30 Crazy Stories Of People Not Realizing They Can’t Afford The Lifestyle They Lead

Effective budgeting requires having a clear understanding of your income and expenses, setting realistic goals for yourself, and developing good money habits.

But some people, for one reason or another, skip on all the work and when the results aren't what they would like them to be, they become frustrated, blaming circumstances or external factors rather than addressing their own choices.

So Reddit user Dumbbratbaby made a post on the platform, asking its 'Frugal' community to share the craziest stories they've heard about folks living beyond their means.

This post may include affiliate links.

30 Crazy Stories Of People Not Realizing They Can’t Afford The Lifestyle They Lead This reminds me of something I read years ago where someone on a huge salary was complaining that they had nothing left over when you factored in private schools for their kids, expensive and prestigious extracurriculars, tutors, maintenance costs of their luxury home and cars, etc, ie that the rich lifestyle was leaving them paycheck to paycheck.

And someone said "yeah it's amazing how little money is left over when you choose to spend it all."

soaringseafoam , Tima Miroshnichenko / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

101points

POST

LyriQal 23 hours ago

Freaking leave below your means

18points

View More Replies...

View more comments

30 Crazy Stories Of People Not Realizing They Can’t Afford The Lifestyle They Lead I had a coworker (teacher) tell me one day that she was gonna have to quit teaching and try to find a better paying job because her family wasn't making enough money to support themselves. They had a household income of $120k. This was 10 years ago in the rural south.

They had a huge house, over $100k worth of vehicles, designer clothes and were constantly going on foreign vacations.

I made half of their income and was able to buy a house, have a car payment, fund retirement, take a decent vacation or two and still save money.

Its not what you make, its what you keep.

tngman10 , Elias de Carvalho / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

80points

POST

Mäandertal 19 hours ago (edited)

But it's also what you make 'cause some people can't even afford to keep a single dime

39points

View More Replies...

View more comments

30 Crazy Stories Of People Not Realizing They Can’t Afford The Lifestyle They Lead I went to college in Texas in the early 80s and some students had parents who were in the oil business. The oil business has a pronounced boom bust business cycle. So you’d see kids who one semester are living in the most expensive dorm and have a brand new car and wasting money like crazy going to Cancun on weekends and stuff like that, and then the next semester, their dad’s broke and they’re working in the dorm cafeteria and struggling to get by.

That definitely influenced me to never assume my income level was going to last forever. Always plan for the next recession, because it’s coming sooner or later.

EdwinaArkie , saad alawi / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

72points

POST

Geoffrey Scott 21 hours ago

Worked automotive for 18 years. After the 1st downturn and the adjustments needed from working 7 days/wk, double time on Sundays, to 40 hrs was jarring. Never had to sell anything, but it was close. Supporting 4 people makes one creative on expenses.

17points

View more comments

30 Crazy Stories Of People Not Realizing They Can’t Afford The Lifestyle They Lead I lived through it with my ex husband. After turning a certain age he started to get a monthly settlement of $1200 for the rest of his life from a lawsuit involving circumstances surrounding his birth. There had also been a lump sum when the suit was settled but his mother squandered that (mental illness and spending issues).

This was over ten years ago and we had just left college. $1200/month was more than I was making a month and would have nearly covered all our rent/bills a month, meaning anything we made over that would have been perfect for saving, vacations, etc.

But we never had anything extra. We had a shared bank account for bills but also separate accounts, and he never had anything to save. I could see he bought a lot of video games and tech like new phones, but otherwise I didn't know where the money was going and he wouldn't say/said he didn't know. We managed but never got ahead of bills or went on trips.

It wasn't long before he finally told me he was looking into how to sell something like 10 years of the settlement payments for a lump sum to "get out of debt and start fresh." I stressed that was an AWFUL idea and he said he wouldn't do it.

Then he revealed a gambling addiction. I knew he liked scratch tickets and won often but had no idea the extent of it. He was using rent and bill money for gambling and putting bills on credit cards. I told him he needed to get into therapy and we had to work on this and if he lied to me again about it I would leave. A year later he still wasn't in therapy, and he revealed he lost the monthly settlement because it turned out the payment loan (that he was still looking into) invalidated the settlement. And also he was even deeper in debt because the gambling was ongoing behind my back. So I left.

ironysparkles , Javon Swaby / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

48points

POST

Angela B 23 hours ago

That last sentence is a perfectly rational thing to do.

