There's something different about us. We're smart. It really is an exceptional trait. If you're anything like me, you may well mute commercials, or just not wat

There's something different about us. We're smart. It really is an exceptional trait. If you're anything like me, you may well mute commercials, or just not watch TV at all. That and a baseline of saving 15% of your income. I did that for years, allowing me to survive a jolly long unemployed patch. In general, too many people have crappy jobs, a long stressful commute, 8 hours in a cube, a poor diet, and debt up to their eyeballs, because everyone on TV has an SUV, so they need to have one too. And with little time, they have to eat out a lot, or eat processed foods. That's a huge stressor. Lifestyle is expensive and easily eats up the $120,000 income of a couple working a job each, if you aren't careful. And if they spend it as it comes in, just getting by really, then there's no savings for when they hit that rough patch.