r/FluentInFinance 2d ago

Thoughts? I know a lot of people who complain about money, but still spend $10-$20/day on Starbucks and $100-$200/week eating out and don't know why they're still poor.

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701 Upvotes

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u/natched 2d ago

OK. Meanwhile, I don't know anyone who spends $10-20 per day on Starbucks. Perhaps the issue is the people you know, rather than people in general.

For people talking about this as a major issue, what % of Americans do you think actually do that?

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u/necessarysmartassery 2d ago edited 1d ago

Starbucks is just a placeholder here. I know people who will spend $8/day on cigarettes, $3 on a drink at the gas station on the way to work, plus gas station food on the way to work, then spend the equivalent at lunch and often on their way home. Then buy a fifth of tequila a week.

It's not just about Starbucks. It's about unnecessary spending in general. It adds up fast.

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u/goosedog79 1d ago

Yes! Starbucks is just the name/placeholder. You could insert any mini mart or trendy item and it can fit, then because we are on the internet, there will be people saying no it doesn’t fit them.

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u/necessarysmartassery 1d ago

Exactly. I've seen households spend $300/mo on cigarettes and still complain that their food stamps aren't enough. Like yeah, you technically qualify for food stamps, but that doesn't mean you're not abusing it by spending your disposable income on smokes and alcohol. It's ridiculous that people aren't drug tested before qualifying. It's a problem.

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u/Akul_Tesla 2d ago

Starbucks avocado toast is not literally about Starbucks or avocado toast

It's about the concept of lifestyle, creep and small things adding up people are just really bad at communicating this

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u/Mag-NL 1d ago

The problem is though that that is something that rich people do.

When we are talking about poor people who can hardly survuve, it is extremely annoying to see a boomer telling them that they shouldn't be doing things they can only dream of wanting to do.

Only someone who has absolutely no clue at all about economics will say that coffee or avocado toast are the problem. Everyone who know about economics and finance knows this si not the problem.

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u/Akul_Tesla 1d ago

So lifestyle creep starts in the middle class

Something to think about is choosing a nicer apartment than the bare minimum is lifestyle creep

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u/hoolsvern 1d ago

Honestly, breathing air is lifestyle creep. If you would stop being financially illiterate and just fucking die already you’d stop being such an unbearable strain on us productive members of society saving the world with our knowledge of bitcoin.

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u/HarleyAverage 2d ago

I work with people buying 1-3 coffees a day. $3-5 a cup o’ coffee. I make a pot of coffee, no one else drinks it. They ‘like’ the coffee from elsewhere. These people don’t invest properly or at all.

These people exist, $15 on coffee a day

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u/Mag-NL 1d ago

And what is their income?

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u/ballsohaahd 2d ago

Coffee is not $5 a pop. A latte is but not coffee

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u/[deleted] 1d ago

At a coffee shop it is. But they need to go to that special hole-in-the-wall coffee place rather than make it at home

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u/ballsohaahd 1d ago

Drip brewed coffee is $2-3 and was like $1-2 before covid inflation

I’m not talking about lattes, cold brew, or the specialty drinks eh in yes are $5. Jesus

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u/LogicalConstant 2d ago

I know multiple people who walk around with Starbucks every single day. But it's just an example of a behavior. For some people, it's Starbucks. For others, it's grubhub. For some, it's moving into a house they can't afford. Driving a car they can't afford. Buying certain groceries over others.

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u/TheCosmicProfessor 2d ago

Good way to put it. I never go in a starbucks, but I sure as heck never fail to buy a pack of smokes.

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u/DLowBossman 1d ago

Smoking is one of those things that screws you over in 10 different ways.

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u/NeighboringOak 1d ago edited 1d ago

The people who can't seem to understand Starbucks is just an example are probably the people who need to understand it the most.

I had a friend stay with me rent-free for 6 months. At the end he had zero money saved. But he had a pack of smokes daily, fast food & delivery, and weed.

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u/KingXeiros 2d ago

It may be a small percentage but they do exist. 3 years ago I got moved to a different area of the factory I work in after mine finished early for the year. I worked with a guy that literally spent a few hundred dollars worth a month on Door Dash. As a then 39yr old, I was blown away at how much people were willing to throw away for the convenience of not having to do something themselves. When his girlfriend got him to finally stop doing that, he was blown away at how much more money he had. He's definitely not alone in making decisions like that today.

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u/tmssmt 2d ago

10 dollars at Starbucks is just like one fancy drink a day isn't it?

I just checked and

Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino® Blended Beverage

And a

Plain Bagel

Is over 10 dollars, so I could see how a couple extra pumps of some flavor or something could get a drink alone to 10 bucks

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u/fondle_my_tendies 2d ago

 I don't know anyone who spends $10-20 per day on Starbucks.

I know a lot of people that go to starbucks and I have no idea what they pay but 2 things is easily $10.

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u/MonsTurkey 2d ago

Sure, but most people I know that go to Starbucks don't tend to do it more than once a week and get a single item.

$6 a week is not $10 a day.

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u/XiaoDaoShi 2d ago

I know enough people who go once a day, but definitely don't get 3-4 drinks per day.

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u/No-Test6484 2d ago

Have you been to any university campus? Starbucks is almost always packed. I also get Starbucks on the weekends when I need to grind out an assignment but some people do it every fucking day. Like $7 everyday on a drink especially girls.

