I don’t think her income level makes her advice any less sensible. We don’t like to admit that some things are out of our reach because of our income level, and don’t think of it that way because we have credit cards and so we can get what we want even if we’re broke. The problem is that kind of thinking only gets you in deep debt. Retail therapy can be costlier than the real thing. My husband and I paid off $40,000 in debt by following Aunt Kelly’s rules. It only took five months. Eating out, take out, and shopping at the upscale grocery store ceased entirely for that time and it made a huge difference.