This is only true if I'm living in either a median-priced city (which Edinburgh is not) or a low-priced home in a more expensive city (which, frankly, are not n

This is only true if I'm living in either a median-priced city (which Edinburgh is not) or a low-priced home in a more expensive city (which, frankly, are not nice). I could certainly take the time off, if I was willing to share a flat with other people rather than owning my own home - but dividing my wages in half would make my mortgage completely unaffordable - and the kind of mortgage I could afford would then have me living miles away from work and commuting long distances. Or living in horribly deprived areas. Your statement assumes that the median wage produces a reasonable standard of living for everyone, no matter where in the country they live, and that's simply not true.