Shane, I wouldn't paint the financial picture quite so dark.  For context, I live in a town of about 10000 people, near Milwaukee, (30 miles) and while I know there are a few that have a lot of CC debt, in every case, if they'd try to live within their means, they wouldn't have.  Also, retired, and over 65, so I get a few breaks, none where I'd really like them.  Town's claim to fame, the Burlington Liars club, whoopee.  Property taxes run me about $2400 per year, slowly inching up, it'll never go down.  Income taxes, federal, usually about $300, but SS isn't taxed, I'm not over that limit from my pension.  State taxes, $0, again I'm below the limit.  My only daughter, born with multiple birth defects, so I could forget about saving anything for a good many years, the doctors got it all, even after my insurance paid.  Her back brace was about $1000 and the deductible left me paying roughly a quarter of that.  A new girdle for it was about $600, and IIRC, about a quarter of that was mine to pay.  She had 3 spine surgeries and 4 urinary surgeries, lots of deductibles there.  Or, I didn't have a lot left for anything.  But it didn't mean I put things on the CC, I've only had one for maybe 20 years, and I've never paid them a cent of interest.  Things I didn't have cash for, I didn't buy. The wife also had a lot of medical problems, but not too bad until we were both in our mid 40's so really, until she passed away at 56, there still wasn't a lot for anything.  I know what it's like to scratch my butt for anything I wanted and a lot of times for what we needed.

Never had a new car, usually something five or six years old when I got it, closest to it, I bought a 91 Chevy S-10 in 93 then drove that until 2006.  I say I retired at age 55, but in reality, add seven years onto that while I was working 5 to 8 hours per day in a tool shop.  Then SS kicked in, so I could stop that. 

There were many times I had to work 2 jobs to pay the bills, And I know what it's like to work 8 hours a day, seven days a week, for months on end and barely keep my head above water.  Or, TAANSTAFL.

Doric.

The "I" in Doric is Silent.