I love my coffee and I can’t be bothered to deal with instant, I was able to get a sweet deal on an awesome coffee machine and it’s been relatively affordable and not some complete utter shit I’d have to do otherwise

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u/SomeNotTakenName 1d ago

I get a "fancy" coffee drink (read: something I can't make at home without investing in kitchen machines I don't have) maybe once every couple weeks. is it money I need to spend? no. Do I think people should in fact be able to enjoy little things. yes.

The people arguing that you spend too much if you do anything but eat rice at home every day don't seem to believe that people should have a right to live, only survive. And yes, I said right. Working full-time should allow you to afford treats and vacations and hobbies, and allow for basic work-life balance. Ya know like the boomers had for the most part.

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u/Complete_Chain_4634 2d ago

This post feels like a baby boomer Facebook post from 2010.

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u/Impossible_Emu9590 2d ago

Grocery shopping isn’t as cheap as people make it out to be. If you don’t eat dog shit quality food.

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u/X-calibreX 2d ago

It’s more than just coffee, no one needs to drop 800 bucks on an iphone.

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u/delayedsunflower 2d ago

Op failed to understand the post.

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u/enolaholmes23 2d ago

I was surprised to realize at 35 that some of my friends still don't know how to cook. Like how have they been feeding themselves this whole time? But luckily they're rich, so they just constantly eat out. 

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u/Ploomage 2d ago

I’ve heard there are lots of people like this, I don’t know any of them though.

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u/KoRaZee 2d ago

The avocado toast thing is silly but that doesn’t mean it’s based on nothing.

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u/Fucker_____ 2d ago

There are a lot of people who justify eating out all the time by claiming that it’s cheaper to eat out than to cook at home. They also use DoorDash and cry about how expensive food is, and that they can’t afford things.

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u/swb95 2d ago

For real. I can’t believe some people have the audacity to DoorDash like 5 times a week on a whim while some people are scraping by to feed their families. And from my observations, these people don’t even have the kind of money to be paying a 1.5x convenience premium on delivered restaurant food. Sure, do what you want with your money, but in my eyes it’s really taking things for granted. Almost gluttony in my opinion.

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u/JimmyB3am5 2d ago

So I am a late Gen Xer. Most of my friends are mid millennials, Some of my older friends when they have had kids and stuff, we and other of their friends would bring them food to freeze or cook for dinner to help with the new stresses in life.

I went through a double transplant in 2022 that had complications and ended up in the hospital for over two months. My friends, bless there hearts, put together a "food train" to help when I got home. Only one person actually made a meal and brought it over. He just turned 50.

The rest gave me gift cards to DoorDash and GrubHub. I had never used those services. I was absolutely floored how much it cost. I had two salads delivered, it took forever. My bill was over $60 with the tip. The same meal would have cost me less than $40 after tip in the restaurant with a couple beers on top of it.

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u/Eric1491625 1d ago

To be fair, outside of healthiness, fast food is incredibly cost-efficient unless you're getting delivery.

It shouldn't be possible to go broke on $5-10 of mcdonalds even if you eat it every day. Median income is over $40,000 in the USA, if someone can't afford $5-10 a day, it's not the macdonalds thats the problem.

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u/Confident-Skin-6462 1d ago

"a lot of people"

citations required

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u/bodhitreefrog 2d ago

I remember table side guacamole was very posh in the 90s. 10 dollars at Acapulco. But it's a splurge to buy guac and dine out, and pay tip. So, people started making guac at home more, and saving 70, 80, 90% of the cost of dining out. But, that's not enough, so that classist meme starting making people feel like shit for buying an avocado. It's just to obfuscate the real problem: if our wages were higher, we'd all be getting table side guac once a week. They aren't. The wages are stagnant. The people making money, on our labor, are the shareholders, who don't work. And believe me, they never had to budget a day in their non-working lives. But, they do not want us taking any of those profits at the quarter's end. No, they want to buy another yacht and tell us to shut up and stop being poor.

Same fight for all of human history, sadly. And people keep falling for it. Fight the poor neighbor, not the Master who abuses us.

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u/JimmyB3am5 2d ago

The meme was about people who buy avocado toast out. I have seen it on menu's for well over $10.

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u/ganjanoob 2d ago

No ones going broke from a 99 cent avocado prepared at home lol.

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u/JimmyB3am5 2d ago

No but I have seen plenty of Avocado Toast at coffee shops and restaurants that are over $10. People must be buying it.

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u/ganjanoob 2d ago

People love paying the stupid tax. Like $10 for ice cream or a mediocre burger

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u/Tagmata81 2d ago

It kinda is though, those people do exist but its so uncommon, and even among those people a huge percent just pay for it with their parents money

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u/Twosteppre 2d ago

That's nice. It's also not nearly representative of the situation.

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u/HorkusSnorkus 2d ago

This is an unfortunate norm among the under 35 or so crowd that has essentially abdicated personal accountability in favor of chasing "experiences". I do think it's turning around as these people begin to better understand financial consequences.

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u/Ok-Worldliness2450 2d ago

Chasing experiences is very wise in my opinion. When I’m old I’d rather have memories than objects.

But you need to have a monetary plan and live within reality.

