> 20k is basically poverty, you are not going to remove any desires at that level. Your milage may vary. Living in rural Canada, I calculated my expenditures t

> 20k is basically poverty, you are not going to remove any desires at that level. Your milage may vary. Living in rural Canada, I calculated my expenditures to be under $20,000 last year. I don't feel I'm living in poverty at all (I have a developer's income if I want/need to spend more). My only concern is that $20K would not leave much room to save for the future, but if the income is guaranteed for the rest of your life, perhaps that is less of a concern?