well-known celebrities or corporate leaders, a criminal conviction or major scandal could spell career doom.

But the public seems to be willing to forgive Stewart, in part because of a hazy memory of the precise details of her crime, which were related to her sale of shares of biotech company ImClone, which was caught up in an insider trading scandal.

One key factor in Stewart’s favor is she did her time, seemingly atoned for what she did, and was able to maintain “a degree of elegance” through it all, said David Johnson, CEO of Strategic Vision. “She’s not one of these typical greedy bankers, the stereotypical middle-aged white guy in a pinstripe suit. She doesn’t fit that,” he said.

And Stewart isn’t shying away from discussing her time behind bars in a minimum-security federal prison, which might even give her a bit of street cred among the cooks and homemakers who make up her primary audience.

During an appearance on National Public Radio this week to hawk her latest book, “Martha’s Entertaining: A Year of Celebrations,” Stewart shared this story:

“When I was incarcerated at Alderson in West Virginia for a five-month term, they had a ceramics class. And in the ceramics class was a storage warehouse room where I found all the molds for an entire large nativity scene. I was able to purchase enough clay with my monthly stipend. I didn’t get a lot of other things that I would have liked in that five-month period because I bought clay instead. And I molded the entire nativity scene.”

Capitalizing on a past transgression can be unseemly, said Joshua Perry, an assistant professor of business law and ethics at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, but he doesn’t see it as an ethical breach.

“She fulfilled her obligation as we have set up through the criminal law and paid her dues,” he said. “The fact that she’s having this resurgence is a great American story. And, she’d appreciate me saying this, she was able to make lemonade out of lemons with some mint as garnish.”

Gift cards are the most-wanted holiday gift again this year – ahead of jewelry, clothing and even electronic gadgets. According to the National Retail Federation’s 2011 holiday survey, eight out of ten holiday shoppers plan to buy gift cards. They will spend an average of $155 on them. 

Let me share a little secret. You don’t have to pay full price for gift cards. You can get them from resellers and save anywhere from 8 percent to 35 percent.  These cards are for well-known retailers, from Abercrombie & Fitch to Zappos.com. 

“You give someone a $50 gift card and they think you’ve spent $50, when in reality you only spent maybe $40 to buy it,” says Odysseas Papadimitriou, CEO of Card Hub.com. 

To do that, you need to have the card sent to you and then you give it to the person on your list. Most gift card resellers do not charge for shipping. 

What if the card is scratched and doesn’t look new?
“Go to the store where the card is sold and ask them to give you a new card with the same value,” Papadimitriou advises. “That way you get brand new plastic to give to your friend or family member who will have absolutely no clue.” 

What if the card is loaded with an odd amount?
That’s often the case at these resale sites. I just went online and found a Coldwater Creek card for $139.41 on sale for $118.50. That’s 15 percent off. But you’d never give someone a gift card loaded with a crazy amount like that. It’s a dead give-away that you bought the card from a reseller. 

Again, there’s a way around that. You can go to the store and ask them to split the card.  For example, you could get two $50 cards and have the rest ($18.50) put on a third card you can use.  Or you could pay an extra $1.50 and make the last card worth $20. 

Buy discounted gift cards for your holiday shopping
Many savvy shoppers now buy discounted gift cards to use, rather than to give away. It’s like cashing-in on an instant sale. 

“I buy the gift cards for myself,” says Kristin Morse, vice president of marketing at Plastic Jungle.com, one of the big gift card resellers. “So I save money before I even go into the store.” 

Morse says she likes to stack her savings, using the discounted gift card to buy things that are on sale. If there’s a coupon, that’s even better. 

"It adds up to where you can really stretch your dollars,” she says. 

Morse tells me about 80 percent of their customers buy gift cards to use for themselves. She says that extra little bit of savings lets them get what they really want.

If you decide to use the resale market, be sure to deal with an established website, such as Plastic Jungle, Gift Card Granny, Card Hub, Cardpool, GiftCards.com or Gift Card Castle. Always pay with a credit card, not a debit card. That gives you extra fraud protection should there be a problem. 

The ultimate in convenience
The 2011 Gift Card Survey by Bankrate.com found a significant rise in the availability of e-gift cards that are emailed to the recipient.

