I think you missed the point. Yes, forgoing discretionary spending will lower your expenses. But for most people, trimming a bit of fat out of their budgets is

I think you missed the point. Yes, forgoing discretionary spending will lower your expenses. But for most people, trimming a bit of fat out of their budgets is not going to come close to allowing them to afford a house in their city or plan for retirement. Increasing your income is much more powerful and once you increase it enough, you no longer have to go through life living like a monk. The central economic problem is that wages have been flat and housing, healthcare, and education (expenses that together dwarf discretionary) have been increasing.