[twa-kifla]

I can attest to that. I came to the US half a year ago on a work visa (not H1B) from an European country, with dependents in tow. Earning modest tech salary I was able to "sock away" more earnings in that time than I would be able to in my home country in three years. My observations is that people here simply live a lifestyle that matches their income.

[Lawtonfogle]

Yeah, people always question why I'm not living bigger than I am. They don't understand putting half their income into savings instead of spending it on the now. The part that gets me is that when bad times come, people will look at my like I'm privileged and should share, forgetting that they already benefited from their extra earnings that they choose to spend instead of save. (To be clear, I'm talking about people who could've saved but didn't. I am not talking about the people who, through no fault of their own, never had a chance to save.)