If you always say 'yes' to these 5 crucial things, you're probably broke (regardless of how much money you make)
If you always say 'yes' to these 5 crucial things, you're probably broke (regardless of how much money you make).
People rarely go broke overnight. It usually happens gradually, as a string of financial decisions that each seemed fine on their own pile up until they can't be ignored anymore. Even high earners aren't immune.
A Harris Poll in November 2025 found that a third of Americans earning $100,000 or more describe themselves as financially distressed, and 64% now consider a six-figure income "survival mode" rather than a sign of wealth. Three-quarters had used a credit card recently because they'd run out of cash, and more than half said they'd need to double their income just to feel secure.
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Only 55% of six-figure earners call themselves financially comfortable — the other 43% are just coping, according to YouGov Profiles data.
In other words, you can't out earn bad spending habits. And if you're saying "yes" to any of the things listed below, you're probably on a path to financial insecurity.
Helping friends and family with their financial struggles feels noble, but it can quickly derail your own finances. Unfortunately, it's difficult to say "no" to your loved ones.
Nearly six in 10 parents admit to providing some financial assistance to their adult children, according to Pew Research .
Moreover, according to a 2025 survey by JG Wentworth , 53% of adults say they have lent money to either a friend or family member at least once, and 48.3% would ask a family member for money with no expectation to pay it back.
Put simply, lending money to your loved ones is nearly on par with tossing cash into a black hole. That's not to say you should refuse all requests for financial help. However, if you're saying "yes" too often, you're putting yourself in a financially vulnerable position.
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The costs of dining out, attending concerts and going on vacation have increased rapidly in recent years. U.S. adults currently spend $2,841 per year on restaurant and takeout meals, according to CNET , while the average household spends $3,568 a year on entertainment, according to Ramsey Solutions . Add in occasional expenses like birthdays and anniversaries, and you can see why an active social life is an expensive luxury.
You don't need to abandon all opportunities to socialize and live like a recluse, but occasionally saying "no" could help you accumulate meaningful savings over time.
High-income individuals have greater access to credit, and many of them take full advantage of this.
According to a 2025 survey by PYMNTS , high-earning shoppers are 40% more likely to rely on buy-now-pay-later programs than their lower-earning peers. And, according to BHG Financial , 62% of individuals earning more than $300,000 a year are struggling with credit card debt.
If you're in this cohort, resist the temptation to max out all the credit available to you. Accumulating multiple monthly interest payments can quickly drain even a high six-figure salary .
Lifestyle creep happens when your spending rises at the same rate as your paycheck, so a bigger salary never actually translates into more savings.