Starbucks, Best Buy, Gap, Pizza Hut, Staples, Overstock.com and American Express all added a virtual version of their gift cards in the last 12 months. Amazon lets you send gift cards via Facebook. 

“It appeals to the last minute shopper, maybe someone who got a gift they didn’t expect and they want to respond to it,” says Bankrate’s Janna Herron. 

Some electronic gift cards are printable (like e-tickets); others are simply a promotional code the recipient uses when shopping. 

“E-gift cards still make up a small percentage of overall gift card sales, but that segment is growing,” Herron says. 

Because an e-gift card could be confused with spam, it’s a good idea to contact recipients to let them know what you did. You might even want to follow-up to make sure they got it.

Know the rules
Gift cards are much more consumer-friendly because of federal rules that took effect last year. According to the Federal Trade Commission:  

• Money on a gift card cannot expire for at least five years from the date the card was issued or money was loaded onto the card.
• Inactivity fees cannot be charged until the card has not been used for at least one year. You can be charged a fee to buy the card or to replace a lost or stolen card.
• The expiration date of a card must be clearly disclosed on the card, and fees must be clearly disclosed on the card or its packaging. 

More info:

Federal Trade Commission: Buying, Giving, and Using Gift Cards

Eric Kayne / for msnbc.com

Nathan Palmer, left, and ring-tailed lemur, Grover, with partner Brett Jones, holding African spur thigh tortoise, Shelly, at their home in Victoria, Texas.

Brett Jones, 37, and Nathan Palmer, 23, describe their life in Victoria, Texas, as “pretty standard.” The couple enjoy TV, movies, friends, video games and volunteering in their community. And yet Jones, who works in social services, and Palmer, a zookeeper, say it’s a life that doesn’t allow for many splurges or financial wiggle room. 

TODAY.com's Life Inc. blog asked the couple about their financial situation as part of a series of stories looking at what it’s like to live on the nation’s median income of about $50,000 a year. Here is their response:

What’s it like to live on around $50,000 a year?
It's not poverty. We don't miss meals and we make MOST of our bills. However, we live paycheck to paycheck and we carry debt. There are times we do go negative in the account, which increases our debt. It's hard, but not burdensome. Really it's more frustrating than anything.

How has the weak economy affected your finances?
We've had to cut back on some nonessential things. Some of our entertainment budget (i.e. online games, streaming video, cable services) has had to be dialed back so that we can continue to make ends meet. Things that we could afford previously are now becoming luxuries.

Do you worry about money?
Yes.

What are your biggest expenses?
Car payment and mortgage.

What do you splurge on?
Food. It'd be nice to say we splurge on vacations or travel, but we can't afford it. Nice big meals out in restaurants are what we consider 'splurging.'

Is there anything you wish you could afford but can’t?
Yes. We would like to upgrade the house and yard. We have ideas for a small business. And of course we'd like some cool stuff like iPads and the like as well. But they are just too expensive.

Is it difficult to pay your bills every month?
Difficult, yes, but not impossible. We do what we have to in order to get the essentials paid and to try to pay down the debt. Sometimes we have Ramen meals to conserve funds or we cut out other optional fun stuff during the week.

Eric Kayne / for msnbc.com

Nathan Palmer checks on white-tailed deer at the Texas Zoo where he is a zookeeper.

What kind of debt do you have, and do you find it hard to pay off your loans or other debts?
We carry a line of credit at the bank for when we overdraft our account, which happens about three times a year. That is only about $800 of debt at present. However, we also have a credit card that we've been paying on for about seven years. It's down to about $4,000. We no longer use it.

Are you able to save money for the future?
Barely and only recently. My agency began offering match funds for a 401(k) this year and I decided it was time to get in on that. I have no other savings to speak of.

What are you most proud of in terms of your financial situation?
We make it work. It never fails that somehow we end up pulling things out of the fire at the last minute by doing what must be done or sacrificing a small luxury in order to keep things running.

Are there any financial mistakes you think you’ve made?
Yes. Getting into debt was the worst thing I could have done in terms of financing. That debt has lingered over my head for entirely too long and it's quite frustrating to watch it diminish by a drip at a time.

Will the upcoming holidays add to your financial burdens?
Yes. They always do. What ends up happening is that the gifting just gets less and less impressive. I enjoy buying special gifts for my loved ones, but the huge hit on the holidays means that it just isn't as possible as it used to be. I've even spoken to the family about adjusting how we give gifts to ease the burden. That's sad.

