The Recession Proof Artist

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Wait so...how is this guy any different from most of my friends? Haven't the people at the New York Times ever heard of the phrase "starving artist?" Why was this news worthy? I remember seeing this on facebook a few weeks ago and people were commenting with things like, "Omg! He's such an ~+*in$piR@ti0N*+~!!!" But why? It's called living frugally and forfeiting your comforts, something that many college students and 22-year-olds do every day. He's actually got it made because he has no loans to worry about.

The fact that this was news makes me imagine "the average American" in this economic environment being presented with extreme hardships on a day to day basis, like being forced to downgrade on their Starbucks latte or having to walk to the mailbox instead of drive due to rising gas prices. All facetiousness aside, is it really that amazing to see someone living within their means? Is this kind of life style really such an alien thing to most people? After graduating college, does one use the piece of paper that they spent four years and thousands of dollars to earn to abandon the tricks that they learned in college (budgeting, budgeting, budgeting) just because they have a fat wallet? Why should living within your means or budgeting be labeled as college culture or reserved for "the starving artist?"