ERD50
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
I think you are taking a lot for granted. Everyone's situation is different. There are differences in family size and in cost of living in different areas. Just because someone is spending more than you are doesn't mean that person's expenses are "unmanaged" or are "crazy." Further, different people have different priorities. ...Those are crazy unmanaged expenses that most on this ER forum are not familiar with. You are badically playing what I aptly call poor defense. Or put another way "playing bend over defense". ...
+1 to Katsmeow. This sounded familiar to me, and a quick search brought up this recent post:
http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f28/modeling-help-and-sanity-check-70226.html#post1407391
I would still like to hear Al in Ohio explain how one can live as nicely on less than $75K as they can on $150K. That would be enlightening.
Again, it's not that people can't be happy on $75K, but I just don't see how it can be 'just as nice' as a $150K budget. In a multiple choice question, who would choose $75K over $150K?
-ERD50