Bad debt is the easy option. Sometimes they work 2 jobs or live out in the exurbs and commute 4 hours a day. Sometimes they drive for uber with their child in t

Bad debt is the easy option. Sometimes they work 2 jobs or live out in the exurbs and commute 4 hours a day. Sometimes they drive for uber with their child in the front seat because they can't pay for daycare. Sometimes they engage in gambling or other under the radar activities just to supplement their income. Some of them own their homes outright. Others live with 2 other families under a single roof. Often multiple generations live in the same house whose debt was paid off by a past generation - easing the burden. Many people making $150k and are single live with roommates until the age of 40. It is very easy to fall off a cliff in NYC.