Again, I agree, but also disagree.

I agree that using a budget can help people make their money work better for them.

The issue is that people can’t budget their way out of not having enough money to cover basic living expenses. No amount of sitting around and trying to allocate money you don’t have to cover expenses you have to pay will make that money magically appear.

And yes, people under constraints can and do do hard things every day. But it doesn’t always work out like it did for your parents. Investing limited resources into moving is a big risk that isn’t guaranteed to pay off.

I’m not saying you don’t have good points. You do. I don’t know if you mean it this way, but your comments make it seem like you’re taking difficult, multifaceted problems and reducing them down to, “Just make a budget and if that doesn’t work, just move.”

That oversimplification is just as unhelpful as the suggestions like “steal” that you’re criticizing.