Maybe people are trying to live a lifestyle beyond what they can afford. The entitlement mentality is real and damaging. People think they deserve or that it's their right to have certain things just because other people have them. As a result, they believe that they should be paid more so that they can get more things.
When I graduated college I lived in a crappy apartment and my weekly grocery budget was only $15.00. I had envelopes for food, laundry, etc...When I cashed my check I would deposit everything except that which went into the envelopes. I didn't allow myself to spend beyond the envelopes because I couldn't. $15.00 a week was enough for me to eat quite well because I didn't believe that I deserved to go out to eat or that I should be able to buy the types of food that others were eating. As I began paying off student loan debt and my car debt I was able to save more and eat better. The more I worked the more I made and the more I got to save and eat.
Maybe the better thing to do would be to tell your neighbor to be a better steward of their resources.
