Deifine Poverty.

Growing up in a small town just outside of Tampa i was encountering "the poverty level" first and second hand. Growing up my parents made very little money. My father was a cook at the local hospitals cafeteria working extra hours to put my mom through nursing school. My brother and I never had much at a young age but i still would not call us "poor". But in fact, with the income my parents made we were in fact considered poor by the government. I think the reason why my family did so well is because of my father. He grew up in Scotland after World War Two and he was what I as well as many others would consider poor and was well aware of how to spend money wisely. I believe the American slang word for this is "cheap skate". I am confused at why America sets the poverty line so high and i believe it leads to unfair statistics and uneven distribution of money. The household income of a family with two children and two adults to be considered poor in America is $20,444 yearly. I don't see how this is considered to be such a low amount of money to live off of. I look at other countries that consider the poor to not have running water, electricity, or even the essential shelter and food and the US is fat from Macdonald's and on welfare. Someone please discuss this issue in further detail with me because i am confused!