Livin' on 50K

There has been this series on MSNBC investigating the "median income" of the US and how people that make that per household live. Surprisingly, the median is 50K and surprisingly to me, the articles seem to take a relatively "woe-is-me" angle. Not that the people in the articles complain, but they mention the hardships and cutbacks they make...things like "moving to a smaller apt." or "not being able to afford video games" or "having to buy a 140K house instead of a 200K house." And I just am struck with "SO WHAT! I just don't get the point of the article.

If we are supposed to feel bad that 50K can't buy you luxuries like a 200K house, then I would say you don't need luxuries and if you are smart, you can find what you need and even most of what you want. Luxuries are just that...a luxury. Not everyone can have them, not everyone is entitled to them. It's not a travesty when your salary doesn't easily pay for a new TV or vacation. They are something that we earn and when we do, that's why we respect them and actually enjoy them. If they were easy to afford, they wouldn't matter and we'd waste more than we already do.

If it's to point out the problem with America I say, NO ONE ANYWHERE should complain about 50K. That's 50K more than most of the world and significant amount more than I make a year. If you can't make it on 50K you are living somewhere that is too expensive or you're not budgeting well. I know there's other variables...but really people...there are people living on a fifth of that in US, and people living on virtually nothing all over the world.

I'm not accusing this family of complaining as they are not...but what the F is this article supposed to tell us? I'd be much more interested in seeing how people live on 20K per year, how they scrimp and save and live comfortably than a family living on 50K comfortably that can't buy a 200K house...that's not really a story of survival...that's just facing the facts of your financial situation. Why don't they give us a story of people who REALLY have to evaluate their lives, needs, and wants in order to live on their salary? I just don't see the point of reading story after story of peoples "dire situations" where they live 100% comfortably, have luxuries, and simply have to budget like we should be doing anyway.

(I'll note that this most recent article from the series is the least "woe is me" ish)
http://lifeinc.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/09/9282101-we-are-the-median-carefully-budgeting-for-food-health-care-costs?threadId=3292073&commentId=60601420#c60601420