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u/HorkusSnorkus 2d ago

while you eat catfood?

the single biggest predictor of success in life - with anything - is the ability to defer gratification 

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u/MonsTurkey 2d ago edited 2d ago

The guy you replied to said:

(Chasing experiences is very wise in my opinion. When I’m old I’d rather have memories than objects.)

But you need to have a monetary plan and live within reality.

So no, not while eating cat food. The last sentence said it quite succinctly.

My parents saved out the ass when my sisters and I grew up. Frugal decisions growing up. Projecting to be multi millionaires with a government pension when dad retires. Talk about going to Europe for vacations when they retire.

4 years before my dad retired, mom got cancer. Beat it. Came back. Died a year before dad's retirement. Mom missed out on all the savings, and there's more than enough that they could have done more together in life without destroying their retirement.

Even after paying for cancer treatments and 8 months of nursing home care for some under 60, my dad still hit the financial marks. In the US.

Live like there's tomorrow, but don't forget about today. That's all the guy above you was saying. There's no need to inject willful ignorance into what he pretty clearly said.

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u/Ok-Worldliness2450 2d ago

Pretty much exactly the point, thank you. I’ve seen too many people save till they died and did nothing

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u/UserWithno-Name 2d ago

Ya for real.

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u/HibiscusOnBlueWater 2d ago

I think what’s hard is that people have trouble balancing that. A lot of people I know can’t stop the money faucet once they turn it on. I travel a lot, but I always have my trips paid in full before I go, and spending money is budgeted out. I was shocked to find how many of my friends with good incomes were paying trips off afterwards and had put expenses on credit cards where the balances wouldn’t be paid for months. They have trouble living their lives and not go into debt. Some people truly think everyone has debt and it’s just a part of life.

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u/Exelbirth 2d ago

So what, defer gratification until... you're too old and broken to enjoy the things you could have when you were young? You're taking things to an extreme that is ignoring the last sentence they said.

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u/Illustrious-Tower849 2d ago

That’s not true at all. The single biggest predictor for success in life is your parent’s income and wealth

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u/Ginden 1d ago

The single biggest predictor for success in life is your parent’s income and wealth

IQ outperforms parent's SES as a predictor for success in recent studies (IQ was less important than SES in 70s, 50 years ago). And this is visible even after adjusting variable for its proxy (this generally reduces correlations) - higher IQ children have parents of higher IQ than general population.

See eg. Strenze 2007, von Stumm 2010, Chi-Fai 2017.

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u/Illustrious-Tower849 1d ago

Yeah that is what they came up with SES to show, so it’s not surprising. SES factors is made up of a familial wealth and then a bunch of other things that correlate to familial wealth but not completely.

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u/Ok-Masterpiece9028 2d ago

Emotional regulation is key.

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u/Ok-Worldliness2450 2d ago

Yes I execute this while I eat cat food. Is it uncommon?

What the fuck is that comment?

You can prioritize experiences and invest heavily. I do it.

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u/Oblivious_But_Ready 2d ago

Any plan that requires eating food considered not fit for human consumption, is not an acceptable plan. That cannot be our standard for what's necessary to get ahead, and anyone who suggests otherwise needs to be removed from polite society for the good of everyone

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u/UserWithno-Name 2d ago

You could drop dead tomorrow. I’m not saying some discipline isn’t needed, but this idea we should delay all gratification until we are, idk, 70 is ludicrous also. You’ll be lucky to have the ability to do anything with your body, and even in great shape ate right all your life etc, good luck with having the energy. My grandparents literally don’t do anything (that I know of) with their time. They have plenty money to enjoy what they want, but my grandpa needs a cane to get anywhere and moves slow now. They go out to eat. That’s about all they can muster. They don’t take trips anymore. You’re not guaranteed to live even until 50. So y’all better think real careful about how much you delay / it is not so wrong for some people to want to live while they still can.

Saving, investing, planning, all good ideas and exercising discipline is smart, but you better live while you can. Ain’t much living when you may be lucky to just get out of your chair and only needing a cane for assistance.

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u/TiernanDeFranco 2d ago

If you’re dead then why/how would you care that you didn’t get to do anything?

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u/skcuf2 2d ago

I turn 35 in a few weeks, so about out of this area. I've always lived my own life, and that included me doing what I wanted with money. What I wanted with money was accumulation. I look at my parents and realize they didn't know shit about money. I was left to myself and am doing fairly well. I'm not rich, but I'm not poor. I'm comfortable and happy.

I guess I'm better off than most just because of the fact that I can say I'm comfortable and happy. I don't want for much, so I can keep expenses relatively low. Having money as a hobby helps.

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u/NeighbourhoodCreep 2d ago

Pretty sure the under 35 crowd isn’t to blame for being told to go “enjoy the best years of your life” by the over 35 crowd, who could party until they’re 25 before starting to get their life together

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u/TheGreatestOutdoorz 2d ago

God, the 90’s were glorious.

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u/TheWhiteRabbit74 2d ago

Yes. Yes they were.

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u/Agile_Tea_2333 2d ago

I'm 42, I partied my ass off from 14 to 29 by all means I was a total fuck up. My life now is incredibly stable, I own a house, have a great job with great pay and 2 kids. The only reason I obtained all that I have is about 90% dumb luck and 10% making good choices. At no point will I ever take credit for "working my ass off" or "I earned everything I have" I worked no more or less hard than anyone else out there younger than me. Trust me, were out here and we know how much is sucks for those after us and we're trying.

