How you can resist funding the government → getting under the income tax line → how it’s done → keeping an eye on your budget → distorted standard of living expectations

“How much is a middle-of-the-road middle-class salary?” asks Living on Less. $60,000? $40,000? Time to consult the Census Bureau. Turns out the median income for adults in the U.S. is $23,186. Only about 12½% make over $60K a year. Only 25% make more than $40K. You wouldn’t know it by watching TV.

A columnist at MSN Money is going to live on $12,084 this year, which, though not particularly unusual by American standards, and positively wealthy by global standards, represents a newsworthy experiment in “poor like me” to people like her and her readers.

Her experiences and strategies may be of interest to anyone contemplating reducing their income, either to get below the tax line or for other reasons.