Poor
For a while now, I've known that my personal income is below the national median income. That is, more than half the population that is earning anything is getting more than I am. But I have also realised something else. I'm comfortable with it.
By comfortable, I don't mean that I have a sort of 'poverty = piety' thing. I mean that I don't envy people with more, and I always have money I can afford to give away. I still wear shirts I bought ten years ago (and am glad I still fit comfortably in them) and many of my other clothes date back just as much.
I eat sparingly. The other day, I calculated that I could live on an average of $20 a day if I wanted 'luxury'. However, my typical daily expenditure, were I to purchase everything I ate myself, would come to about $3.00 for breakfast, $0.50 for lunch, $3.00 for dinner, and $3.00 for 'luxuries' such as extra coffee, a piece of dark chocolate, and suchlike. Call it $10. The most 'expensive' items in the menu would be fish and fortified cereal.
By far my greatest day-to-day expenditure, unfortunately, is reading material. I am quite sure this comes to $20 a day as well. I can afford to cut down, I guess.
The greatest financial burden I have is the regular outlay on things like insurance premiums, taxes, fees. I find that the comforts of living in a reasonably civilised environment result in general taxation which does make a fair dent.
I have no right to be so blessed with what I have. I sometimes remind myself I have no right to have so much to be happy about. And I laugh, and dispose of more income. No, I'm not poor at all.
By comfortable, I don't mean that I have a sort of 'poverty = piety' thing. I mean that I don't envy people with more, and I always have money I can afford to give away. I still wear shirts I bought ten years ago (and am glad I still fit comfortably in them) and many of my other clothes date back just as much.
I eat sparingly. The other day, I calculated that I could live on an average of $20 a day if I wanted 'luxury'. However, my typical daily expenditure, were I to purchase everything I ate myself, would come to about $3.00 for breakfast, $0.50 for lunch, $3.00 for dinner, and $3.00 for 'luxuries' such as extra coffee, a piece of dark chocolate, and suchlike. Call it $10. The most 'expensive' items in the menu would be fish and fortified cereal.
By far my greatest day-to-day expenditure, unfortunately, is reading material. I am quite sure this comes to $20 a day as well. I can afford to cut down, I guess.
The greatest financial burden I have is the regular outlay on things like insurance premiums, taxes, fees. I find that the comforts of living in a reasonably civilised environment result in general taxation which does make a fair dent.
I have no right to be so blessed with what I have. I sometimes remind myself I have no right to have so much to be happy about. And I laugh, and dispose of more income. No, I'm not poor at all.
etched with acid at 12:45:00 am
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