47points

View More Replies...

View more comments

30 Crazy Stories Of People Not Realizing They Can’t Afford The Lifestyle They Lead My cousin works at walmart and her husband is on disability. but some how they're able to take their family of four on a cruise every year..Yet they were b***hing about not making ends meet during the month because they ran out of food stamps.

MarshmallowFloofs85 , Matthew Barra / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

46points

POST

Susical 23 hours ago

To play devil's advocate: some cruises are insanely cheap, especially if you get an indoor cabin with no view. It's possible to need food stamps AND manage to scrape together enough for a cheap cruise once a year. (Although, I admit it's more likely they use credit cards for the cruises & have a ton of debt like everybody else, lol.)

43points

View More Replies...

View more comments

30 Crazy Stories Of People Not Realizing They Can’t Afford The Lifestyle They Lead Watch Caleb Hammer youtube channel. Completely broke people go into debt to buy stuff on amazon and order takeout multiple time a week. I had to stop watching because of how rage inducing some episodes were.

DrunkenSeaBass , Jacoby Clarke / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

45points

POST

Ace 1 day ago

Why would you even start watching?

33points

View More Replies...

View more comments

30 Crazy Stories Of People Not Realizing They Can’t Afford The Lifestyle They Lead A friend just told me that she’s in “debt” right now because of too many Uber Eats orders……. I don’t even know what to say lol.

Outrageous-Yak4884 , Pablo Cordero / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

43points

POST

Bay Bo 23 hours ago

I tried to order, than got so pissed off I drove my own a*s down to the food store and got it myself like a big girl

32points

View More Replies...

View more comments

30 Crazy Stories Of People Not Realizing They Can’t Afford The Lifestyle They Lead This story is all too common.

I live in Chicago and I’m astounded by the number of luxury cars I see driving around… statistically speaking, those cars are way out of budget for the majority of people driving them.

When you compare the average national income against the average national car payment it paints a stark reality. Most people are living way above their means. A persons car reflects how they see themselves and their attitude towards spending… it’s not a big leap to think someone driving a luxury car is also shelling out on other luxury goods or experiences.

$100k a year isn’t bad in a city center like Chicago, it’s above the average, but it’s not enough to sustain a luxury lifestyle like that. I make around that, and live comfortably, but I don’t drive anything crazy and I don’t spend like crazy either.

A majority of the people I see driving range rovers or Mercedes are probably a couple missed paychecks away from having to downgrade their lifestyle drastically.

Uncle-rico96 , may day / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

42points

POST

Lew k 18 hours ago

Trucks where I live. The number of newish, high level trim diesel trucks is wild. I priced one before I sold my camper and they are easily 70-90k. I make good money and thought that's a bit much but even in run down apartments you'll see these trucks everywhere.

10points

View more comments

30 Crazy Stories Of People Not Realizing They Can’t Afford The Lifestyle They Lead Mum ringing me up this morning asking me to transfer money because she ran out of her depression/anxiety pills..after meeting a new man and going in daily car trips to cafes and shops all over the state..and not working because she’s going to pull the ‘mental health card’. I said no, I’m not enabling her and for her to ask my older brother because he lived with her rent free for 10 years and got everything paid for so he ‘owes’ her a bit which will pay for the pills.

Ok-Computer-1033 , cottonbro studio / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

40points

POST

Svenne O'Lotta 11 hours ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

View More Replies...

View more comments

#10

I work at a factory and know for a fact 95% of the employees make between $21.50 and $25.50. The number of brand new $80,000 - $100,000 trucks in the parking lot astonishes me every single morning.

Big-Problem7372 Report

40points

POST

Geoffrey Scott 21 hours ago

Just wait until the next recession...even with both people working, there WILL be adjustments.

8points

View more comments

#11

30 Crazy Stories Of People Not Realizing They Can’t Afford The Lifestyle They Lead I know of a couple where the man owned a very successful and innovative company and the wife stayed home with their kid. They both drove fancy cars, dressed really well, their kid was in all brand-name clothing, they lived in a beautiful house on a mountain that was nicely furnished, went out to fancy restaurants and flashed money.

Well, turns out, he was using his company CC to pay for a lot of personal things, so much so that he eventually got kicked out of his own company by the shareholders. They eventually separated and she told me that everything was a facade. All the nice things were bought on credit, the cars were a lease, the house they scoped up for cheap rent from some foreign investors.

