The thing is that the economy in the West hasn't actually "crashed" in any meaningful way in my lifetime. Maybe during Covid, kind of, when we had supply chain issues for a bit? A lot of that was self inflicted too.<p>A crash to me is like, I wake up, £1 is worth 50p and in one fell swoop I'm significantly net negative every month. Or like, the supermarkets start closing down, there's no fuel left in the petrol stations, etc.<p>A crash is not - things cost 5%, 10% more over a period of months, and it's a bit harder to find a job.<p>I grew up without even getting pocket money, I have a "reverse inheritance" e.g. I pay my parents on occasion, the memetic idea that everyone who isn't underwater comes from Big Money(tm) just seems like self destructive behaviour to me.<p>I just don't identify with the mindset. My feeling is that most people prioritise other things over their financial wellbeing because they think that's "normal" or whatever.<p>All you need to do to almost completely immunise yourself against this stuff is to spend, say, 70-80% of what you earn, less if that's viable. There is someone out there already, in your town, who earns about 70-80% of what you do, so just live like them.