This is exactly what a lot of people want help with. They probably have some “frivolous” spending they can cut but what they need is a baseline lifestyle they won’t deviate from for 15 or more years.

But getting married, having children, buying a house, and these sorts of things delay that financial goal. It’s because personal or social status goals take over.

We definitely need to decide early in life how we feel about status, prestige, and who we really want in our lives. If you’re constantly hanging out with people earning 5 times what you make and they influence your spending decisions. Instead of mimicking their spending lifestyle we can find a way to earn like they do. It’s often not a quick solution. If they’re making a lot of money because of a professional degree and a licensed profession, then that’s a significant investment in education expenses and time. If they’re in business, that probably also takes several skills, relationships, and groundwork.

That’s probably why a lot of advice recommends cutting overhead and living with less. It may require swallowing some pride but that’s the quickest way to freedom.