Can you live a luxury lifestyle as a nurse?

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My question is towards nurses that have been in the field for couple of years. I was wondering can you life a nice luxury lifestyle as a nurse? My definition of luxury would perhaps revolve around the ability to own a large 5 bedroom house, the ability to drive a luxury vehicle like BMW or Mercedes Benz, and the ability to take vacations every year perhaps to a different country. Is this too much to ask for as nurse or this beyond the dreams of most nurses and would single nurses be able to achieve this over married with kids nurses?

what happened to the last post on her from dec 2011

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Specializes in Peds Medical Floor.

I have a nice 1 bedroom apt in a desirable area of town (don't want a house at this time of my life). I drive a 2010 Ford Focus I bought brand new in 2009. I go on at least 2 to 3 vacations a year in the USA. Every other year I go out of the country. Travel is important to me and one of the few things I'm willing to put in ot for. I'm single without kids btw. You have to figure out what's important to you. I just canceled my cable and internet after having them a few months because I decided it was an expensive waste of time.

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Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.

Yeah, if you live with mom and dad.

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Specializes in FNP, ONP.

I think that depends how you define luxury. By my definition, no, not by a long shot. To support my idea of luxury, I'd require an additional zero on the end of what I earn as a NP. As it happens, I do have a sugar daddy, lol, so I get what I want anyway. I just could never afford to pay for it on my own salary.

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i have a friend who is a nurse who nets over $400k/year. last time i saw her, at a conference, she was buying a $16k watch :smokin:. she goes to europe twice a year. that work for ya?

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Specializes in Peds Medical Floor.
i have a friend who is a nurse who nets over $400k/year. last time i saw her, at a conference, she was buying a $16k watch :smokin:. she goes to europe twice a year. that work for ya?
what does she do?
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she's a life care planner and legal nurse consultant. and she's not the only one :D.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Just a note - we unfortunately had a data loss for dates 12/15/11 to 12/29/11 and we apologize for this frustration.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.

It depends on your definition of "luxury". I got into nursing for job security, not money. All I really want is no debt, a good paid-off car, a mortgage I can swing on 1 paycheck, and the ability to travel outside the US and Canada.

I don't need expensive things. I know too many people whose things own them, not the other way around. I don't wear jewelery; I don't need small expensive things that are easy to lose or steal. Luxury cars tend to have luxury-sized maintenance and insurance costs. Acuras are dressed-up Hondas, and Lexuses are dressed-up Toyotas. I drive a 2005 Toyota; my dream car is a Mini Cooper Countryman.

I currently rent a 2-bedroom half-duplex in a walkable neighborhood. My dream house is a 3-bed, 2 bath townhouse, raised ranch, or Cape with a garage and a nice view, in a neighborhood where I don't have to worry about flying bullets. If I was going to splurge on anything, it would be a (prepaid) smartphone or a Wii and a 60-inch TV.

Status is essentially buying things you don't need, and can't afford, to impress people you don't know.

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Specializes in Geriatrics.
If you want the luxuries in life, they have to be earned. Oh, and what is a Marcedes? Learn to spell the things you want.

That is funny! ROTHFLMBO...so true!

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.

When I opened this discussion I was expecting to find a humor story. Seriously. Nurses living a luxury lifestyle off nursing wages? Not! All the nurses I know who live luxery lifestyles have other income besides their nursing wages. I know nurses who live to travel to other countries and they can do that. However they are not doing that AND owning an expensive house and car.

In my state new grad RN (the ones that can find jobs) start around $22-26 an hour ($40-$60K/year) I know in other areas they may start off with higher wages but the sost of living in those areas usually eats it up.

All the nurses I know, who live off their nurse wages, live very middle class lifestyles. Those who live luxury lifestyles sually have a spouse who makes bank.

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Specializes in Peds Med/Surg; Peds Skilled Nursing.

I wouldn't say i have a luxurious life but i make a good living. I am 28 and I have been a nurse for 6 years, i'm engaged but i live alone. I dont have a 5 bedroom house because that would be a waste of money for someone that lives alone. I have nice apartment though. I do have a lexus (first purchase when i became nurse) and i travel at least twice a year. This year i went to europe by myself (My finance is deployed at the moment). and later this year i have a cruise. I guess it depends on the cost of living and what setting you work in.

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