Thanks!
The problem is, that most people reference everything to themselves.
If one is a college student, making ends meet on a $10,000/year budget, $150K sounds like you've got money coming out of your ears and you're purchasing a brand new car monthly.
Not so.
$150K/year looks a lot like a couple of $3500 checks per month.
Now when you've got wife, kids, a car payment and a house payment, that money gets eaten up with catlike quickness.
And that's before you think about utilities, student loan payments and trying to save something for your future apart from any "company retirement" which may or may not be there when you hit 60.
Plus, you're living in fairly large metro areas. People think "Well, I live in Firebaugh, CA where a median house is $100K, but the chances of you being able to live in an affordable area working for an airline is slim to none."
The real world is expensive!
So the people that preach all high and mighty about how poor Kit Darby needs to 'suck it up' need a reality check. Believe me, I was the guy in college preaching about how Eastern pilots should be happy at $80K/year because my daddy was making $40K/year and I had an Atari 2600 and a brand new Schwinn when I was growing up.
Then I saw the light. Fortunately, not too late.