[pcmoney]

I guess if the central thesis is that there are people dumb enough to believe that a mattress will make them fit then they are also dumb enough to believe that saving will somehow double income then that fits. I mean PT Barnum was right, there is a sucker born every minute. However, the goal is to not be the sucker and to learn the better “lifestyle” choices.

There are some people who make so little that no matter what they do they will always be insecure and barely making ends meet. However, there are arguably many more people who are insecure, living paycheck to paycheck, super stressed out about money etc. who have no reason to be. They make enough that they could trade consumption for peace of mind if they wanted to/learned how to.

Eg. I now make almost exactly 8x what I made 14 years ago. But am only slightly less worried about money now as I was then because I was never that stressed to begin with. I always lived within my means and I was careful to save vs increase consumption. I still drive the same 2005 Subaru sedan that I did 14 years ago even though getting a Tesla etc. would be an unnoticeable financial decision.