Before the financial and housing melt down, my wife was in law school and would occasionally file bankruptcy for folks pro bono. As one of the steps for filing

Before the financial and housing melt down, my wife was in law school and would occasionally file bankruptcy for folks pro bono. As one of the steps for filing, she reviewed all of their expenses. When looking over their monthly expenditures the individual would usually say things like "I need HBO and ESPN, it's a necessity. I need the data and texting plan and on my phone, it's a necessity. I need to lease the car from the bank and not drive a clunker or ride the bus, it's a necessity. I need to eat dinner out four times a week and not bring a sack lunch to work." Yes, these things are nice to have, but they are not necessities. In the end, she would play financial advisor to some of the poorest individuals in the city who spend their money on these "necessities."