Keep in mind that salary is top line gross, before federal/state taxes, retirement savings, healthcare deductions, etc. Then, you take out housing, food, transp

Keep in mind that salary is top line gross, before federal/state taxes, retirement savings, healthcare deductions, etc. Then, you take out housing, food, transportation, and other more necessary expenses. Frequently, by the time you do all this, you'll find that small recurring discretionary expenses can make a surprising difference in the amount you have left. $1500 is a large percentage of many people's free cash flow. If you're in a high tax bracket, it's a bit sobering to realize that a $5k/mo apartment in a high tax state represents ~$120k of pretax income.