You reap what you sow. I am fairly certain his parents also taught him how to save money 'for a rainy day' but rather than doing that he spent it all on living (both needs and wants) when you continually do this, you will get into trouble at some point. What were they going to use for college-he wrote they hadn't saved for that. Or his daughters' future weddings (I have a feeling he would want to help pay for that)
I don't feel sorry for them. I'm glad they have a good attitude but I don't feel for them at all.
The folks I feel for are the ones that are drowning in medical bills, or some sort of accident that prevented someone from working and that began their downward spiral
Or people who are underemployed and cannot get ahead
But when people are intelligent, educated and gainfully employed and they spend all their dough on lunches out, buying stuff, sleep away camps EVERY summer, and then refinance? ouch