It's fairly easy to go through that kind of money depending on where you live. If you're living in SF or NY you could well be spending $4k-$5k on rent or a mortgage. Supporting a spouse and children is very expensive even before you consider college. Forget the $400 emergency in the article, kids, not uncommonly, need $10k of orthodontic work. I also find that busy professionals tend to eat out a lot more because they don't have time to shop and cook, which is another significant cost.