Are you struggling to get by or do you feel like you're living within your means? Do you feel 'poor' or 'rich'?

For most of us, the answer may be all in our heads.

Yesterday, a few of you hijacked Sue's post to discuss a WSJ column that offers advice to the 'poor rich,' those making upwards of a quarter-million dollars a year, who feel like they're struggling to get by.

The column, by Brett Arends, was written in response to this post by University of Chicago law professor Todd Henderson, entitled 'We Are the Super Rich,' in which he says that those in his incomebracket (upwards of $250,000) are by no means 'rich,' and shouldn't have their taxes raised. After paying his mortgage, private-school bills, taxes, insurance, doctors, groceries, cellphones, cable, gas, etc., Henderson says that there's not much left. With a tax increase he fears he'll have to get rid of the guy who cuts his lawn or his daughter's art classes. If that doesn't work, he would sell his house or cars, he says.

Setting aside Henderson's political argument, Arends counsels him to 'adjust his expectations.' Henderson obviously doesn't think he's rich, but he's still expecting a certain standard of living that he seems essentially" target="_blank" title="ad.本质上，基本上">essentiallyunable to afford. 'The real challenge is tackling the psychology,' Arends adds.

That's a lesson I've learned slowly amid the trade-offs I've made as a parent, giving up things that I once thought were essential, but have come to realize were luxuries.

When my son was born, we became a single-earner household and made the requisite 'sacrifices' to do it. No more cable TV. No landline. One cellphone shared between my husband and me. No more takeout lunch or dinner, no more dining out-barring very special occasions. No fancy vacations. We live in an apartment that is small, but that we can afford. We rarely hire babysitters. A recovering clothes-horse, I rely heavily on hand-me-downs. Many of these cutbacks are on Arends' list of advice for Henderson.

The way I've come to see it, I've given up small luxuries for two big ones: The best child care we can afford and the privilege of living in one of the best cities in the world (New York) - with incidentally a lot of free great stuff to do. Whether I'm rich or poor seems pretty subjective-compared to whom?

Readers, are your expectations for your standard of living in line with how you live? What financial trade-offs have you made to achieve your particular style of juggle?

Emily Peck

• column [´kɔləm] n.柱；柱状物；纵队 (初中英语单词)
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• incidentally [,insi´dentəli] ad.顺便一提；偶然地 (英语四级单词)