I live the kind of life that you are talking about.

I saw a silk shirt at Jim Thompson that I liked , and I didn’t even think to look at the price .

because Jim Thompson shirts are within a range , and five hundred baht either way would not affect my purchasing decision.

But then I realized that I have 18 high-quality short sleeve shirts. That shirt might get worn once a month if it was lucky.And yet I still don’t have freedom from silk shirt desire.

And a silk shirt requires its own cycle in the washing machine and very careful ironing. The luxury of a silk shirt is just another prison.

On the other hand, my GF has a very good job at a bank. She only needs 1/3 of her salary to live reasonably well because she is in the Thai economy where you get a shopping bag of rambutan‘s for ฿100, not 12 rambutan‘s in a Styrofoam package at Villa market.

The rest of her money goes to the temple, her hair extensions, and some getaways with her friends. She has no debt, which is rare for a Thai person, and about six months of expenses in savings, plus small shares in various family land purchases.

On a fraction of my income, she basically lives the same quality of life that I do.

It’s not what you have, it’s how happy you are with what you have. In that regard, she is richer than me.

20 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

nwhat about those who believe what they are told by mainstream media or governments or woke university professors

Perhaps you prefer Trump posting a stream of lies on Truth Social, or a recovered heroin addict with a worm in his brain railing against fluoridation.

25 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Perhaps you prefer Trump posting a stream of lies on Truth Social, or a recovered heroin addict with a worm in his brain railing against fluoridation.

What are you talking about , I already denounced what governments tell us As Trump is the current President of the United States (whether you like it or not) most people would agree that puts him in the class of "government" so my previous denouncement applies, However I do prefer his entertaining utterances to the soul destroying whining emanating from Our own kier starmer.

As for this "heroin addict with a worm in the brain" i have no idea what you are talking about , Im from the Uk there ain't much fluoride in the water there not enough anyway

3 hours ago, wwest5829 said:

So, in your thinking the vast majority of the global population does not have adequate food, clothing, shelter, healthcare due to being irresponsible?! Amazing ...

It's not really the majority of the global population, maybe 1/3. From G AI ...

... "AI Overview

Nearly one-third of the global population faces deprivation of basic needs. Despite sufficient global food production, about 35% of people cannot afford a healthy diet, over 700 million live in extreme poverty, and an estimated 1.6 billion lack adequate shelter." ...

Besides, I was replying to the OP, about 'financial freedom' ...

... "Perhaps that is why financial freedom is such an obsession for so many people." ...

Don't think he had folks born in the wrong place, wrong time in mind. For those folks, maybe a little common sense would go a long way ...

Edited June 18Jun 18 by KhunLA

18 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Got me beat, started working around 12 yrs old.

started @ 14 ... 4 hrs day after school selling Italian lemon ice.. $1 per hour sumertime it was 40hrs per week !

6 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

I was replying to the OP, about 'financial freedom' ...

... "Perhaps that is why financial freedom is such an obsession for so many people." ...

Don't think he had folks born in the wrong place, wrong time in mind. For those folks, maybe a little common sense would go a long way ...

lol you triggered him good style he went off on a rant accusing you of labelling the poor as irresponsible despite you not saying that . His lefty imagination overwhelmed him, he went straight into lefty beta male attack mode , you could easily have been blaming poverty on the irresponsibility of governments but he had already made up his mind and had to let off some lefty outrage

12 minutes ago, Luuk Chaai said:

started @ 14 ... 4 hrs day after school selling Italian lemon ice.. $1 per hour sumertime it was 40hrs per week !

we dreamed of a 40hr week

irresponsibility on the part of many of the poor is quite common,despite what the lefties would have you believe

As they say "The rich get rich by acting like poor people , and the poor remain poor by acting like rich people" which doesn't actually make sense if you think about it

I often visit the netherworld.

So there must be more than two.

58 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

What are you talking about , I already denounced what governments tell us As Trump is the current President of the United States (whether you like it or not) most people would agree that puts him in the class of "government" so my previous denouncement applies, However I do prefer his entertaining utterances to the soul destroying whining emanating from Our own kier starmer.

As for this "heroin addict with a worm in the brain" i have no idea what you are talking about , Im from the Uk there ain't much fluoride in the water there not enough anyway

You are entertained by a guy who has screwed up 20% of the world's oil supply? The person I am talking about is Robert F Kennedy, the health czar of America. Anti-vaxxer nut case.

Kier who? I can't keep up, Brits change PM's like socks.

Off topic posts removed. @Rockyroad