There's broke people (lives at home with parents, works low wage jobs, can't keep a steady job) and super broke people. I call them super broke because like superheroes and supervillains, they have an identity that they display to the world while having a real identity they keep secret. Super broke people= their identity is that of a person doing well for themselves. You might see a superbroke person and think, "He's got a nice car, job, and apartment. So he's doing well for himself." Wrong.
That car the superbroke person drives: routinely missing car note payments and going months without insurance; their car maintenance and updates aren't done (like getting new tires or months overdue on oil change); and they go weeks without filing up the tank: putting in $10 here, 7$ the next week, $15 the week after that. Plus, their credit sucks so a family member had to cosign.
That job and apartment the superbroke person has: they squander their paycheck on frivolous things like clothes. eating out, and always have to spend hundreds hanging out at the bar. So when rent is due, they have to take on a bunch of gig economy jobs and selling plasma to just barely get enough for the month. Then the rest of the month their food bill is spent on $5 fast food meals from Arby's, McDs, and Subway.
Why do they live like this? They are addicted to the illusionary aspect of social status and will not shun that illusion for the realism of financial security. All they have to do is make smart financial decisions: buy a beater car so they lower their insurance and don't need to pay car note; get that low rent apartment because that fancy looking apartment has the same architectural quality as the low rent one; spend less money on clothes; eat low cost meals at home and eat/drink out less; etc.
It's amazing: some of these people can improve their finances significantly by being frugal for just one year. One year. That's all. After that, they can start sailing smooth where they can afford to be spendthrift. But these idiots will not do it. It's just one year. But they will not cut their expenses for just one year. They are too addicted to the illusion of social status over the realism of financial security. Stay away from these people. I learned the HARD way that mixing your finances with these people will drag you down.
