Just curious -- how much is a private education where you are? It's an average of $12K here in the U.S., going by Google. Obviously, only wealthy folks can pay that. I can't understand how anyone who isn't middle class could afford any sort of vacation every year. You still have to pay to stay somewhere (unless you're able to stay with friends or relatives, I suppose.)

In most parts of the U.S., you MUST have a car, even if dirt poor, because otherwise you cannot get to a job, the store, the doctor, etc. Our old cars are long since paid off, but I suppose if we didn't have to pay for gas, insurance and repairs we might have some money to go for a trip. But there's literally no way for us to do without a car.

This demonstrates how everyone has a different definition of middle class.