More on this series:
Click here to see previous stories in our "We are the median" series. We’re also sharing our thoughts — and yours — on Twitter (hashtag #median), Facebook and Google Plus. We invite you to comment on our posts — but keep it civil and on topic, please!

Finally, please share your story of what it’s like to be living on about $50,000 a year by clicking here to send me e-mail. We’ll feature some of your stories in future Life Inc. posts. 

Jim Seida / msnbc.com

Jordan Kohler of Cameron Park, Calif., says he's doing "just fine," living on an income level just below the national houseold median of $50,000 a year.

For Jordan Kohler, 29, living on an income that is slightly lower than the nation’s household median of $50,000 is fine so far.

“I’ve just been doing it for a couple of months, and it’s working out,” he said.

The experience is new because Kohler recently split up from his wife, and they are now in the process of divorcing, he said. That will leave him supporting himself on just one income.

On Tuesday, Kohler was at a legal aid clinic in Placerville, Calif., trying to figure out how to complete the divorce amicably without running up a high legal tab, he said.

We met Kohler while traveling through California for our series of stories on what it’s like to live on the nation’s household median income of about $50,000 a year.

Kohler said he likes his job as a technical consultant with a major electronics retailer, especially since it offers great health benefits for himself and his kids, who are 7 and 2. 

He recently moved into a two-bedroom apartment in Cameron Park, near Placerville. Although the divorce has been difficult, he said he’s grateful to have a steady income that is enough to live on.

“That helps out a lot,” he said.

More on this series:

Click here to see previous stories in our "We are the median" series. We’re also sharing our thoughts — and yours — on Twitter (hashtag #median), Facebook and Google Plus. We invite you to comment on our posts — but keep it civil and on topic, please!

Finally, please share your story of what it’s like to be living on about $50,000 a year by clicking here to send me e-mail. We’ll feature some of your stories in future Life Inc. posts. 

The Avigo Dirt Wave is designed for 4- to 8-year-olds.

By Kara Reinhardt, Cheapism.com

A bike may be tricky to wrap and seem positively archaic next to the gizmos on many holiday wish lists, but it’s still a classic gift. In online reviews of kids bikes, parents often note how excited a child was to receive a new bike. High-end models made of strong, lightweight aluminum usually cost $200 or more and often come from specialty stores, which relieves buyers of the potentially difficult tasks of assembly and maintenance. But like all kids bikes, they wind up too small within a couple of years. You can nicely equip a growing teen for less than $100 and let younger children tool around the neighborhood for less than $70.

The first thing a child is likely to note about a new bike is the design — Iron Man, Spider-Man, Dora the Explorer. One of the first things a parent is likely to note are the brakes. Small fingers may have a tough time squeezing hand brakes, so bikes for younger kids typically feature rear coaster brakes that stop the bike when the child pushes the pedals backward. Manufacturers equip some bikes with both types of brakes so older children can get the hang of hand brakes without relying on them exclusively. A few budget kids bikes come with only hand brakes (which may be referred to as side-pull, center-pull, caliper, cantilever, u-brakes, or v-brakes).

Size, as measured by the diameter of the wheels, is also crucial to safety. Here are some rough guidelines: 12-inch wheels fit 2- to 5-year-olds; 16-inch wheels accommodate 4- to 8-year-olds; 20-inch wheels fit 6- to 11-year-olds; and 24-inch wheels work for ages 10 and up. For a more accurate fit, measure the inseam on a pair of pants that fits your child well and match it up to the corresponding wheel diameter on this chart from the International Bicycle Fund. It may be tempting to choose a bike that’s a bit too big, so the child can grow into it and get more use out of it, but experts warn against doing that.

Size also contributes to the weight of the bike, which usually falls somewhere between 15 and 40 pounds. The best models balance maneuverability with strength and durability. Watch out for extra features that may be overkill for beginning riders and only add extra pounds.

Below are Cheapism’s top picks for affordable kids bikes.

