LOL I can somewhat relate to this thread, as both my wife and I are by no means poor, we are certainly not wealthy.
Having gone from a week in BC (driving from Oregon) and a week in Acapulco in a decade to London/Scotland last Sept, AR last March and Chicago seminar in Oct, with a AS/NZ trip in preliminary planning for Fall 2013, and maybe a week in NYC, all due to a lot of the techniques acquired here, I have no problems flying 1st and aiming for a week at the Waldorf Astoria, and then being the envy of everyone.
Aside from people with credit difficulties, everything I have done is easily repeatable, and yes I have out in effort for the some of the spends (hauling 35-40lbs of coins to the bank LOL) but that effort has been paid back 100x. The tools are right in front of almost everyone's noses yet they fail to take advantage of them. For the longest time I paid no mind until recently and now I will not look back. To date I have gotten:
2 AA citi 75k
1 AA citi bus 75k
CO 40k
US Air 40k
HA 35k
citi TY premier 50k
SPG 25k
DL Amex 35k
DL Amex Bus 35k
And I am coming up onto my next churn as well and refilling my AA points.
To the OP, your situation is a little different, living in AU and having a US Soc# and that has advantages.
To them I would say that travel is a priority to you and that is what your vice is. I have the belief that having a few vices are not bad, mine is bicycling, good food and travel. I make no apologies in having good cycling gear, good food and traveling well. Thankfully, the $$ I save on travel can go to feed my other vices.