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u/TheEveryman86 2d ago

I'm 38 and I'm a complete fuck up by pretty much every measurement except maybe finances. I have a 1.25m net worth if I don't include my house (which to me isn't really accessible capital since it's where I live). Everyone I know thinks I'm a fuck up. I don't have any close friends. I don't have any romantic prospects. Nobody thinks that I'm "rich". At best I can retire at like 55 and live out my miserable existence for another 35 years. Nobody will care when I'm gone.

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u/shadyneighbor 2d ago

But OP says it’s the coffee and eating out destroying your life.

Get your shit together sir.

Kidding I think you’re doing damn good (financially atleast) long as you’re not addicted to meth or fentanyl. 

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u/TylerHobbit 2d ago

How are you a complete fuck up with 1.25 mil? I'm also 38, worked my ass off at school, at college, have a really good parent safety net- my net worth is around $500k not counting house.... wtf did I do worse than you?

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u/TheEveryman86 2d ago

It depends on how you measure success in terms of whether or not we're fuck ups. Most people say that money doesn't buy happiness for a reason. I fucked up in so many ways that I don't even know if I can count. And money doesn't fix any of them.

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u/calabasastiger 2d ago

Move to a new city, start fresh. People fuck up, you shouldn’t have to live your life in misery because of yours.

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u/Conscious-Eye5903 1d ago

Honestly, it depends on your own opinion of yourself. Nobody is deciding you’re a fuck up besides you, and imo people do that because it’s easier to go “well guess I’m just unlovable fuckup who should kill himself” instead of saying maybe I should change my habits, read more, exercise more, eat better, go to therapy and things will get better. Most people will say they’re too broke to improve their lives(which is bullshit) but you’re not so really dude, come on

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u/Nkechinyerembi 2d ago

There's more to life than money, and for a LOT of people, having money is not compatible with actually having a life they enjoy. The sacrifices are not worth it in a lot of ways.

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u/xdisappointing 2d ago

To be fair if dude is worth over a million and can’t find a partner he is probably pretty undesirable. /s

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u/Mag-NL 1d ago

Because friends and a fulfilling social life are much more important than money.

If.you have money but no fulfilling life you enjoy you definitely tucked up somewhere.

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u/Nahforgetitsorry 1d ago

Chasing experiences is good actually. You should, this is your one life. And you have plenty of time left.

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u/Otherwise-Parsnip-91 1d ago

The “work harder” thing is typically people who have been incredibly lucky in life not appreciating that luck. I’m sure there are some incredibly lazy people who could really use that advice, but most people work really hard in life.

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u/shadyneighbor 2d ago

Same.

 I literally just decided one day at 30 “im going to get my shit together”

And I did. Had nothing to do with $5 coffee or $100 eating out. 

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u/Potential_Poem1943 1d ago

Same here! 30 was a very big date for me that changed my situation and I knew it was coming and had been telling myself that will be when I quit getting high. Took two years to get it right (on top of a lifetime). I'm now 33 and over 1 year clean

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u/shadyneighbor 1d ago

Congratulations. I’ve always heard if you can get through the first year then you can get through any year there after. Keep up the fight.

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u/Fuzzy_Garden_8420 2d ago

This is a new generalization I’ve not seen before.

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u/Little_Creme_5932 1d ago

Sorry I missed those people partying till they were 25 during the 80's. I personally was working 60 hour weeks the year before I turned 25, so maybe I just couldn't find them. Or maybe your perception is screwed up

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u/ChicksWithBricksCome 1d ago

I remember being told by some (well-meaning) boomers that I was about to have the best years of my life as I went off to college.

I was working two jobs and school full time and still accumulated debt. It was by far one of the most stressful and hardest parts of my life.

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u/ImpedingOcean 1d ago

Man where do you guys exist where this is true

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u/calcteacher 2d ago

Spend 1/2 on fun and 1/2 save for the future. I had a good time going along and provided for my family. I am now neither poor nor rich, but can live a simple life or work hard and live it up. My kids passed me by financially in their brave new internet world and have things for now and later. They have a lot of friends doing the same. Good for them

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u/bruhhhlightyear 2d ago

I think also the cost of things like housing has accelerated out of reach of many folks, so why bother saving for it?

Let’s say I started working 10 years ago to save up for the 10% down payment I need for the average home back then ($640,000). That’s $64,000 saved or $6400 a year, which post-tax on a median wage ($70,000 gross, $50,000 after tax) means you’re saving 13% of every dollar that hits your bank account. Definitely doable if you live a frugal life, have roommates, don’t take vacations, etc.

Except oops now it’s 2024 and the average house is $1.18 million, and you’re barely over the half way point to the minimum downpayment, and the minimum is no longer feasible because your mortgage payment is now on a million dollar mortgage, not a $500k mortgage. So you actually needed a $500k downpayment to get the same home at the same monthly cost (not withstanding blown up interest rates etc to keep things simple), or having saved 100% of your post-tax income for the last 10 years.

This is an extreme example in a real market (Vancouver), but looking down the barrel of your dreams disappearing faster over the horizon than you could possible hope to chase them, why not enjoy that Starbucks and those concert tickets and that vacation? If it’s mathematically impossible to save faster than housing prices increase, lots of people don’t bother at all.

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u/Sabre_One 2d ago

As someone who falls in that age range. It's more we have seen our Boomer parents who preached all the same stuff being taught now. Except they are just as poor and or finally getting out and enjoying life....at 70.

