Very true, just speaking from first-hand experience. I'm trying to pay off all my (astronomical) student loan debt as fast as possible, so I'm putting around $

Very true, just speaking from first-hand experience. I'm trying to pay off all my (astronomical) student loan debt as fast as possible, so I'm putting around $1800/mo into loans alone. Factor in my biggest hobby is seeing live music and you'd be surprised how quickly money can go. I've cut back severely on my drinking/partying, but with the occasional trip home to see family, 401k contribution, loan payments, and more, I walk away with about $28k/yr for all other expenses (including food, transport, cell phone, random services like spotify and netflix, and fun). Keep in mind I also got rid of my car, don't have cable, and keep monthly recurring expenses pretty low. $28k sounds like a lot, but when food is about 30% more on average than most of America (just my estimate after being back in Indiana), sales taxes are higher, and everything costs more in general, it goes quickly. I'm adjusting my priorities as I get older, but my salary also goes up and I get closer to having no debt, so it balances out I think.