She earns $80,000 a year, has a steady job, and by most measures appears to be doing reasonably well financially. Yet a few days before every payday, she is checking her bank balance and wondering how another paycheck disappeared.
Living paycheck to paycheck is not limited to low-income households, because housing, debt, transportation, childcare, insurance, and everyday spending can consume a surprisingly large share of a solid salary. The important question is not simply how much someone earns, but how much money actually remains after taxes, benefits, bills, debt payments, and routine spending.