• Huffy offers the largest selection and excellent value. The 12-inch Rock-It bike for boys (starting at $40), the 16-inch Disney Princess bike (starting at $67), the 16-inch Disney Toy Story bike (starting at $68), and the 24-inch Cranbrook Cruiser (starting at $80) all earn kudos from reviewers. (Where to buy)
• NEXT bikes feature designs that suit incipient daredevils. The 20-inch Chaos Freestyle (starting at $80) and 24-inch Power Climber (starting at $100) win over boys with features such as twirling handlebars and dual shock absorbers, respectively. (Where to buy)
• Avigo makes the 16-inch Dirt Wave bike for boys (starting at $73) and Waikiki for girls (starting at $70). Reviewers call these starter BMX-style bikes sturdy and easy to adjust. (Where to buy)

More from Cheapism:
Cheap Kids Bikes
Cheap Champagne
Cheap Turntables
Group Gifting Sites

Today Money financial expert Jean Chatzky joined us for a live Web chat Wednesday to answer your questions.

Here’s one of his answers to questions from the live chat. (See below for the full Q&A and video of Jean’s TV appearance this morning.)

Bob asked:

“I have a 830 credit score. I know because the Bank sent it and my refi refusal on the same day. Every loan officer goes straight to my net taxable income and says I have too many tax write-offs to qualify. How can I refi? I'm at 6.5% fixed and owe 1/3 of the home value, NO debts, perfect credit.”

Jean replied:

“You're an unusual case and the best way for unusual cases to get home loans is through mortgage brokers -- they have connections with the lenders and know how to work the system to get you what you need. And it shouldn't cost you any more than dealing directly with a lender.”

Here’s the full chat archive and Jean’s TV appearance:

If you have a question for our TODAY Money experts, submit it here. 

To sign up for an e-mail reminder for our next chat, click here.

Rachel Denny Clow / AP

Who needs Toys R Us when you can rent toys instead of owning them?

Hey, kids! Santa wants his toys back.

And he can have them back. Many parents are choosing to rent toys this holiday season instead of dishing out big bucks to buy the latest and greatest playthings. In addition to potentially saving money, toy rental is a way to keep down the toy clutter.

Stephanie Weber, owner of BabyPlays.com, a toy rental service founded in 2007, said she is seeing more customers turn to the service during the holidays. “We have people who sign up just so they can put six toys under the tree. It’s a great way to save,” she said.

Call it the season of regiving. Toy rental is part of a growing trend in recent years for renting everything from designer handbags to big-screen TVs.

It’s about stretching your holiday dollars further, said Nikki Pope, founder and CEO of Toygaroo, a toy rental company with 11 employees that launched a year-and-a-half ago.

“We don’t do tricycles and dollhouses, but we do filler toys that moms and dads feel pressured to put under the tree,” she said. Things like puzzles, educational electronic games, and wooden toys.

Pope compared her company to DVD rental giant Netflix. Members pay from $24.99 a month for four toys up to $50 for eight toys, and every box that ships contains $120 to $300 in merchandise. Toys offered include everything from products that carry well-known brand names such as Fisher-Price to items from lesser-known toy makers that don’t show up at Toys R Us. If a customer wants to swap out a toy during any given month that can be done for an additional charge.

It’s her answer to cluttered playrooms and expensive toys kids don’t want to play with anymore.

“I have 11 brothers and sisters and 13 nieces and nephews, and I was noticing the problem my siblings were going through,” Pope said. “Why spend the money if you can rent?”

The rental market for consumer products has been growing in recent years thanks to tough economic times and the desire of a growing number of Americans to buy less. The consumer product rental industry generates about $20 billion in annual sales and is growing at a 3 percent annual rate, according to First Research, a unit of Hoover’s.

“Today’s ethos of frugality and minimalism makes product rental seem to fit the zeitgeist,” wrote Forrester analyst J.P Gownder in his consumer products blog.

There are risks for parents who have children who are rambunctious or don't value the gifts they receive — or want to hold onto their loot. 

If the child loves the toy, Toygaroo will sell it for a discounted rate. Damaged toys will also end up on the parents' dime.

But at BabyPlays.com, Weber said, if a child breaks a toy or loses a piece customers won't be charged, unless it's "something egregious."

Michelle Madhok, founder of the buying guide website MomFinds, sees toy rental sites as a good alternative for parents who are trying to cut back on spending and those who want to do their part for the environment.

“Who wants all that plastic to end up in a landfill?” she said.

