[robryan]

I think in general though Australians are largely in the same boat with work. The difference though could possibly be that it seems to be getting worse for Americans.

The thing is these days if you choose to live more simply you can easily get by and have a heap of free time. I don't really have it at the moment because I'm combining uni with freelancing/ startup. After I finish uni though I could see myself having plenty of freetime should I choose that route and just live off some freelancing/ startup funding. I have most of the material goods I'm interested in given the low price of electronic goods these days. It's only when you start aspiring big material goods that you get stuck in the trap of needing to work long hours and bring in a small fortune to get by.