Even poor americans live better than kings of old. STOP IT! That's such manipulative bull crap! Kings of old,

even kings of 3rd rate nations, lived in spacious rooms - not crampy dingy apartments.  Kings had atleast several changes of warm clean clothing, that fit properly - all the buttons, were there, and they matched.  Kings had people and space to wash and maintain their clothing - there was a long wash-line out behind the palace. 

Wash-lines are against the (many) rules in apartment complexes - washer and dryer on the ground floor will run about $4, but the $5 and change you have is for bus-fare (monthly pass ran out), to get to your minimum-wage job.  A drying rack put in the shower might work...oh wait, your roommate needs to get ready for his minimum-wage job - and anyway, wally-world has metal drying-racks for only $35 dollars, but where's that going to come from; rent's coming due, your half is $503 and you're some $70-ish short.

Kings, even the 3rd rate ones, had reliable transportation; kings didn't stand in the cold - in not-that-warm clothing - waiting for a bus.  Kings had the option to simply stay inside when the weather got nasty.  Oh, and their rooms had enough heat - sure, palaces were drafty, but they also had fireplaces, and people to bring in wood, take out ash.

Kings ate steak, even for breakfast, kings didn't have to scrounge around almost bare cupboards, looking for something other than ramen noodles - or whatever dented foodbank castoff.

So, please stop with the guilt-games already.  Struggling americans have more than enough crap on their plates.