So either there is a high concentration of people on this site that make a lot of money (only 15% of tax payers don't qualify), or there are a bunch of dead beat dads. I'm guessing more of the later.
Its not hard to budget. Not trying to preach but most people are not smart with money. Drives me nuts when people make 60 to 80 grand a year and are broke. I look at their siuation and they spend 20 dollars a day at the gas station. Eat out non stop. $70,000 truck, several toys which means trailers and more insurance cost.
Its simple. We do the envelope system. Every payday to put money into envelopes. Money goes into envelopes labeled vaction, tires,vehicle maintenance, my journeyman lic,my wifes master lic, certain amount to savings, money to kids savings account and on and on and on.
For those that spend money at gas stations every day i just found what i like and buy it in bulk from Costco or amazon. I dont impulse buy. I dont tell myself i just got to have it. I save slowly for it such as guns etc.... we eat out once a week. Usaully a family breakfast every sunday. With everything shut down we order take out somewhere else. Definitely not nasty McDonalds and im just hungry 10 min later...
One should have 6 months of house payments saved up for just incase and for all those other big payments.
This saving program doesnt happen overnight. It takes a few years. If you add extra to your envelopes one can go out and buy those toys.
Also i put everything on a credit card. To get my cash back or points or whatever you want. My credit card gets paid off everymonth from those envelopes..
I do little things like buy one box of ammo a week. One week its 30-06 the next .300 mag. Got to the point im stocked up and such as now we are back to its hard finding ammo. . Also i dont need the $200 sitka hoodie for hunting. A walmart special works the same to break my pattern up while hunting.. 12 percent of my check goes to retirement . Works puts in 11 percent. Im lucky o have health insurance that work pays..
So when i get a stimulus check it will go into my resident wy sheep hunt since i may draw this year or the next. I wont have spend a dime . It will be saved..
I dont live poor but i live smart and i eventually get what i want. Im 33 years old and do better than people in their 50's. Its all due cause they impulse buy, they have 7 4 wheelers, 50 grand camper, but they also pay a tiny amount a month on loans that take forever to pay. So i dont feel bad for those people.
Dont get me wrong people do have real struggles. I was one of them. I learned the hard way. I paid for it. I learned from my mistakes. I dont need Dave Ramsey on how do it. I also learned from my parents and grandparents. I want to retire at age 60 or 62. I want to act like social security wont exist. Not a dependable retirement source with crazy politicians using those funds. I want to retire and do several things like hunt hunt hunt . Thats if cornavirus dont take me out
Sorry for the rant but maybe several people here have learned to live in their means