I am completely with you on this. We were able to buy a house years ago at %3.75 rate and our mortgage is less than most people's rent now. I hear a lot of laments from other parent friends about how they are 'wasting' their money on rent. And these people aren't usually in tech.
The self comparison is supposed to make me feel grateful and happy about my situation, and yet I feel guilty for having the freedom and flexibility of my tech job with it's pay and all other benefits. Doubly so when I look at my son's kindergarten teacher and everything she deals with. I volunteer at the classroom to help as much as I can, which helps both me feel better about what I have, and helps the teacher and the kids.
But that cognitive dissonance / guilt is always there in the back.
The self comparison is supposed to make me feel grateful and happy about my situation, and yet I feel guilty for having the freedom and flexibility of my tech job with it's pay and all other benefits. Doubly so when I look at my son's kindergarten teacher and everything she deals with. I volunteer at the classroom to help as much as I can, which helps both me feel better about what I have, and helps the teacher and the kids.
But that cognitive dissonance / guilt is always there in the back.