Originally Posted by Unregistered

The nickname "average Joe" aptly describes your attitude - average. When we compare with others it is not just to see who is richer, but also to see if we are falling behind. We cannot afford to be complacent and "relak" one corner.

Years ago I had a neighbour who was contented and proud that he was earning $3K a month. He told his wife to be a housewife and that he will bring back the bacon. Unfortunately his pay didn't keep pace with the times, and his pay is now below the median income ($6K for 2012) and even further behind when compared with the average household income of $9.6K per month.

Burying one's head in the sand is not an option really.