She also pointed to toy sharing sites such as ThredUp.com, which allows individuals to buy and sell used toys and other children’s items in a digital “hand me down” way.

“These services are great for kids who are sick of toys or are aging out of toys," Madhok said. “The problem I see is if a kid gets attached to the toy.”

John Makely / msnbc.com

Ann Valencia looks on as movers unload a truck full of her belongings and load them into a storage unit she rented. Valencia has had to downsize and move in with a friend after she could no longer afford her two-bedroom apartment in Bayside, New York.

Ann Valencia, 55, lived until recently on her own in an apartment in Bayside, Queens, N.Y. But earlier this month, the high cost of rent and utilities forced the administrative assistant to move out of the apartment, put her things in storage and stay with a friend until she can find a more affordable place to live. 

Multimedia producer John Makely visited with Valencia recently as part of a series of stories looking at what it’s like to live on the nation’s median income of about $50,000 a year.

What’s it like to live on around $50,000 a year?
It is extremely difficult to survive on my salary. I find it increasingly difficult to juggle my financial obligations as things become more expensive.

How has the weak economy affected your finances?
The weak economy has affected my finances in ways which I couldn't have imagined. As money grows tighter, it has forced me to use my credit cards for basic items and services that I would have paid cash for in the past.

Do you worry about money?
I worry about money constantly. I am, for most aspects in my life, an eternal optimist. I tend to see the glass half full, but this aspect of my life has taken a toll on me emotionally. As a single woman in her fifties, it is frightening at times to be on your own. Although I adore my independence, I worry what would happen if I lost my job. There is a silent foe in the work world — age discrimination! It is extremely difficult to find a new job over the age of 50.

John Makely / msnbc.com

Ann Valencia makes about $50,000, equal to the national median household income, but living in New York she has trouble paying her bills.

What do you splurge on?
Every few weeks I splurge on a manicure. I like my hands and nails to look nice and enjoy the relaxing time of having a manicure.

Is there anything you wish you could afford but can’t?
I wish I had a new (or newer) car. The other would be for a new computer as mine is about eight years old and runs very slow. I use my home computer to write, which is my passion.

Is it difficult to pay your bills every month?
I juggle my bills the best that I can. In my company we are paid every two weeks. One of my paychecks doesn't even cover my rent, so I have to take some money from the other check to supplement my rent. My other bills tend to suffer due to this. I have borrowed from my life insurance and 401(k) to try to make ends meet.

What kind of debt do you have, and do you find it hard to pay off your loans or other debts?
I have credit card bills, a student loan for my son's school and medical bills. I am constantly struggling and juggling to pay all of these debts. I am only able to pay a little over the minimum payments on credit cards. As I depend on them more often now, my balances are higher, as are the minimum payments.

What are you most proud of in terms of your financial situation?
I am proud that in spite of all of this financial torture, I still have a good credit score. I am also proud that I was able to raise two wonderful children, provide for them and give them a good home and education. As a widow, it has been a real challenge as my late husband was killed in an auto accident 20 years ago this December.

Will the upcoming holidays add to your financial burdens?
Yes, it will add to my burden, but what is more important than spending the holidays with friends and family? … I am very lucky to have wonderful friends and family who aren't materialistic, so gifts are more on the sentimental side than expensive. Aside from gifts, there is more food to buy and cookies to bake for the holiday celebrations. In my family, we tend to share this expense and everyone brings something to the table, both literally and figuratively!

More on this series:

Click here to see previous stories in our "We are the median" series. We’re also sharing our thoughts — and yours — on Twitter (hashtag #median), Facebook and Google Plus. We invite you to comment on our posts — but keep it civil and on topic, please!

Finally, please share your story of what it’s like to be living on about $50,000 a year by clicking here to send me e-mail. We’ll feature some of your stories in future Life Inc. posts. 

Mint.com

Our series of stories on people living on the national household median income of about $50,000 has generated thousands of comments from users, many of whom point out that $50,000 in Kansas is a lot different than $50,000 in New York.

An infographic produced by Mint.com makes that precise point, graphically.

Using Census Bureau data similar to what we are using for our own series, the Mint.com map shows that the states in the center of the country are closest to the national average, with median incomes that generally range from $40,000 to $55,000.

