Feeling poor

It is possible to feel poor without actually being poor.  The feeling is just a mindset that is not really consistent with reality, and also kind of dependent on your definition of what being poor means.

Rachel Hill wrote of this mindset - where "complaining about money (or our lack thereof) has become a national sport" in Australia, even though salaries and standards of living has soared.  People can catch a cab home when they don't want to bear with the conditions of the train, even though they feel poor.  Masters degree, recent overseas trip, etc. makes one feel poor, but that one has been able to take on these things means that one is not as poor as what one thinks.

She says it is not just the notion of self-pity.  It is also living up to the way one thinks that the society expects.  "Dishing out $60 for a dinner with friends, $200 for a buck's weekend away, $50 for a baby shower, and $25 for a Kickstarter campaign isn't just a matter of keeping up with the Joneses – it's a matter of not offending them."

There are those who are genuinely poor - who cannot afford to turn on the heater during the winter.  There are also those who have money in the bank, but are living beyond what they are currently receiving.  And there are those who feel poor even though they are not.

Which group do you belong to?  What is your definition of "poor"?  Are you keeping up to your expectation or that of society?

How about God's expectations?

Are your needs met?  Are you able to help others as well?

What should you do with your extra resources?  Help someone in need?  Locally or overseas?  Save it up for a rainy day or for your retirement?

What do you think?