I’m self employed. that being said... I am happily working toward making $30k or less per year. Of course that’s after I’ve paid off everything. $30k allows one to live completely under the radar. If you don’t have kids why not? Every penny you make over $30k per year the government thinks they own it anyway. Screw ‘em.
One should question how many cars these people own, how many have cable and more than one tv, how many spend their money on smokes and booze. You are right about the needs of an individual. But the environmentalists have driven housing through the roof. But if one puts some thought into it it is possible to spend little on food.