I like to think that people will simply do what is better, though I have also seen the movie Idiocracy (the documentary from the future) so I don't know.

People put money into investment accounts and expect it to be like the movies, wake up one day and have half a million.

Rather than going out to lunch or a movie the same satisfaction can be achieved by hanging out at home and cooking as a family.To answer your question on what expense have I reduced its 401k savings ($400 mth), eating out ($100-200 mth), and whole life ($300 mth) insurance.

Now a days in my area, some don't really need a car with all the ubers and lyfts and if your either live / work is walkable , or in my case 60+ eateries, bars, restaurants within 1/2 mile, 100s of more shopping service stuff, movies, all the choices blah blah blah.

- from the movie "The Big Short"

It's an entertainment expense, much like movie or concert tickets.

The reason you keep hearing references to controlling spending is because of simple math:Income-expenses=savingsSavings is what builds net worth, through investing.People say increase income, but no matter how high your income, if your spending is greater, you will go deeper in debt.That is why there are movie stars, athletes and lottery winners who go bankrupt.

That movie instantly cured me of EVER being a landlord.  ;-)

LOL, ironically, it's about establishing boundaries.Are you going to go over there during a thunderstorm or when they watch a scary movie to hold their hand as their tender little beingness gets through such emotional trauma???

(to sit in a movie theatre alone?)