States in the Northeast tend to have a much higher household median above $60,000, while those in the Southeast have the lowest.

Mississippi ranks lowest with a household median income of about $36,600, while Maryland ranks highest at more than $69,000.

Via Business Insider.

More on this series:

Click here to see previous stories in our "We are the median" series. We’re also sharing our thoughts — and yours — on Twitter (hashtag #median), Facebook and Google Plus. We invite you to comment on our posts — but keep it civil and on topic, please!

Finally, please share your story of what it’s like to be living on about $50,000 a year by clicking here to send e-mail. We’ll feature some of your stories in future Life Inc. posts. 

By Reuters

Companies planning to spend thousands of dollars for staff Christmas parties, even with open bars, shouldn't bother because most U.S. employees would prefer money.

Nearly three quarters of 2,574 workers questioned in a Harris poll said they would opt for a cash bonus, followed by 62 percent who would prefer a salary increase and 32 percent who wanted more paid time off.

Only four percent put a Christmas party on the top of their holiday.

"Until we see the impacts of the Great Recession further recede, when it comes to what employees want it starts with cash and other financial perks to make sure that ends can be met over the holidays," said Rusty Rueff, of Glassdoor, the jobs listing firm that which commissioned the poll.

A grocery gift card, being able to work from home for a year and company stocks or shares were also among the most popular items on the list.

Ten percent of workers wanted a health care subsidy, eight said gym membership would be useful and three percent said they wanted a commuter subsidy.

Only two percent opted for a gold watch or other accessory.

Nearly three out of four employees said they were eligible for a bonus this year and 58 percent expected to receive one.

By Kara Reinhardt, Cheapism.com

Lured by the promise of luxury goods at discount prices, shoppers spend $22.4 billion at outlet centers, according to a 2010 State of the Industry report by trade publication "Value Retail News." But how much do shoppers save? Recent research on outlet shopping vs. retail by Cheapism.com revealed that consumers can save nearly 30 percent overall by doing their holiday shopping at an outlet mall. Cheapism found individual items for up to 85 percent less than comparable products at a regular retail mall.

Cheapism.com

Coach bags can be 44 percent cheaper at the outlet

The report compares the cost of shopping for a list of potential holiday gifts — an iPhone case, a wallet, a V-neck sweater, for example — and a few other things consumers might need for the season, such as holiday outfits for the kids. The total after discounts and before taxes came to $1,240.15, compared with $1,756.62 at retail — a savings of more than $500, or 29.4 percent, on comparable items. Cheapism also surveyed prices on dozens of additional items. Some of the biggest discounts included a Calphalon open-stock sauté pan for 85 percent off.

Price isn't the only consideration when you're shopping for gifts, however, and often can be misleading. Here are some of Cheapism’s tips for finding the best deals at the outlets:

Know what you’re buying and where it came from. Is that Coach bag a deeply discounted jewel or a made-for-outlet design? Each of the leading brands mentioned in the report is represented by a particular mix of products in its outlet stores. Some items are liquidation merchandise, but others are made specifically for factory stores and some are the same stuff you’d find at retail. Don’t be afraid to ask a salesperson about the origin of an item before you buy.

Pay attention to detail. Made-for-outlet products are sometimes constructed with less expensive material and less embellishment. For example, a red sweater dress from the Gymboree outlet emulated a dress from the previous season’s retail line but was woven from thinner material and lacked pockets and faux-crystal buttons. On the other hand, cosmetic flaws on discounted Dutch ovens at Le Creuset were scarcely noticeable.

Take the list price with a grain of salt. Outlets try to entice shoppers by printing two prices on the tag: the MSRP, or manufacturer’s suggested retail price, and the lower outlet price. Ostensibly this tells you how much you can save off retail, but remember that much of the merchandise some stores carry is made for the outlet and was never sold at retail.

Shop sales and use coupons. Much of the actual savings at outlet malls comes from sales and coupons the stores hand out at the door or offer online. Before discounts, the savings at the outlet mall were closer to 20 percent in Cheapism’s survey.

Retail stores sometimes offer better value. Depending on what you’re looking for, it may not always be worth it to make the trip to the outlet mall. Check Cheapism’s rundown of outlets vs. retail to find out when it pays to shop the outlets.