They built up this image that was fake and eventually divorced due to money and alcoholism that started when he got booted from his company.

buzzybeefree , Kaboompics / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

38points

POST

Jonas Fisher 19 hours ago

I love a mountain that is nicely furnished.

16points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#12

30 Crazy Stories Of People Not Realizing They Can’t Afford The Lifestyle They Lead I used to work in a bank. I saw someone once with 100K in credit card debts, mainly due to his poker addiction. High income but he was pissing it down the drain by trying to become a pro poker player.

Edit: I also remember the clients who would regularly want to withdraw hundreds in cash and spend it without a trace. Nearly everyone accepts card or cheque here in France, besides d**g dealers and prostitutes...

Edit again: I just remembered someone spending 3K per month on a Lamborghini lease whilst living in rental accommodation. Some of these people driving around in super cars don't own s**t.

John198777 , Pixabay / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

37points

POST

Kerry Carolan 20 hours ago

What's wrong with using cash? What a weird thing to say

10points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#13

I know a wealth manager who doesn't name names, but talks about clients having a net worth of 8 figures who, if they don't change their spending habits, will run out of money at some point. When he suggest they drop one of their country clubs or sell a 3rd home that they rarely use, they claim they just can't because they're afraid of what their friends would think of them. It's nuts.

One_Opening_8000 Report

37points

POST

Emma S 22 hours ago

It's sad that they don't realise the people they're trying so hard to impress are not friends. A real friend wouldn't care about how many houses you own, and would surely be supportive of you trying to avoid financial ruin.

25points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#14

30 Crazy Stories Of People Not Realizing They Can’t Afford The Lifestyle They Lead When I talked to my supervisor at the time about why I was looking for another job, explaining that I couldn’t afford to start a family without either a much higher wage or employer-sponsored health insurance, she told me not to worry about my excel spreadsheet and that she is still paying credit card debt from when her kids were young.

Her oldest was 10.

Uuuummmm yeah that is EXACTLY why I will continue to worry about my excel spreadsheet. No way in hell I’d put myself in that kind of financial situation.

MissDriftless , Kindel Media / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

36points

POST

ucp 17 hours ago

My two credit cards have great rewards schemes. They offer great protection for both online and in-store purchases. And they both have direct debits linked to my current account to be paid in full every month. Never pay for something over a longer period than that for which you benefit from the purchase.

6points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#15

30 Crazy Stories Of People Not Realizing They Can’t Afford The Lifestyle They Lead A friend recently shared the following TRUE story of his family's finances:

My friend makes a little over $100k per year.

My friend has contributed to his IRA for many years.

My friend received a moderately large (over $100k) inheritence a few years ago.

In the last 5 years my friend has squandered everything! The inheritance is spent. The IRA has been drained. My friend spent about $700k over the last 10 years on (too many) vacays and other financially questionable things. My friend wants to retire but cannot.

dudreddit , Ondosan Sinaga / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

34points

POST

Billycat 20 hours ago

I'm guessing the IRA means something different than where I live!

23points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#16

30 Crazy Stories Of People Not Realizing They Can’t Afford The Lifestyle They Lead Not to go into too much detail but my wife is a Dr, 2 of her colleagues on the same level as her cannot afford to retire (67 & 74) both are miserable. Spent every dime, go to Europe twice a year etc etc, when I met them and they asked what I do just said I retired at 40, that went over like a lead balloon.

IDontKnow_JackSchitt , Kaboompics / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

33points

POST

ucp 17 hours ago

When I retired (42), a lot of older men thought I was “brave” to rely on my wife’s income to keep us going (we had/have savings and investments too). My answer was always the same: if you know her, it’s sensible, not brave, to trust her.

11points

View more comments

#17

30 Crazy Stories Of People Not Realizing They Can’t Afford The Lifestyle They Lead We bought a cheap fixer upper a few years ago. A guy in the family inherited more money than our house was right after we bought. He blew it all, had some kids. We showed him several houses he could have paid cash for. He said they weren't good enough and his kids were recently in a homeless shelter with his ex. His grandmother leased new cars that were about what our house cost. Saved zero for retirement. Just blew all her money. Now when they get together they talk about the economy and my head almost explodes because neither has an understanding of how money works.

