I love problem solving. Not that I want to write software, but I like fixing things and solving problems or finding innovative design solutions. I told my employer that I would keep working as long as the work was fun. The work stop being fun, so I retired. I did work a shitty job for a few years during a rough patch with my first wife in poor health and having huge medical bills and I got laid off less than a year after she died. I thought I would retire then but got a wonder job offer and I went back to work. Some people are richer than most people. I am one, I am in the top 10% of net worth individuals and when I was working my income was in the top 20% for a good part of my career, obviously not when I was young but from middle age on. Most people can't tell how rich I am. Funny anecdote, today a man gave me $5 because he thought I was poor. I was walking home from the store with my groceries in cloth bags and was stopped to pick up some litter I saw on the side of the road. Around here nobody walks to the store, uses reuseable bags or picks up litter on the side of the road. I think he thought I was homeless or something. I was wearing cheap sneakers, jeans and sweatshirt, they were clean and unstained except the sneakers, they were dirty. I don't wear a watch or rings anything like that.

I am frugal, mostly, I have splurged, I spent almost 10 grand on a rifle I wanted. At the store I had intended to buy a prepared dinner, this store has a lot of ready to eat stuff, good stuff they make in the store. Was thinking maybe sushi or maybe barbequed ribs and a stuffed pepper. I decided to cook from scratch, I made French Onion soup and sauté vegetables with ham.

A lot of people who seem richer than you actually are richer than you and some people who don't seem to be richer than you are also richer than you.

It is easy to figure out whether most people are richer than you. Calculate your net worth and figure out what your income is and then compare them to the median values.

The median net worth of a US household in 2022 was $192,700,

The median income in the United States in 2024 is $80,610,

If you are below the median, well, duh, most people are richer than you.

You don't have to be rich to have a rich life, mostly you just need enough to not be deprived. I could easily afford the most expensive phones on the market, instead I have two cheap phones that cost me almost nothing and two lines because the second line was almost free as well, it is nice having a backup or one I can lone out in case of emergencies. I take shitty pictures, but they get the message out if not the prettiest.

It is not important whether people are richer than you or not. Do you have what you need, are you healthy, do you get to do fun things, do you like your job, do you have friends, do you get to spend time with you friends and family. Those are what make your life rich.

TEK