[spacedcowboy]

I think slave is (way) too strong, but I earn more than that, and until I'd paid off my house I considered myself a "wage-slave", in as much as I couldn't afford to stop working. Another term I used for myself was "techno-whore", since I sell my technical skills for money. I could choose to end that by moving to a LCOL area instead of the VHCOL area that supplies those wages, but I don't because there are advantages to being where I am.

Still, costs are in line with those wages, so my mortgage was costing me ~$5k/month, my electricity was peaking at $1k/month, my water was $500/month, my property taxes were $1500/month, etc. etc. etc. A high salary doesn't necessarily mean unbound wealth, it just makes living in that VHCOL area comfortable.

Sadly, I still can't afford to stop working, but that's more down to the completely terrible form of "healthcare" that the US employs, and not my actual job.