Distributor127 , Pixabay / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

32points

POST

john doe 16 hours ago

How to tell if someone knows a single thing about the economy: If they have a pod cast they don't know anything.That's all you need to know.

3points

See Also on Bored Panda

Dutch Swimmer Goes Viral For Super Revealing Trunks During 2024 Olympics: “Is This Legal?”

Thrill-Seeking Diver Jumps Down Extreme Waterslide, Ignoring The Strict Ban For Women

#18

30 Crazy Stories Of People Not Realizing They Can’t Afford The Lifestyle They Lead There was a family in my neighborhood who had a nice house and nice cars and clothes, went on nice vacations, etc, and one day, they told us they were moving in with her parents because the house was being foreclosed on. I was shocked I didn’t see any austerity measures ahead of the foreclosure. I never heard them say something like, “ We are having a staycation this year to save money” or “We can’t go out for dinner tonight” or “We are selling one of the cars”. Nothing like that. They just spent like usual until they hit a wall. Crazy.

smartbiphasic , Pixabay / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

32points

POST

DennyS (denzoren) 21 hours ago

Some just can't make lifestyle changes, I've seen this happen.

9points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#19

Friend of a friend makes six figures in the computer science industry. Lives with parents doesn’t pay rent. Very little bills. Somehow she overspends SO MUCH every month that at 23 she’s 50k in debt and complains that she never has money. Genuinely f*****g mind boggling.

nataliieeep Report

32points

POST

Susical 23 hours ago

Wow, does she have a d**g or gambling problem maybe?

14points

View More Replies...

View more comments

See Also on Bored Panda

Woman Put A Water Fountain With A Camera In Her Yard, Here Are 24 Photos Of Regular Visitors (New Pics)

“Ma’am I Live Here”: Woman Refuses To Back Out Of Driveway, Learns A Lesson The Hard Way

#20

30 Crazy Stories Of People Not Realizing They Can’t Afford The Lifestyle They Lead My brother went to an extremely expensive/ exclusive high school on scholarship in SoCal. (I believe tuition was around $30,000 a year at some point back in 2008-2012).

At the beginning of the his freshman year (August of 2008), whenever we dropped him off there were so many “luxury” cars in the parking lot, he came home with stories of parents with huge mansions vacations blah blah blah. At the end of the year (after the recession hit) there were nothing but Toyotas and a reduced student body population. 😬😬😬.

md151015 , Norma Mortenson / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

29points

POST

#21

30 Crazy Stories Of People Not Realizing They Can’t Afford The Lifestyle They Lead One of my friends has a dad who is well paid, really high up in a tech company. He makes a lot of money and her family spends a lot of money. They eat out almost every night, have a vacation home, his wife has so much clothing she uses the 6 closets in her house to store it all, they give vehicles away and always buy brand new ones, & buying people insanely expensive gifts. But her dad is lost why his coworkers (who are more frugal) are retiring but he cannot afford to. (Lucky my friend took after her aunt/godmother who is very frugal so she won’t be unlearning all those bad behaviors).

tellitlikeitisnot Report

29points

POST

Dzessa Golden 3 hours ago

Ermmm you might wanna check that double negative…

3points

View more comments

See Also on Bored Panda

50 Of The Most Incredible Shots That Were Submitted To The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

French Diver’s “Jewels” In Tight Swimming Trunks Become Talk Of The Town At Olympics

#22

30 Crazy Stories Of People Not Realizing They Can’t Afford The Lifestyle They Lead There is this girl i know. she's almost 30. quits jobs after a few months cause they are all "toxic" (they ask her to come in on time), she moves in with each boyfriends she dates within 2-3 months, then breaks leases and moves again. all of that costs money she doesn't have. she always goes on trips, right now is in Italy for 4 weeks (while unemployed since summer) and puts it all on her credit card. while also buying a huge amount of clothes and brand stuff.

lenuta_9819 , Kaboompics / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

27points

POST

DennyS (denzoren) 21 hours ago

I feel like this is very common in the social media age...and it's not gonna end well.

16points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#23

30 Crazy Stories Of People Not Realizing They Can’t Afford The Lifestyle They Lead I remember as a teenager walking past someone's really big and fancy house in a neighborhood my rich friend lived in. In the driveway was a very expensive car. One of the curtains was halfway open and I saw milk cartons and bare cable spools around the living room. No decor, no nothing. Just a big house and a fancy car with almost nothing inside. The people had lived there for quite some time so it wasn't that they'd just moved it.

