We don’t make this much but do make enough it seems like we ought to be easily comfortable (two good salaries, cars paid off) but -

How did we get here? Nobody comes out the gate making that much, we each started out making little to nothing, then went to school, had kids, got school debt and a credit card for the monthly deficit, paid off the school debt, the credit card still paying on so long after. It’s still the deficit debt, for emergency situations that come up. I funded HSA so those are not usually medical now but dogs, car repairs, house repairs. We are making progress but it’s dead expensive and slow to do so.

Basically those people making so much and credit card debt may be paying off their path to making so much.

And I know better than to complain, having been in much worse situations.