I can relate. I mean I am in Germany. Living and working here. Last year with my job and freelance on the side I did absolutely not make 6 figures.
We have our house we bought 12 years ago and renovated for 8 years. My SO left her job 3 years ago to study again and in essence doesn't make money. So for the time being it is me. But we value great local organic food and produce and that next to our mortgage is by far the biggest part of our spending. We still put money on the side, but maybe because while we like to spend money (even just for fun) we don't overindulge.
Maybe because we are not as social so that we do not compare and because our values are not in line with spending money to be walking advertisement carriers.
Not sure but when I hear of people in the US with 250k+ living paycheck to paycheck I wonder how that is possible. On the other hand I know people where both make 125 - 150k in Germany and also are living paycheck to paycheck.
So maybe I just can't imagine how this works because living in such a way is something too far from my experience.
We have our house we bought 12 years ago and renovated for 8 years. My SO left her job 3 years ago to study again and in essence doesn't make money. So for the time being it is me. But we value great local organic food and produce and that next to our mortgage is by far the biggest part of our spending. We still put money on the side, but maybe because while we like to spend money (even just for fun) we don't overindulge.
Maybe because we are not as social so that we do not compare and because our values are not in line with spending money to be walking advertisement carriers.
Not sure but when I hear of people in the US with 250k+ living paycheck to paycheck I wonder how that is possible. On the other hand I know people where both make 125 - 150k in Germany and also are living paycheck to paycheck.
So maybe I just can't imagine how this works because living in such a way is something too far from my experience.