....no, their lifestyle would be seen as one of poverty. They live a life of manual labor in a tiny house with no internet, television, or phone service. The blind father basically is able to do nothing but sit around the house all day.

People love to romanticize the past. In reality, most people living in a developed country in modern times (even those who are low-income) live with luxuries that are far beyond what could have even been imagined by the wealthiest people a few centuries ago.