TODAY.com's Life Inc. blog is being honored with one of the top awards in business journalism Saturday for its 2011 special report “We are the Median.”

Our series, by lead writer Allison Linn, lead multimedia producer Jim Seida, and multimedia producers John Makely and John Brecher, has been awarded a Best in Business award from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers.

The series explored varied experiences of people living on the nation’s median household income of $50,000 a year. For some, $50,000 a year was plenty, but many others were struggling to get by.

This series was inspired by you, the readers of Life Inc., who responded by the hundreds when we asked you about your experience of living on the nation's median income. When you connect with us to share your experiences and concerns about money and the economy, that helps us do a better job as journalists.

We love to hear from you, so please comment below, connect with us on Facebook or send us an old-fashioned email.

Brandon Thibodeaux for msnbc.com

Megan and Sam Moss, pictured here with their baby daughter Mary Margaret, are living on the nation's median household income of around $50,000 a year.

For the last couple of weeks, Life Inc. has been exploring what it’s like to be in the exact midpoint of the nation’s economic spectrum.

The We are the median project prompted thousands of readers to share their stories and thoughts on what it’s like for to live on the nation’s household median income of around $50,000 a year. And it also prompted lots of you to tell us about what it’s like to be much worse off.

Many readers told us they can only hope to bring home $50,000 a year.

“$50,000 would be great to make a year. Single mom with 2 kids and I bring home less than $35,000. Took a cut in hours to keep my job,” one reader wrote in response to our profile of a mom and son who are struggling with a drop in income.

Another profile, of a young couple bringing home around $50,000 a year and juggling high student loan bills, also prompted some to tell us that people need to pay more attention to those who have it much worse.

“Why is this news? We make less than $27K, I have over $80K in student debt. My dream is a nightmare and we are family of 4,” one reader wrote.

Although some readers told us they are doing just fine on incomes below $50,000 a year, others said it’s very hard to make ends meet on a lower income. In a post this week about a family choosing to live a very simple life on about $20,000 a year, many readers questioned whether low-income living is really “living well.” 

But some found the story inspirational.

“It's gratifying to hear stories of real people. I applaud this young family and see their lot improving, over time. My husband and I struggled in our early life, with young children and little money. … Our kids are not scarred because of this, they are all hard working, successful contributors to society. We have always had to be smart about our money and now that we have more, we are still frugal,” one commenter wrote.

Apparently that’s not a lesson many parents are passing on to their children. In a post about a young couple getting a good financial start in life, about 40 percent of our readers said they hadn't learned much from their parents about how to manage money.

“My parents didn't tell me anything about budgeting. It's a hard lesson I now know and am passing this on to my kids,” one reader wrote.

How much would you have to bring home to be free of money worries? More than half of our readers said they would have to make $250,000 or more per year in order to feel rich.

For some, the more money, the better.

“As much as possible. You're never secure in this country unless you are the 1%,” one reader wrote.

Still, some readers said they would settle for much less.

“I would be thrilled with that (to me) mythical $50,000 per year..........!” one reader wrote.

For the past two weeks, TODAY.com’s Life Inc. blog has been exploring what it’s like to live on the nation’s median household income of about $50,000 a year: Not rich, not poor, but rather in the exact midpoint of the nation’s income spectrum.

To conclude the series, we asked the people we interviewed to tell us, on video and in their own words, a bit about what it’s like to be part of the median. Here’s what they had to say:

For some, a household income of around $50,000 a year is enough to live comfortably with a large family. For others, it’s not enough to cover rent and utilities.

Many people living on around $50,000 a year told us that they are doing fine, but not great. They can cover their bills and feed their families, but there is little leftover for an emergency car repair or a family vacation.

How well a household can do on $50,000 a year depends on a number of factors: Where you live, how large your family is, how well you’ve budgeted and what kind of financial curveballs you’ve been thrown.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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. 

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.