I expected housing costs to be lower or about the same. I didn't expect everything else to be more expensive.

Yow, Aimee. That sucks and makes no sense. What's more expensive in Michigan than in LA?

I feel somewhat ashamed that I've 'made' more in severance benefits than some people I know will make all year, and my Unemployment payments will also be more than some people take home per month. On the other hand, I actually have worked hard to get to my professional level of employment, and actually live pretty frugally, considering.

FWIW, researchers have coined 'hedonic treadmill' to describe the illusion of chasing a hardwork carrot at the end of a stick in order to gain happiness.

While I am not wealthy, I don't want for anything either. (except for that lady of leisure lifestyle I should have been born into.)

This. I'd like to get rid of my student loan debt, but I can eat and buy a toy and travel on occasion. I'm doing pretty well.

I think what bugs about that NYT article is how everyone has bought into that idea of the Silicon Valley "lifestyle" and keeping up with the Joneses. These are people who are in the top percentile of the world's wealth, and they're still complaining about their lot. Granted - the article is probably edited to make them seem more shallow than they are, but still. I'm not denying their accomplishments or their work ethic, but it just seems... disingenuous(?) to complain.

EDIT: Or, what Nutty said.

I don't have to worry about what would happen if I lost my job; I don't have to worry about getting sick; I don't have to worry about where next month's rent is coming from. Which is great, but it doesn't mean I don't have lots of other stuff to worry about.

I feel guilty because I make a decent salary but I'm really bad about managing money and I don't have enough saved so that if something happened to my job I wouldn't be fucked. Like I have a friend who I know makes about $15,000 less a year than I do and she's going to be able to take a couple of months off work when she moves and I could never do that. On the other hand, aside from one credit card, I don't have any debt except my house. And I do own my own house which has appreciated in value considerably since I bought it.

What's more expensive in Michigan than in LA?

Daycare/preschool, gasoline, car insurance, utilities (from what I've seen) and groceries. Cable, internet, and land lines seem to be the same. Cell phones are the same as are our credit card and loan payments.

1. Because he's pounding himself into the ground to move from the top 0.5% to the top 0.4%. And doesn't sound happy about that fact, but can't think his way out of a paper bag the social-status pursuit he's in.

2. Because when your diamond shoes are too tight, it's asshole behavior to talk about it to the New York Times.

Yeah, still not getting it. So it's a bad thing to work hard to become rich now? I could work a lot less with a 50% pay cut. But I don't-- I guess I'm an asshole.

I expected housing costs to be lower or about the same. I didn't expect everything else to be more expensive.

Yow, Aimee. That sucks and makes no sense. What's more expensive in Michigan than in LA?

Maybe it's a West Coast thing. I was so afraid of how expensive SF would be, but besides housing I haven't seen it. In fact, I've been amazed at how cheap certain things are compared to the East Coast. A tall latte at Starbuck's? $2.50. Monthly metro pass? $45.

Gasoline is more expensive? Holy shit. I'm spoiled living down here, where gas is probably almost the cheapest in the country.

I was shocked by how inexpensive food was in SF compared to what I'd been used to on the east coast. That was 15-ish years ago though.