Even that wont cut it. There's the mortgage, utilities, groceries, doctor bills, gas, health insurance, life insurance, car insurance, disability insurance, home owner's insurance, et cetera. Neither my husband nor myself could work enough ****ty jobs to cover nearly $500 worth of insurance each month. Your answers are too simplistic.
Your situation is fact-dependent. Even if you had attempted to publish your personal financial details on this forum, which you did not and so shouldn't expect myself or anyone else to know about your life, I am not a licensed financial adviser.
So, enough attention whoring, this thread is not about
you.
If your mortgage is more than a 15 year fixed, paying not more than 1/3rd of your income, with 20% down, you're paying to much. That's not the economy, that's you making a mistake.
If you do not own your car outright and thus have payments, that's not the economy, that's you making a mistake.
If you have a credit card, that's not the economy, that's you making a mistake.
You are not automatically blameless for your financial problems. You chose where to live and what to put into your home, which effect your insurances, so that cost is all on you. If you have to pay more for car insurance because you don't know how to drive, that's on you. If you didn't get a job while things were good which offered a benefits package, that's on you.
If your medical coverage is anything more that catastrophic-only
(self-insuring everything else), you're paying to much. That's on you.
If you've eaten out
even once in the last fiscal year, you loose all right to complain because you're spending money you should be putting to bills.