Mel Abraham argues that coffee isn't your problem. Car payments, lifestyle upgrades, and comparing yourself to others are. He says net worth reflects reality while income reflects performance, and a good-enough plan executed consistently beats a perfect plan you never start.
You're not financially irresponsible. That's actually the part of the problem. Sometimes we care about the wrong things. You're not going broke on the lattes. You're going broke on the big decisions you made. The latte isn't your problem. The car payment might be. The big things might be. Chasing someone else's number without knowing your own life is like building a house without a blueprint. Income is performance. Net worth is reality. The perfect time is a myth. Starting imperfectly today is better than starting perfectly someday. Obsessing about the plan instead of the execution. A good enough plan executed consistently beats a perfect plan that never gets touched.
