It has 3,000 square feet.

It costs $500,000.

And it has a champagne bar.

Sounds like a steal, right?

For a house in Manteca.

But here’s the thing.

It’s not in Manteca.

And it’s not a house.

It’s a custom closet.

And it’s not just any custom closet.

It’s three stories.

And it has a spiral staircase.

The closet is in Houston, Texas.

It is owned and designed by entrepreneur Theresa Roemer.

All the clothes are kept in cabinets with glass doors.

That includes 60 Hermès purses.

And 75 pairs of Louis Boutin shoes.

This is something to keep in mind.

Mind what?

Remember the 3,000-square-foot closet the next time you read stories about two 20-somethings living together/married with each earning more than $150,000 on an Internet “news” feed targeting the economic woes of “average” Americans.

You know the stories.

Student debt up the ying-yang.

Unable to afford a house.

Inflation forcing them to pare back restaurant dining/delivery service to three times a week.

Their economic situation forcing them to cancel an annual trip abroad.

Are your eyes teary yet?

Keep in mind the average household income in the United States in 2022 was $105,500.

To be clear, this is not an attack on Theresa Roemer and her 3,000-square-door closet.

She clearly is good when it comes to earning money.

And she is living within her means.

Most of us are comfortable, but not too comfortable.

We are maybe a paycheck or two ahead of our living expenses and debt.

Generation Z is no different than everyone back to the start of the Baby Boomers.

The Greatest Generation gets a pass.

Their outlook on life was forged by two hellish fires — the Great Depression and World War II.

They weren’t worried about emulating the lifestyle of the fictional Great Gatsby.

They weren’t obsessed about keeping up with the Joneses.

Nor do they want to rack up hundreds of thousands of likes or followers by trying to live the lifestyle of social influencers.

They — the Greatest Generation — lived with the fear of financial ruin and in the shadow of death.

You think the economy is bad today?

Try a 24.7 percent unemployment rate in 1933 during the Great Depression when there was no safety net.

You think the world is going to hell via war?

Try thinking what it was like wondering how much longer you or a loved one would be around given between 40 million and 50 million people — soldiers and civilians — died during the four-year stretch of World War II.

There is nothing wrong with big closets — if you can afford them.

The Roemers of the world can.

Most of the rest of us can’t.

Eighteen years ago Seeno Homes was selling the biggest tract homes ever built in Manteca like hot cakes — 4,336-square-foot boxes in the Heritage Ranch neighborhood around Joshua Cowell School.

One included a master bedroom that covered 700 square feet.

That wasn’t the entire master bedroom suite.

It was just the bedroom. The master bathroom and closet were over the double-car garage.

The space was split 50-50 between the master bathroom and the master closet.

The bedroom itself looked like a bowling alley.

The closet was the size of a typical tract home master bedroom, per se.

One little problem.

All but two of the ultra McMansions went into foreclosure.

The reason? Liar loans.

And as much as everyone likes to blame lenders, it takes two to tango.

The second they signed the loan papers, assuming they read them, they were living beyond their means.

So much for making a point.

Now for a snapshot of how the 1 percent lives — and those that are moving on up.

The Wall Street Journal has a home/real estate section.

It runs on Fridays.

And it’s aptly called “Mansion.”

Last week the lead story headlined “Luxury Closets Get SUPERSIZED .”

It shared how one Kimmie Turianasky of Resminister, N.J. has spent $120,00 to create a 470-square-foot custom closet.

She regularly has friends over to gather in the closet.

They sit down on window seats in the closet sipping champagne, listening to pop music, and swapping clothes.

The story goes on to explain creating luxury closets is a trend on the upswing.

Ten years ago, the average top-of-the-line closets cost between $60,000 and $80,000.

Today, they cost between $200,000 and $300,000.

The rich are different than you and I — mostly.

That’s because most of us have a tendency to overbuild our lives.

The rich can afford it unless, of course, they get in over their heads.

As for everyone else, we can’t afford to live the American Dream on steroids.

Decent shelter.

A comfortable life.

Food on the table that isn’t made all the more expensive by being delivered or pre-prepared.

Good health.

Friends.

Family.

Isn’t that enough to aspire to?

As for me, my closet is 3 feet by 7 feet.

Given some people don’t have that to even live in, it’s more than enough for me.

This column is the opinion of editor, Dennis Wyatt, and does not necessarily represent the opinions of The Bulletin or 209 Multimedia. He can be reached at dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com