He's 24, Living Comfortably In A Medium-Sized City, And Feeling Content. Then He Found Out He's Considered Poor, But Says, 'Life Is Good!'
- - He's 24, Living Comfortably In A Medium-Sized City, And Feeling Content. Then He Found Out He's Considered Poor, But Says, 'Life Is Good!'
Adrian VolenikDecember 18, 2025 at 3:01 AM
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He's 24, Living Comfortably In A Medium-Sized City, And Feeling Content. Then He Found Out He's Considered Poor, But Says, 'Life Is Good!'
A 24-year-old living in a medium-sized U.S. city thought he was doing pretty well. He covers his bills, saves for emergencies, contributes to a Roth IRA, goes out with friends, and says he feels grateful and content. In his own words, “Life is good!”
That feeling didn't change until he did one simple calculation. When he added up his income over a full year, he realized he was bringing home about $26,000. Suddenly, strangers online were telling him that the number meant poverty. The reaction caught him off guard. He said he had felt “comfortable” and “content” until that moment, and only started questioning himself after reading the comments.
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Poor On Paper, But Happy In Real Life
The post, shared on Reddit's r/MiddleClassFinance community recently, sparked a massive debate about what it really means to be poor in America. The man explained that his lifestyle works because his expenses are low and predictable. He rents an apartment with one roommate and pays $705 a month. His car payment is $265, with just seven months left on the loan. Utilities are minimal, groceries run about $250 a month, and he still manages to save roughly $360 every month.
He openly acknowledged that he has help. His parents paid for his schooling, which cost about $7,000 total. They also cover his phone bill and health insurance until he turns 26. When he first moved out, they helped with furniture and household basics. He said those things made a huge difference and admitted that having that support made his life easier.
Still, the disconnect bothered him. After sharing his income in another post, he said people immediately told him he needed to “figure out how to make more money ASAP.” That response hit harder than he expected. “I honestly feel rich and so so lucky,” he wrote, adding that seeing the $26,000 number made him rethink everything.
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Many commenters pointed out that the number itself was misleading. The $26,000 figure is his take-home pay, not his gross salary. Several people noted that when Americans talk about needing $50,000 to be comfortable, they usually mean before taxes. One commenter explained that his income might actually be closer to $35,000 to $40,000 before deductions, which narrows the gap significantly.
Others focused on how age and life stage shape financial reality. Plenty of people shared stories about living on similar incomes in their early 20s, often with roommates, cheap rent, and few responsibilities. One person said they lived on about $20,000 as a graduate student and felt fine at the time. Another wrote, “If you're happy, you're winning. No need to keep up with the Joneses.”
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At the same time, there was no shortage of caution. Some warned that his comfort depends on things that can change quickly. Rent could rise. Health insurance will soon be his responsibility. A major car repair could wipe out months of savings. As one commenter put it, being comfortable today is great, until it isn't.
The original poster didn't push back on those points. He agreed that earning more money will matter in the future and shared that he works as a massage therapist. His employer recently announced plans to offer a 401(k) and is exploring health insurance options. He said he's considering going full-time for the first time in his career and sees a path toward higher income.
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Image: Shutterstock
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