Nigel, minimun wage in the States is crap. But waiting tables in a bar in NYC could have done it. And I have several "vagabond" friends who have found NYC to London flights during the course of the last 15 years in a range of 145.00-575.00 USD. The trick is that you pretty much have to be able to leave 5 minutes after the rate has been posted and not pack anything. And you have to be willing to believe the rate. It is in the PLANNING of trips that the industries really nail your arse to the wall.
And really it is a life is what you make it moral. Consider that she let her fears and insecurities trump her heart and inherent sense of adventure. She is doomed to be miserable not because she didn't go with the rich guy. It was not about money... ever. But because she stayed where her fears chained her. After all... she, as Michael pointed out, could have done what she does in London. Illiteracy is a global problem. And I think Europeans have a better respect for vinyl/wax so there would have been better record stores to work in. For myself, I had hoped that it ended better so I would have some ideas on how to be less like Edie myself. But all I saw was her perceptions of life (rampant divorce) reinforcing her skewed beliefs and fears. Still.... who doesn't love Stephen Moyer? I still liked this a lot. :)

lol agreed with your take on fiction. really hoped this series continued--can't understand why it stopped after 7 episodes - but then again this was filmed in 2004---different times then