[OLD BOY]

The thing that most people who have never lived on an income like that don’t appreciate is that you always live up to your income.

As you become better off with pay increases and promotions, you tend to get a more expensive house (with the associated mortgage increases) and more expensive hobbies and other pleasures and an altogether better social life, which all costs money.

So when the value of that increased income starts to fall away for whatever reason, you feel the pinch like everyone else, and you could find yourself not being able to do the things you’ve become accustomed to doing, and even have to consider selling your house for a cheaper one.

Yes, of course it’s nothing like being impoverished, but it is tough, nonetheless. We all get used to what we have, and giving it up can be extremely upsetting.