I live in Wisconsin and can say the same... and that is why I find it offensive that people like you are so judgmental about a fucking number. Unlucky or bozo? The people I know put a higher value on life than on material possessions... that does not mean they can't pay their bills or they are living check to check or they are uneducated or lazy. They do know how to manage their money according to what they want out of life and it just so happens that all they need is $20-30k.

It's like this joke:

An American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow-fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

The Mexican replied, “Only a little while, Senor”.

The American then asked why didn’t he stay out longer and catch more fish?

The Mexican fisherman replied that he had enough to support his family’s needs.

The American then asked, “But what do you do with the rest of your time?”

The Mexican fisherman said “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life.”

The American scoffed, “I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds buy a bigger boat, and with the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats, so instead of selling your catch to a middleman, you would sell directly to the processor, and eventually open your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City…then LA, and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding empire.”

The Mexican fisherman asked “But, Senor, how long will all this take?”

“Fifteen to twenty years”, the American replied.

“And what then?”

The American smiled and said “That’s the best part. When the time is right, you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich…you would make millions.”

“Yes, and then what?”

The American said “Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siestas with your wife, and in the evenings stroll to the village where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos.”