While I agree with you in general, to some extent poverty/luxury really is relative. If getting a decent job (or starting your own business) means learning how to operate a spreadsheet, then suddenly you're going to need a computer. People didn't have personal computers 50 years ago, but does that make them a luxury now? Likewise, if not having central heating and an indoor toilet makes you a social outcast (who would want to come and visit you in a cold, dark house?) then it stops being about just personal comfort and becomes essential to a happy life.

So, yes, perhaps we don't always have our priorities right (choosing money over time) but it's not necessarily something an individual can do something about -- there's a huge social dimension to it.