26 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.

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.

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.

Buying a new car every year sometimes twice a year, while taking a loss every time they trade in their 1yr “old” vehicle.

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.

The US government. $35 trillion in debt. Crazy.