Last night I had a driver in Manila, who has an independent business with a Toyota van. The van cost him 2,300,000 peso (PSP). Converted to USD about $40,300 USD.
How did this man get to purchase his van? Nine years in Saudi Arabia driving a 70 foot, 70 ton truck. Other than one vacation in nine years, he worked seven days a week. The driver stated he slept in the truck for nine years, all with the goal of saving $40k USD. He saw his wife and daughter once in nine years. I asked him what the hardest part of nine years in Saudi was--- he stated the Saudi drivers have no care or concept of others on the road, especially a foreign national truck driver (all the truck drivers are foreign nationals).
We have no concept how well off all of us are in the United States, when compared to the rest of the world. Even the lowest earners in the U.S. have an unbelievable opportunity if they chose to sacrifice like the driver did for nine years. Imagine a minimum wage earner, in the U.S. working seven days a week, two jobs, for nine years, while living as a minimalist. They would have a very nice savings account after nine years, much more than what this driver saved working in Saudi.