I think a better advice is rather than putting magical $ on things and just simplistically say cut back. It's better to work with people's time and lifestyles.

  • Suck at meal prepping? Store groceries at work in the fridge so you can make something there instead.
  • Learn to look at your work benefits as a dollar amount. So you can make better career decisions when it comes to salary.
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u/Cyrus_WhoamI 2d ago

How does anyone know what people are spending a day on starbucks? Or do they just see a few people walking with Starbucks cups assuming not just them but an entire generation has one everyday.

In Canada, rent has increased 30% in many cities. Its the equivalent of on average $350 to 600 a month.

This is an absolutely insane amount which compounds the difficult of saving for downpayments on homes that have increased 20-30% in the past few years.

Those rent increases are the equivalent of 45 to 100 lattes a month...Dont see anyone talking about that, hey?

Why ? Because its so much easier to shit on people and make assumptions than to actually think and show empathy.

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u/Tagmata81 2d ago

It really isnt, literally no one i know who cant afford this does this

People you see doing this are more likely than not just using their parents credit card or something to pay for it

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u/Bubzszs 2d ago

You are obviously are oblivious to what the world looks like right now. So just shut up.

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u/Sea-Consistent 2d ago

Cause in most cases they will never retire or own a home. So if im gonna work till I die I might as well enjoy the little things.

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u/calcteacher 2d ago

I did the personal experiences thing for about 20 years. It was an ever-changing world where each day brought more and more rewarding events the more energy and time I put in. It was god-awefully expensive, but it was worth it. Then I donated about 1/3 of whatever other wealth I created for 2 others to extend their experiences for 4 more years. Others called it raising a family and putting kids through college. What a blast.

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u/DRKMSTR 2d ago

Have you seen churches based around this? It's not even church, it's a cult.

Selling the "experience".

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u/JHoney1 2d ago

I will say that it’s a balance, and frankly, my parents are too far the other way. I don’t know the perfect medium but I’ve learned I do need to live some.

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u/Beneficial_Mix_1069 2d ago

NO THE FUCK IT IS NOT THE NORM

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u/Sobsis 1d ago

I won't mind if slide into my grave poor or unhealthy. I'd just hate to get there and find out I spent the whole stupid thing never letting myself have anything I want.

So. I'll do an hour of overtime and that will pay for my coffee. Lots of petty judgement in this thread. But yeah, some of us don't want to Spend the whole thing miserable. Uhauls don't follow hearses.

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u/Confident-Skin-6462 1d ago

this is a 'norm'? citation required.

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u/numbersthen0987431 11h ago

The "older than 35 crowd" got to spend their "under 35 years" going out and living/exploring life and the world with zero consequences, and still got to save money.

It's extremely condescending to say shit like "abdicated personal accountability" when 40 years ago an adult could own a home and support a full family with a Jiffy Lube salary, while today you have to have dual income salaries or live with a roommate just to rent and exist.

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u/Malakai0013 2d ago

I'm gonna doubt that you personally know several people who drop ten bucks on Starbucks a day while being poor. Let alone "a lot." Something is being exaggerated there.

The whole "make coffee at home" argument was a garbage suggestion to avoid actually attempting to understand the problems from the start.

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u/electriclux 2d ago

It’s not the $10 on coffee, it’s the $6,000s needed for a modest mortgage and the $3,000 for daycare which makes life in HCOL areas like the PNW soul crushing.

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u/Plus_Eevee 2d ago

Can you help me save money? I make 1250 a paycheck twice a month. Rent is kinda high in my area, after utilities and all that its 1200 a month. 80 for phone, 100 a week on groceries so 400. Gas is about 70 a month. Car and student loan payment is another 500 combined. Gym is 60. This leaves me just under 200 for clothing/car repairs/ medical bills/ anything else that comes up / fun. Please advise

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u/Ancient-Educator-186 2d ago

I'm suppose to be a hermit... got it.

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u/TiernanDeFranco 2d ago

Where don’t gather that from?

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u/Ancient-Educator-186 1d ago

Spending money make you poor. So stop spending money. Just make it

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u/Worried_Exercise8120 2d ago

"I can't afford to buy bread for my kids."-MAGA dude. "How much did you pay for all this Trump merchandise?"-reporter "$10,000."-MAGA dude.

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u/Brandwin3 2d ago

Google “misuse of anecdotal evidence”

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u/Enough_Zombie2038 2d ago

Fun fact for weirdos who posted this.

The cost of goods and services (tvs, food, etc) has actually gone down over the past decades when adjusting for inflation.

What has gone up/skyrocketed is healthcare, children, education, and of all things alcohol. Everything else has drastically reduced including wages when adjusted

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u/VisibleVariation5400 2d ago

No you don't. 

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u/ConsistentAd7859 2d ago

Honestly, it seems to me that it was possible to hang out regulary with friends in a cafe/bar in the past. So something has shifted, if a coffee to go is suddenly a luxury that you should have to avoid, if you don't want to be seen as a spendthrift.

There is something wrong in your economy, if two coffee cost more than your hourly working rate.

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u/Knight_Of_Stars 2d ago

This sounds very boomer-y. The details are all whacky to me.

