[mplanchard]

Many people are living paycheck to paycheck. A month or two of missed payments can have a ton of downstream consequences.

[eudamoniac]

Air traffic controllers making $155,000 are not the same people going homeless from a month or two of missed payments.

[mplanchard]

a) it’s possible to live at the edge your means regardless of where you are relatively to the poverty line.

b) It’s not a bad salary for an individual, but supporting a family of 3-5 on $155k does not leave a lot of room for error