Why did I have to learn about the 50/30/20 rule as a 30 year old man?

Hey guys. Just another guy looking to be more frugal and happy.<br><br>The other day, I was reading about money since I spend way to much on stupid things. One thing I found was the 50/30/20 rule.<br><br>It basically says that 50% of your money should go to necessities, 30% to leisure, and 20% to savings.<br><br>I had no idea. I spend money like an idiot. The reason I spend money like an idiot is because I didn't know any better. My parents were careless with money, my friends were careless with money, my family were careless with money. It seems like most of us spend money in the wrong places, and we only learn later on in life about saving properly.<br><br>I'm currently trying to get to this 50/30/20 rule. I'm not there yet. It's not easy, I'm having to cut out a lot of what I thought was necessary. I thought smoking was necessary, turns out it's not. I thought drinking 6 beers a night was necessary, turns out its not. I thought buying a new cell phone is necessary, turns out I have an upgrade in my drawer I have never used.<br><br>It's not easy, but I'm working on being frugal. Glad I finally learned about this stuff. Oh well, at least now I can teach my kids.<br><br>Edit: I had no idea this post was going to get so many replies. Thank you for all the good advice and stories!