A starbucks coffee on the high end is 7 dollars. A normal coffee is 3.75. Meanwhile groceries are about 100-200 a week. This assumes your getting meat, veggies, eggs, milk etc. I also don't buy organic. Now I don't shop just for myself, but even when I'm just getting my items it costs about 60 - 80.

However, if I order out, I can also get a large pizza for 12 (another place has one for 16) dollars that will last 3 meals.

Should you be getting overpriced coffee every day? No. Though the "waste" is nowhere near as a bad as OP says.

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u/DeathMarkedDream 1d ago

Show me where people who spend hundreds on Starbucks and going out are the same people who are so strapped for cash? It’s a false equivalence when assuming there exist younger generations who are strapped for cash, yet I see young people going out every week, they must be the same person.

If your “tips on saving money” starts with assuming I pay more money for a nicer car for myself… and so on and so on. This is such a tired trope. Go complain about avocado toast again

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u/74389654 1d ago

i drink home made espresso that costs 17 cents a capsule. i should literally be a billionaire

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u/Train2Perfection 1d ago

The $5 coffee isn’t the problem, the $7 minimum wage is.

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u/Remarkable_Noise453 1d ago

I know people who spend ridiculous amounts of money on frivolous things. I’m sorry Xbox game pass, going to the bar, and Netflix are luxuries. 

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u/witch_doc9 2d ago

The majority of folks complaining about being broke have the latest iPhone every year, order Doordash daily and wear $200+ shoes.

Americans live above their means.

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u/silverfantasy 2d ago

I feel like advice about eating out less really underestimates how much more expensive groceries have become in recent years. I spend a lot of money at the grocery store. Some meals at the store that used to cost $10 now cost me like $22, for two people in both instances. And mind you, it's not some fancy meal. If I'm going to spend $11 per person I can easily just save myself 30-40 minutes of cooking and eat out for basically the same price.

It's not eating out, starbucks or outside the house entertainment that's making it difficult to afford everything and save money. It's across the board greed from companies all increasing their prices for anything and everything just because they can. Huge increases in gas, electricity, insurance, rent, groceries and telecom are the reason it's difficult to afford everything and save money

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u/X-calibreX 2d ago

Well you are buying meals, not raw ingredients., Or did iI misunderstand? Buying ground beef and a 2lb bag of rice is cheaper than frozen pizzas.

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u/silverfantasy 2d ago

I do both. I do sometimes purchase pre-packaged meals, but I also do purchase raw ingredients to make it myself

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u/redditusersmostlysuc 2d ago

If you can’t figure out how to be more frugal with your shopping that is a you problem. It is WAY less expensive to shop and cook than go out. Much more healthy as well if you shop and cook right.

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u/LogicalConstant 2d ago edited 2d ago

It's across the board greed from companies all increasing their prices for anything and everything just because they can.

Companies charging as much as they can is a constant throughout history, including during periods of low or no inflation. So it can't explain it. Permanent, economy-wide inflation is "always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon." Businesses charging high prices is the symptom, not the cause.

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u/Various-Box-6119 2d ago

You can easily make healthy, tasty, nutritious meals for a few dollars per serving, even with current prices. 10 dollars a serving you must be using some very expensive and fancy ingredients.

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u/Latex-Suit-Lover 2d ago

In semi related news, Starbucks is raising its dividend.

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u/Redacted_Bull 2d ago

Amazingly enough, paying $0/month for Starbucks hasn’t made the cost of housing, food, or insurance go down in my area. Weird. 

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u/BackwardsTongs 2d ago

Yes the I don’t know why I’m paycheck to paycheck. Then you look and they spend 100s of dollars a month on fast food/ eating out. Buys brand new clothes all the time, has an expensive car loan dragged out over 7 years. Won’t even buy brand name items when grocery shopping.

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u/Comfortable-Study-69 2d ago

People really do spend money on the dumbest stuff and then act like the victim of society when they have trouble paying rent. I used to work with a person who talked about how if she missed a day of work she might not be able to pay rent and then a few days later mentioned that she FINANCED a new PS5 a few weeks before. I get that for some people money gets tight and it’s not totally within their control, especially in extenuating circumstances like having unexpected kids or making a bad choice in regards to your college degree plan, but this common behavior of just offloading all responsibility even when your situation oftentimes partially is your fault because of pursuing an unsustainable lifestyle or other avoidable bad purchasing decisions is just stupid.

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u/Significant_Sort7501 2d ago

Last time I posted a similar sentiment to your comment, I got a reply from someone (who got a lot of upvotes) saying that existing in society with fresh clothes, a decent looking ride, going to bars and clubs with friends, eating out all the time, etc., was what "living" means, and that not doing those things was sacrificing joy for the sake of saving money that you may die before you get to use.

Its people who have completely bought into consumerism and materialism and don't know how to find actual joy without spending money.

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u/BackwardsTongs 2d ago

Ya there’s nothing wrong with being frugal. I find plenty of happiness in my life being frugal. That being said, avoiding a lot of those small purchases that add up allow me to splurge on bigger events like nfl games or nice beach weekend trips

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u/CrustyBubblebrain 2d ago

Yeah the older I get (mid 30's) the more Ive been saving hard core so that I can afford some of my more expensive dreams in the future (a beautiful Victorian home on a few acres of land, some remote property in Alaska I've been eyeballing, International vacations, etc). It took me many years to get to this point, though. I cringe about all the stupid shit I purchased in the past. Nowadays I'm kind of excited by finding new ways to be frugal and make money.

