my brother makes $24 an hour.
40 hours a week.
that’s about $49,900 a year before taxes.
his monthly expenses:
$1,600 rent
$350 car payment
$210 insurance
$500 groceries
$180 utilities
and people still tell him:
“you just need to budget better.”
bro is budgeting $24 an hour against 2026 prices.
sometimes the problem isn’t spending habits.
it’s the math.