The fact is, we here in the United States are blessed. We don’t realize the things we take for granted in this country are not even available in some countries. Take running water, for example. Some people don’t have running water to take showers, or have a cold drink on a hot summer day.

So stop complaining about how the cost of living is too high here until you realize that you don’t have to use some hole in the ground as a toilet.

An income of X can afford a person a higher standard of living in some places than an income of 2X in some other areas.

And of course, there’s no accounting for assets here. A childless adult earning minimum wage (and paying, say, half their income for rent) is considered “not poor” while a retired free-and-clear homeowner living on a modest retirement income can be “poor”.

Would anyone reading this rather be a “not poor” hamburger flipper than a “poor” retired free-and-clear homeowner?