Quote:
Originally Posted by Xist
Aren't wives always pushing the limits? 
Compared to people in third-world countries I am the one percent?!
Running water and indoor plumbing?
Historically, yes, I have it good.
Every day I appreciate not being in Afghanistan--or Fort Leonard Wood.
[Shudder] |
Compared to middle income countries you have it very good. People in places like Vietnam or Costa Rica or Thailand would love to have a scooter for family transportation. You have two cars for one person.
You are building a man cave to get some personal space from a house you share with your mother and brother. My older colleges in Japan shared an typical 600 sq ft apartment with 3 generations. Younger colleges lived in company dormitories with just a bed and foot locker for personal space and a shared kitchen and bathroom for 20 people.
There is another huge advantage if you are willing to step outside the box a bit. Even a modest amount of money in the USA is a LOT of money in most of the world. So a US retiree can take their average $1,500 Social Security check and live upper middle class in lots of middle income countries. They can sell their modest house and buy a villa.
The same thing is true within the USA. A California homeowner can sell their average $578,000 house and buy a much larger house in another state for cash and have 1/2 to 1/3 of their money left over. People in Portland love to complain about this.
When my neighbor sold their house they went camping for the weekend. Sunday night they came home to more than 10 offers starting at the list price. The sold it for $50,000 over list to a California couple paying cash and offering to let them stay in the house for another 2 months while they finished their new house. The new couple was nice, both retired out of chip industry in their mid 50's.
It is MUCH easier to go from a wealthy area to a poorer area than the other way around. One person's expensive is anther person's cheap. I thought houses in the Portland area were crazy expensive. Californians think they are crazy cheap. My younger colleges in Portland can't fathom that you can buy a house in other states for $100K - $150K.
I like to follow round-the-world motorcyclist blogs. Plenty of middle class people from the USA and EU sell some stuff, pack up the bike, and travel the world for 1-2 years. That is only possible if you are one of the global elite.
As to COVID Checks - the IRS website says my wife and I will get our direct deposit on the 30-April.