I worked with a government agency dealing with the public. There are many people who do not have the intelligence to be able to choose a high paying career. There are many people who have average intelligence, including myself, who could not have been doctors or rocket scientists, even if someone else was footing the bill for our college education. Then, there are some people, that I wondered how they were able to make it through life at all. These were not people who were mentally disabled, but were below average intelligence.
Imagine what life in the US would be like, if everyone had high IQs and had the extremely high paying jobs. There would not be any restaurant or hospital cooks, LPNs at hospitals and nursing homes, farmers, grocery store workers, garbage collectors, teachers, custodians in schools, hospitals, hotels and nursing homes, water plant workers, etc.
What if no one wanted to have children, because of the expense of them and the work involved? What if everyone waited until they could truly afford to have children, before they had them. Many people would never be able to have children or their child-bearing years would be over.
What would such a country look like? I hope that I never find out. How would you feel if you could not make a high paying career choice, because you were not born with a higher IQ? What if someone told you that you could not become a parent, because you were only earning $30,000.00 per year? I have known many good people, who don't have a high IQ or high salary and who reared good children.
Yes, I do think that there are too many people, who live beyond their means. I sometimes shake my head, when I see how they conduct their financial lives. I see some people, who if they did not have bad luck, would have no luck at all. They can't afford a new car and then their old car breaks down and they can't afford to get it fixed. They can't afford to not get it fixed, because they will lose their job. They live where there is not public transportation, because they can not afford the rent costs or to buy a house, where there is public transportation. They put the repair on their credit card. Then their child gets sick and they miss a day or two pay. Not every one gets sick and vacation pay. Then the washing machine dies or whatever, and the debt snowballs.
I consider myself very lucky indeed. I had a job with sick and vacation pay. I was evidently born with a frugal gene and absolutely hate debt. Yes, I feel fortunate that I could easily cover a $400 expense or one that was much higher. I do feel sorry for many of the people who could not.