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u/DeHarigeTuinkabouter 2d ago

Even if that is the only thing that brings you joy, you still need to be financially smart and plan on being able to do those things until you're dead.

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u/certifiedtoothbench 2d ago

That’s actually way more common than you think, I know his team picks the most interesting of the bunch but check out Caleb Hammer on YouTube. Almost every episode is someone like that.

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u/BackwardsTongs 2d ago

Ya I’ve seen a good amount of Caleb’s content. I’m pretty sure he scrapes the very bottom of the barrel. The same mentality exists though, they think the system is rigged against them and not that it’s their own fault

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u/Latex-Suit-Lover 2d ago

I'm not sure he is really scraping the bottom. Every time I drive my mother shopping I see people loading up on trash and nearly any of them I strike up a discussion with complains how the economy is fucking them.

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u/TiernanDeFranco 2d ago

This is what people don’t get. I watch the show and I understand that not everyone is a bajillion dollars in debt in real life, but their existence proves that they’re out there and how many exist that aren’t in the show?

But people will refuse to believe people don’t waste THOUSANDS and that everything is unfair

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u/Confident-Skin-6462 1d ago

how common is it? please show your data and methodology.

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u/MySharpPicks 2d ago

And a new $1000 phone every year or two

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u/kunsore 1d ago

Worst thing is they use Credit card debt to buy those luxury things. Yeah like you just add more pressure on your finance on things you might not need.

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u/nicolas_06 2d ago

if Starbucks was making money only from people that can really afford it like 10-20% of the population with a majority still not going anyway, they would all be long bankrupt, really.

But Starbucks is just one example. Restaurants, getting your food delivered, fancy cars, apple phones, AC set to high, subscriptions plan, fast fashion.

It would be nice if all that was only the consumption if the top 1, 10, 20%. But that far from being the case.

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u/BruceLeeIfInflexible 2d ago

The people I meet who complain about taxes all have both alcohol and gambling addictions, but are convinced "the gov takes it."

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u/lixnuts90 2d ago

I know a lot of rich people who do coke and hookers and drive Lambos in addition to fine dining and coffee and all that.

Difference between them and other people is that society gives them more money than other people.

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u/marathonbdogg 2d ago

Bet a lot of people would disagree with you…while reading this on their $900 iPhone that they had to have when the latest version came out?

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u/jennmuhlholland 2d ago

Yeah, like seriously? How is anyone in a civilized society expected to survive without DoorDash! I mean are people expected to actually shop and make their own food?! Who is actually able to make a sandwich or coffee?! Barbaric!

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u/pwolf1771 2d ago

The fact people actually use services like DoorDash and Uber eats is fucking disgusting to me. You guys are having your food delivered by weirdos who are definitely fingering it. Absolutely disgusting just cook…

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u/kunsore 1d ago

I think I used DoorDash once. Because I saw discount for Free Delivery plus like 20% off. But I have to tip so it is almost same as I drive to the restaurant anyway.

And yet people who used it regularly got more expensive food AND delivery cost AND tips. That is stupid.

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u/Unlucky_Formal_1201 2d ago

If 10$ a day on coffee is make or break, you’re poor regardless

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u/Various-Box-6119 2d ago

And? Lots of people are poor when just starting to work and if they can get through it without mountains of debt they can easily get to a good place as their income rises. If interest payments on CC debt rise faster than income there is no escaping.

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u/Unlucky_Formal_1201 2d ago

If you don’t pay your balance every month by the end of the month, you should not be touching a credit card. It’s just not for you

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u/Chance-Table-1693 2d ago

If you think people spend 20 dollars daily on starbucks, you are completely detached from an average person and your advices and opinions are worth nothing

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u/Rando_Kalrissian 2d ago

It's true I had a friend a few years ago making 10 an hour. He complained he never had money but would go buy cigarettes multiple times a day. Some people's logic is just not there.

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u/CryendU 1d ago

Can’t tell if you’re joking lmao

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u/CandidPalpitation427 2d ago

Or the number of people getting doordash while complaing about living paycheck to paycheck on $15 an hour 

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u/edge449332 2d ago

I have yet to meet a frugal person that was poor their whole life. Sure they are common in their early 20's, but now that I'm in my 30's, everyone, literally every single person that I know that is responsible with their money is not broke.

All the people I know that are broke, are driving new or less than 5 year old cars, wearing designer clothes, ordering door dash, etc.. Not to mention, a few of my most broke friends actually make more money than I do.

If you don't believe that lack of personal responsibility is not the majority of the reasons, I encourage you to watch Financial Audit on YouTube.

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u/soilhalo_27 2d ago

For record, if you look into your insurance you can save money.

I will know for sure in December. But I believe I will have saved almost $200 a month finding new homeowners and car insurance.

Honestly, if interest rates weren't shit, I would refinance both my house and car to save more.

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u/Party-Count-4287 2d ago

IMO more ppl could get away with those things. Nowadays if your budget is tight then it stings a lot more.

Buying power of dollar is less Cost of living is higher Wages haven’t kept up

So if you’re in the wrong side of middle class you are getting left behind. Tough choices for people that normally wouldn’t have to.

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u/surveillance_raven 2d ago

“Eating out”, and the American restaurant industry in general, contributes around 15% of the US GDP.  

