In Europe, where disposible income is generally lower that the US, this is the norm for many people. People just get on with their lives and somehow seem to cope. I wouldn’t say the quality of life is any worse as a result. It’s not until you break it down that it looks scary. I agree that cash is key, because you can only spend what you have. The Japanese success story was based on the fact that they decided on a price to sell at first, and then worked backwards to reduce costs.
