$150,000 a Year?! You Can't Be Serious.

MSN highlighted a report today that said Americans (surveyed) believe the actual cost of living today - defined as having enough for the basics, some extras, and a little to stash away - is $150,000 a year.   

more than half of Americans -- 52% -- feel like they can afford just the basics, and many with six-figure incomes still feel like they are scraping by. The survey found that 18% of U.S. households earning from $100,000 to $150,000 said they could afford only the basics, with an additional 10% saying they sometimes can't afford even those staples.

I laugh out loud.

Hawaii is on their list of most expensive places and they inflated the relative cost of living to over 250K!  Ridiculous!  A quarter of that amount could afford you a very decent lifestyle here.  Sure, your kids might not go to Punahou and you might not have the beach in your backyard; but it would put a roof over your head, food on the table, and some Benjamins in the bank. 

How spoiled are we that we now have come to expect over $150,000 just to cover our idea of a "necessity"? 

I don't care if you live in Shangri-la, if you make a six-figure income and you "can't afford the basics" - its time to think about downsizing/redefining the word "need".  Seriously?! 

Here is some of the best financial advice ever given to me:
if you aren't content with what you have, then no amount is ever going to be high enough.

*eye roll - followed by slow head shake*