I live in a 3rd world country working as an offshore programmer for a 1st world country. A fast food worker in their country is getting way more than I am – and yeah I get it, different economies etc, but the deal is that even if they're paying me higher than others here, the thing is that the others here are who are earning minimum wage are in actual poverty.
Minimum wage here is $190 a month. My wage is $900 a month. Now you'd expect that I'm way above the others and that's what my boss thinks – in reality, those with $190 a month are in actual poverty living in scrap homes or sharing a boarding room with a lot of people, and it's common that the meals they have are just rice and some food sauce. (DISCLAIMER: I AM SIMPLY DESCRIBING THEIR LIVING CONDITIONS, OUR COUNTRY ACTUALLY HAS A LARGE AMOUNT OF POVERTY).
Rent I pay is $400 a month (not exactly mortgage, but I own the place and loaned from a friend). Utilities, as I am work from home, costs $200 a month. That leaves me with $300 a month. I still need to pay for food, I have 2 dogs, inflation hitting hard. I am simply earning 3 times more than those in actual poverty – as a programmer who has worked directly on covid related projects and directly impacted the efficiency of large health groups.
I actually like working with my company, and it's not like my boss is a bad person – they're all good folks. It's just they fail to understand just how much money we actually need. Especially with my specific specializations, it's also not easy to just find another good paying job without relocating to a city 100 miles away.
A friend suggests why don't I get insurance so that I'm not “one accident away from homelessness?”
Ah yes, spend $100 a month so I only earn $200 a month. That definitely solves my financial problems.
edit: friend is actually a good friend, just not so good with financial related stuff. He is a business owner, and firmly believes a 5% yearly increase is more than enough to fight inflation and make you richer.