That stuck with me.

Historical-Gap-7084 , Kayley / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

25points

POST

B 17 hours ago

My friend used to call this house poor. You spent all your money on the outside

8points

View More Replies...

View more comments

See Also on Bored Panda

Woman Moves Out Of Parents' Home After They Asked Her To Give Her Space To Brother, They Freak Out

Mom Leaves $250k Inheritance To Son, Throws A Fit When Daughter Stops Looking After Her

#24

30 Crazy Stories Of People Not Realizing They Can’t Afford The Lifestyle They Lead My first housemate in college. It was student housing, you basically got a room with a small kitchen and then a bathroom shared with one other person, two rooms + bathroom per floor, 6 rooms per house. She rented two units so she wouldn’t have to share a bathroom (the second room was in use as a closet). She told me she got 1000€ per month allowance but racked up 1-2k € in credit card debt each month as well (which her parents threatened every month to stop paying, but they never did).

For context: I lived off 600€ a month and paid for everything myself (rent/food/utilities etc). That was a rather tight budget but I managed. She didn’t even have to pay rent (her parents did that), the 1000€ was only for food & fun. Absolutely broke my brain because I had weeks where I wasn’t sure if I had enough food for the week (I always managed somehow, but barely) and then she was complaining to me that her dad threatened to cut her off again but ‘it was so unreasonable and unrealistic to expect her to live off only 1k per month’. She never got why I couldn’t join her for whatever frivolous spending spree she had planned (‘just ask your parents for more money’) and then couldn’t grasp that not every parent has 3k€ (or any amount really) to throw away each month :’)).

yeniza , Alexander F Ungerer / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

25points

POST

ucp 19 hours ago

My parents couldn’t help me through university either. I spent every term eking out my funds, and every vacation working split shifts to earn enough for the next term. Given that it costs so much more to attend now, I probably wouldn’t go if I was eighteen now.

5points

View More Replies...

View more comments

See Also on Bored Panda

Woman Refuses To Chip In For Babysitting Because She Doesn’t Even Have Kids, Asks If She’s A Jerk

“This Breaks My Heart”: People Stunned—And Angry—After Woman Buys Lost Luggage From Airport

#25

30 Crazy Stories Of People Not Realizing They Can’t Afford The Lifestyle They Lead My in-laws make more than both my husband and I and they have 3 kids, have 3-4 atv’s (replace every few years and get loans for them), have a pop-up camper trailer (still have loan on it), pay thousands for sport events for the kids a year (fine ok the kids enjoy the sports stuff), spend money on tons on firearms and ammunition to go hunting as well as licenses and processing fees, have 3 vehicles (2 which are on loans and 1 they owe us money for), buy name brand of most things and even custom order things.

They live way above their means and had the audacity to ask us for $11k for their oldest kids second semester. Absolutely did not save anything over the last 19 years.

OhmHomestead1 , Kampus Production / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

23points

POST

Papa 17 hours ago

I'm often reminded of back when my daughter started taking band when she was in school. When we got to the store my ragged old pickup looked out of place parked there with the fancy new cars and shiny pickups, but when we picked out her clarinet I wrote a check to pay for it, and when we left most of those fancy vehicles were still there. The owners were inside filling out the paperwork to buy their children's instruments on credit, with monthly payments. I was not, am not, and likely will never be rich, but I could pay for a $300.00 clarinet.

21points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#26

30 Crazy Stories Of People Not Realizing They Can’t Afford The Lifestyle They Lead Buying a new car every year sometimes twice a year, while taking a loss every time they trade in their 1yr “old” vehicle.

1man1mind , Pixabay / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

22points

POST

Bernd Herbert 22 hours ago

If you really have the urge to burn through money as quickly as possible, buy a new car.

10points

View More Replies...

View more comments

See Also on Bored Panda

"I Didn't Start The Dryer": Karen Gets Taught A Lesson After Throwing Out Neighbor's Wet Clothes

College Student Does Exactly As Told After Roommates Demand They Keep Their Stuff In Their Room

#27

30 Crazy Stories Of People Not Realizing They Can’t Afford The Lifestyle They Lead Knew a guy who was a shift manager of a Whataburger and somehow leased 2 Lincoln Navigators back in 2009.

