I'm definitely just getting by. I have a job that I love, but it doesn't pay very well. Aside from my mortgage, I have absolutely no debt, and my credit rating is excellent. I never, ever spend more than I make, but it's often closer to the margin than it should be. Of greater concern to me is the fact that I have no actual wealth to speak of. (I wonder how many people understand the difference between income and wealth?) If I'm lucky, I will work until I drop dead. If I lose my job, I'm two months away from homelessness. I do have a car, and it's paid for, and I virtually never use it, so it's not a big drain on my bottom line (thank you Surly LHT), but I'd be better off without it. I used to consider myself part of the middle range of the middle class, but, given the times we now live in, I kind of see myself as a relatively well-off peasant now.