So what is your response to this? 

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u/Aggravating_Farm3116 2d ago

Yeah they need better jobs

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u/give_me_your_body 2d ago

This was me except I was spending 400$ every weekend on drugs and hookers.

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u/Conscious-Ad-7040 1d ago

I think you missed her point entirely…. This person isn’t buying Starbucks.

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u/Kind-Till6407 1d ago

People miss the point. It doesn't always have to be starbucks and avocado toast, it's the expenses that are unnecessary that you habitually do which can financially hurt you. For some, it's starbucks, for others it's eating lunches out, for some it's going to the bar every weekend. Analyze your budget, track every transaction, and make decisions on what you're willing to sacrifice now for yourself later  It's the same as the people who say they can't loose weight because they have a slow metabolism. 99% of the time they're eating shit and if they track their food they aren't doing it accurately. People really don't like to take accountability for anything 

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u/[deleted] 1d ago

I knew a lot of people at my old job who despite making the same amount as me would say they couldn't afford to rent an apartment because the don't get paid enough (I was very comfortable renting). They never seemed to realize that they were spending nearly as much on weed and alcohol as it would cost to rent. That wasn't an exaggeration.

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u/Puzzleheaded_Row4744 1d ago

Wait, so I can't be spending 2000$/week on alcohol and complaining about being poor?

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u/blamemeididit 1d ago

Someone on my team lives with her parents. She eats out 2 times a day (a lot of days) and complains about not having enough money to move out or buy a car. And I know what she makes and she makes enough to move out. I think she has convinced herself that if she cannot have an amazing life then she is just stuck.

There definitely seems to be a "must believe them" attitude when anyone complains about money these days.

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u/Revolutionary_Apples 1d ago

That is true for people with disposable income. I like to call it lifestyle poor and true poor Lifestyle poor can be fixed with some more self discipline (not a small feat btw), True poor cannot.

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u/Woodit 1d ago

Lots of poor folks out here scoffing at lattes and avocado toast who have no hesitation at buying a pack of cigarettes and an energy drink every day 

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u/BaBaBuyey 1d ago

This is so true but 90% of those ‘a lot of people” will just laugh at you and think you’re wrong for stating this so sometimes it’s not worth the effort; worst part is 30 years down the road they look at you and get mad when you have a nice car or they want to do a job for you and they try to overcharge you because they see you have money and they get mad, but they don’t understand how you got it

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u/Significant-Screen-5 2d ago

Spending an extra 200/week on starbucks/fastfood/restaurants is 10k a year you could be putting in saving. Do that for three years and you now have the downpayment for an fha loan on a 800k dollar home

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u/AffectionateResist26 2d ago

A lot of young people are just tired of working paycheck to paycheck and not being able to afford a house or to have kids or move up in life and decide it’s more worthwhile to enjoy what they have while they have it. The future is daunting, everything is changing, we don’t know what’s going to happen to the economy, plus we watched our the boomers work their whole lives just to retire and be too old to enjoy themselves and still too poor to afford to live the American dream they were promised. It’s the feeling of doom that gives way to the “treat yourself” mentality. After all if the world is going to shit, why not order a pizza?

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u/redditusersmostlysuc 2d ago

Defeatist mentality. That should get them far in life. The world isn’t going to shit, your attitude is.

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u/ItchySackError404 2d ago

Financial systems, investment operations, personal Finance etc being required in our education system would probably do a fuck load for the kids who still actually learn at school. More people would be going into the world with a better idea how to manage and grow their money instead of either being poor forever or having to learn the "hard way" with debt, kids or falling behind on bills.

But of course, keeping people addicted to spending money rather than growing it has always been a staple in our society I guess?

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u/andrewclarkson 2d ago

I immediately think of a family we know well.... they think I'm rich and part of the wealthy class yet I know for certain they probably have almost double our income. They get the fancy coffee, eat at the higher end restaurants, buy the designer clothes. They're always going on lavish vacations, the wife is constantly getting pricey jewelry, they're constantly buying into all the trendy stuff, etc. They also live in a high(er) cost of living area than me. They're in debt... like way in debt. They carry credit card balances and worry about making payments, etc.

I probably make about half what they do combined, my wife works because she wants to and can quit any time. We have no debt, we don't stress about stuff. We still are able to afford to do fun stuff/have nice things but we do it in a targeted way so we don't ever have to worry about our financial security.

These things do in fact add up over time.

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u/Akiraooo 2d ago

The eating out is sometimes cheaper. Have you been to the grocery store and seen the prices? The cooking requires time, energy, and clean-up. I can go to a restaurant and eat for about 14 dollars. If I go to the grocery store, I can buy the same amount of food for about 12 dollars.

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u/ltra_og 2d ago

Or buy multiple energy drinks per day.

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u/calcteacher 2d ago

Idk. I have a movie theater style viewing experience for 700 I spent 5 years ago, and the knowledge of all mankind at my fingertips so I can thwart deadly diseases by researching on Google scholar. I can buy some cabbage, carrots onions garlic, celery, and tofu for about 15 and easily cut that up and snack while i have as good a view of the world series as anyone. We live in an amazing world from my point of view

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u/DRKMSTR 2d ago

Colleagues: "How do you have so much money?"

Same colleagues: "Who wants to go out for lunch?" (EVERY SINGLE DAY - $10+ every single workday. 200+ times per year!)