Jim Seida / msnbc.com

Jason Ruediger carries his 2-year-old daughter, Aureus, while his wife pushes their 1-year-old son, Crichton, on the Naval Air Station North Island in Coronado, Calif.

CORONADO, Calif. – Just a few years ago, Jason Ruediger was a single guy with a military salary and little more to spend it on than his car, insurance and meals out.

“When you’re single, I mean, your whole paycheck goes to you,” said Ruediger, 25, a petty officer second class with the Navy.

But now his paycheck has to stretch to cover his wife, two young children and two large dogs.

“I’ve actually gotten really good at budgeting,” said Ruediger, who is based at Naval Air Station North Island in Coronado, Calif., where he works as aviation support technician IMRL manager, meaning he helps manage inventory.

The military plays a big role in helping Jason, and his wife, Mariecor, 37, make ends meet on a little less than $50,000 a year in an expensive area like Coronado, outside of San Diego.

Jason estimates they would have to take in a civilian salary of $80,000 just to maintain the standard of living they now have for less than $50,000.

TODAY.com's Life Inc. blog visited the Ruedigers in Coronado this week as part of a series of stories looking at what it’s like to live on the nation’s median income of about $50,000 a year.

The family’s cozy, recently remodeled yellow house is part of the Navy’s partially subsidized military housing. The Ruedigers get groceries from the commissary with no added tax, aid for their education through military programs and help with things like holiday gifts for their children, ages 1 and 2, from charities focused on military families. Living on base saves on gas and other commuting expenses.

Perhaps most important, the couple’s military insurance covered the hefty bills stemming from the premature birth of their daughter Aureus, 2, and later her hospitalization due to Kawasaki disease, which causes inflammation of artery walls.

Jim Seida / msnbc.com

Aureus Ruediger, 2, suffered medical problems but was covered by her family's military health care plan.

“The military takes care of you really well,” Ruediger said.

Still, the couple sometimes find their budget stretched by unexpected expenses, and it’s hard to afford things like travel. Mariecor has not been able to get to her native Guam to visit her mother, who had a serious stroke three years ago.

The couple also says deployments take a toll. Jason left on a mission to the Gulf with the USS Nimitz just two weeks after Aureus was born at 29 weeks.

Although he was home in time to hear Aureus say her first words and take her first steps, he doesn’t want to miss any more of his children's big milestones. That’s why he has decided to leave the military in May, after about six years of service.

“Those are things that you’re not going to get back,” he said.

Jim Seida / msnbc.com

A to-do list of financial goals hangs in the bathroom wall in the Ruediger home.

The couple keeps a five-year plan taped next to the bathroom mirror. It’s a constant reminder of their personal, professional and financial goals.

Jason says the couple have made some financial mistakes, and they do have some debt. But they’ve learned from their experiences.

“We’ve had a few headwinds, so you just learn and keep going,” he said.

Their baby girl was in the hospital for two and a half months after she was born, and every day Mariecor either took the bus, walked two miles to the taxi stand or got a ride to the hospital to spend time with her daughter, who is now a healthy, active toddler.

It was during those early days as a mother that Mariecor said she decided she needed to go back to school. Although she would love to be a stay-at-home mother, she wants the family to have the financial security of two incomes.

“You know how every parent wants that their child has a better life?” she says. “I wanted that.”

Mariecor has an undergraduate degree in biology and is pursuing a master’s degree in organizational management. One of her goals is to become a published author, and she hopes that eventually she and her husband each will be making $75,000 a year.

Jason also is already thinking ahead to how he will provide for the family once he’s a civilian. He’s studying for an associate’s degree and plans to eventually get a bachelor’s degree in Web design.

Meanwhile, he’s already started a Web-based business selling birthday party supplies, and he’s talking with the Navy about the possibility of doing his military job as a civilian once he’s discharged. They have put off having another child because they will no longer have military health insurance.

“I don’t want to have a $50,000 medical bill,” he said.

More on this series:

Click here to see previous stories in our "We are the median" series. We’re also sharing our thoughts — and yours — on Twitter (hashtag #median), Facebook and Google Plus. We invite you to comment on our posts — but keep it civil and on topic, please!

Finally, please share your story of what it’s like to be living on about $50,000 a year by clicking here to send me e-mail. We’ll feature some of your stories in future Life Inc. posts.