I'm pretty sure the 2008 economy collapse was due to really stupid s**t like this.

odin_the_wiggler , mali maeder / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

20points

POST

Geoffrey Scott 21 hours ago

Yes, but..people were enticed by low rates and urged to borrow against rising equity. "Oh, my house just went up 20k in value. Think I'll buy a truck". SO many burned like this.

12points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#28

30 Crazy Stories Of People Not Realizing They Can’t Afford The Lifestyle They Lead I have an aunt who is going through a divorce and moved into a retirement community.

Some of her money is still tied up in the divorce process, and she lives on social security for income. She goes to the local food bank for food, and hasn't had internet service installed because she says she can't afford it.

Yet, she leases a car for $550 a month and can't say no when her granddaughter asks for a $70 pair of leggings or $100 shoes.

Sometimes I want to help her because she's a very loving aunt, but I also wonder if I'd just be enabling her to keep spending on the wrong things.

Inevitable_Tone3021 , Julia M Cameron / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

19points

POST

Bay Bo 23 hours ago

Why does her granddaughter need a pair of leggings for $70?! Or $100 for shoes?! Where are the parents in this scenario?

9points

View More Replies...

View more comments

See Also on Bored Panda

Guy Divorced 3 Years Ago Drops Off 3 Y.O. With His Ex-Wife Completely Out Of The Blue

Internet Gives Unemployed Woman A Reality Check After She Expects Friends To Buy Her A Trip

#29

30 Crazy Stories Of People Not Realizing They Can’t Afford The Lifestyle They Lead Friend of mine straight up evades tax in his exceptionally well paying job. (6 figures for 3 days a week) He has a contractor job where he’s supposed to pay his own tax but hasn’t lodged in about 5 years. Even without paying his 40% to the government, he runs out of money every month. Zero savings. Owns a huge deluxe camper trailer, a car, 2 jet skis and a motorbike. Doesn’t own a home, but has spent 3 times what our deposit was on vehicles since I met him two years ago.

He spends all his money on big boy toys, luxury items for his kids and SAHM partner, and meal kits/ ready made meals instead of groceries. It’s wild.

Currently thinking of buying a big fishing boat.

pairii , Karola Siimson / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

19points

POST

The Dave 21 hours ago

He doesn’t OWN anything I bet. It’s probably all financed.

9points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#30

30 Crazy Stories Of People Not Realizing They Can’t Afford The Lifestyle They Lead The US government. $35 trillion in debt. Crazy.

perplexedparallax , Ramaz Bluashvili / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

15points

POST

Jonas Fisher 19 hours ago

Comparing a federal budget to personal income and savings is the height of ignorance. They have far, far less in common than they have in common.

18points

View More Replies...

View more comments

Note: this post originally had 48 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.

What do you think ?

R Dennis 18 hours ago

I grew up in poverty, but worked and earned my way into a comfortable middle-class life. I know I can survive on far less than I have now, but still spend and save responsibly. I was forced to medically retire in my 40s, but because I have always been frugal (not cheap), I am able to maintain my same spending habits without the financial stress of excessive debt.

4points

Cee Cee 20 hours ago

Paid off my mortgage some years before I retired and saved the same amount. Cleared my credit card debt, replaced the boiler, bought a quality used car and had some work done on my home. Then I retired some 5 years later with 2 pensions and a nice amount in my savings account. Seen too many floundering due to poor financial decisions.

UncleJohn3000 17 hours ago

Almost exactly what I did and I retired a few months ago. It's a little surreal but I like it!

1point

Load More Replies...

Back in the late 80's my wife worked for a finance company working with people who were struggling with their payments. She told me about one couple that was about to lose their house. She went over their bills with them and couldn't figure out why they were having problems. She asked if they were sure they had told her about all their expenses. They finally remembered about the big screen TV they were renting to buy. They were about to lose their house, but needed a big screen television.

2points

Load More Comments

30 Crazy Stories Of People Not Realizing They Can’t Afford The Lifestyle They Lead

Games

Rokas Laurinavičius

Rokas Laurinavičius

Gabija Saveiskyte

Gabija Saveiskyte

Word Search

Sudoku

Crossword

Word Flower

WordroW

Jigsaw

Picdoku

Killer Sudoku

Kriss Kross