re: I don't grasp how families make it.

Not being a dick but

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But They have three kids

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if you can't afford them then don't have them.

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tell other folks how to live their lives

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I gave my opinion. I didn't advocate for a law to be changed.

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and what kind of family they’re entitled to have.

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They're entitled to have as many kids as they want. They're not entitled to my money because of their incompetence and poor planning

3 kids on 80k will get you to that situation.

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I love how you blame trump for their problems. Did they have 3 kids in the last 3 years? Did inflation go up in that time?

I’m guessing no to both.

Last year I made 85K. We have 2 kids. You learn to budget for what you actually want rather than blow money on what other people do.

We never NEVER see movies in theaters.
I have an iPhone 6 from my company. Wife has an iPhone 6 as well. It’s been repaired 4-5 times.
Our food budget is $150 a week. That’s with diapers. Casseroles, chili, prime steak when it’s on sale, etc.
We eat out for special occasions. Other than that? Nope.
No cable. When football season is on we have Hulu, otherwise just Netflix.
My car has 120,000 mi on it.
Wife’s car has 150,000 mi on it. Both will hit 300,000 or get totaled, which ever comes first, before we get a new (used) one.
We vacation when I rack up enough miles for us to travel. Been to Hawaii 3 times in 5 years.

We bought our first house for 300k with 20% down we saved ourselves, and have 20k in school debt. That’s where our money goes. That and to our kids school, activities, etc.

This sob story doesn’t move me.

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Agreed. Several years ago we were close to $85k-90k with 2 kids and a mortgage. It's not easy by any means, but we didn't want for anything. You drive older vehicles. In a low to medium cost of living area you are doing fine.

Totally disagree with the then you shouldn't have kids mantra. If you live frugally, it can be done. And from a tax perspective, you should be paying zero federal taxes and minimal state taxes.

Monthly budget breakdown...

Income - $6,670

Fed Taxes - $0 (with 3 kids at $85k your effective tax rate should be 0)
State Taxes - est. $300
SS/Medicare - $500
Health Insurance - $1,000
Mortgage/Taxes/Ins. - $1,300
Food - $800
Cleaning/laundry - $80
Auto Gas - $250
Auto Ins. - $150
Nat. Gas - $150
Electricity - $100
Clothing - $300
Cell Phone - $90
Internet - $60
Water - $50

Yes there are other miscellaneous expenses in there that I missed, but I came up with expenses of $5,130... Even if you add in another $500/month in miscellaneous expenses they should be able to save at least $1,000 per month.

My guess is they have car notes, drive nicer cars, live in a more expensive area, eat out often, don't shop their car insurance and cell plans and generally don't watch where every dollar goes.

Even if you were to adjust the income for inflation to the 1950s and assume you can pay for a 1950s house with 1950s healthcare costs, your grandparents would be living high on the hog with 3 kids and that kind of income.

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keep tabs on the price of food personally weekly with an app on my phone.

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What app would this be? I'd be interested in that.

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What app would this be? I'd be interested in that.

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Obviously one that is wildly inaccurate. Food costs have been fairly stable.

I just looked it up we had a drop of almost 2% in 2016, a rise of 8% in 17, and looks like less than a 2% rise in 19. Expecting 2-4% in 2020...which is in line with historic averages.

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$80 for car insurance

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Who is your agency?

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Three kids on $80k is tough. Need to live small as heck. Why three kids with so litttle income?

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I raised 3 of my own and two more that just showed up on 45 a year. Lots of beans & rice, venison chilli,turnip greens and cornbread, homemade kimchi and bulgogi and rice, homemade baked bread, yeast biscuits.... Pigs in the ground you name it.... We always ate like kings... Learn to cook

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Agreed.

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Second. Been there. You figure out your want and needs and drop all the wants.
Food. Shelter. Swallow your "pride" and drive a paid for'06 Envoy with 225,000 miles and in need of body work until the wheel fall off.

Work harder. Instead of travel-ball on the weekends, learn to lay brick, carpentry, stripe parking lots, fix small motors and make extra cash on Saturday.

Billions of people on this rock called Earth survive on garbage. Trade places with them for a day and see if you can't make 80K work.

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My nephew got the flu. The cost of his medicine is $204.

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this is where a good pharmacist would tell you:
1.) flu "medicine" is typically worthless, unless you have money to blow... flu is a virus, we don't have meds that kill viruses, only help lessen the symptoms... so, at best, you are lessening the duration of the flu by about a day- day and a half... typically, not worth it...

2.) would look for a copay savings card to help with the copay, on the patient's behalf

3.) would contact the MD, let them know how expensive the shite is, and then try to offer suitable alternatives, within the patient's price range, to help ease the burden on the patient's wallet...

and they would do all of this with a smile on their face, and cheer in their heart for having the opportunity to do so...