5/11/15 Money Money Money Money?

    I was discussing with Wife, how do regular people get by week to week, month to month?  Part of the reason we decided to sell our big house is that I am getting tired of scraping by.  Moving will put our mortgage payment under $1000.  This should allow us to live much more carefree, but people we know that make much less, how are you doing it?  We went to HEB to get some meat for grilling and we didn't get anything fancy, definitely no steaks.  The tab was still close to $200.  Every time we go to the store, it is over $100.  We are not eating fancy food either.  Most breakfasts for me and Chubs consist of either a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a banana or a bowl of cereal during the week.  Once a month or so, I might stop and get some kolaches, but that has become rare this year.
    Boy works and he gets paid and he is doing a good job of keeping himself fed during the week.  We go and get him some stuff so he has food he can prepare easily, be it cereals, tunas, or anything else he can throw in the microwave.  Plus I'll give him cash, if I have it, when he asks.
    I know when Boy was still in high school, he'd bring friends over and they were always hungry.  We tried to always have frozen pizzas or other easy to make food in the freezer.I don't like the idea that these kids that I have known most of their lives are starving while I am sitting here getting fatter.
    The biggest debate in this is when I help Girlie.  Am I doing her a favor by helping her?  Wife thinks it would be better for her to figure out life on her own and have her starve and feel pain in order to force change, perhaps quitting the low paying job.  I feel that will happen in its own time and though I know she is not my daughter, I've known her since she was four, and she has always been close with us.  She lives with an aunt who I think barely makes enough to feed her kids so that is not an option.
    What is the endgame, in the big scenario?  City keeps raising property taxes, but 150-200 new people a day keep moving to Austin.  If we don't like it, too bad.  One of these new 4000 to 6000 new people a month will gladly take our place.  So taxes won't slow down anytime soon, food prices won't come down either, as will any goods or vehicles.  The only thing we can do is figure out ways to make more money.  I'll hold off on buying new vehicles for Wife and I until after we move.  Wife wants a cheap SUV, I won't fight her, she can have the bare bones Ford Escape.  I will get a loaded F250 first chance I get.