It is honestly harder for me to do so. I'm a cheap person by nature - I have the stuff that I want, my spouse (who has had to support me for much of the time) s

It is honestly harder for me to do so. I'm a cheap person by nature - I have the stuff that I want, my spouse (who has had to support me for much of the time) simply takes care of most of without my input. Also, I live in a cheap, small attic apartment that isn't much more than student housing :) We are slowly saving for a house, so it works out. But they are expensive. A single bus ride (paid in cash) is as much or more as a latte. Norway is a bit more expensive - to the point there is a (free!) bus that goes between here (Trondheim) and just over the border in Sweden so people can shop cheaply. The amount I spend on groceries and a bit of spending money would more than pay rent and my food (but not all of utilities) in Indiana. I also eat well (mostly vegetarian save for some fish at least once a week). If you go far enough north, you get taxed less, though, to encourage people to live up north. I'm not sure living expenses are cheaper, though. On the other hand, wages are different. You might make less as a programmer but more when working in retail. And I can definitely plan my expenses better.