Budgeting is Hard!

I understand that I'm now in the working world as far as my job is concerned, but I really can't seem to understand how anyone is able to afford their lifestyle anymore.  Especially my generation.  My basic (excluding food and gas) monthly budget expenses are around $1200 a month, which I think is relatively LOW considering I don't go out as much as I used, I hardly travel and I don't have time to go shopping for pretty much anything.  My money towards bills is about 90% of my income.  That being said, I have a good paying job, a solid paying one.  I don't depend on my parents for help, or anyone else.  But how the hell am I supposed to afford living and not just surviving?!


This has puzzled me for the past couple of years, and all I can conclude is that everyone depends on family, credit cards, and loans to help sustain them.  But they are just delaying the inevitable.  No one is ever going to be able to pay off all that debt.  No one.  Their parents can't even foot the bill.  So how do people do it and keep themselves above water?

I'd like to see some solid answers.  Because I can't figure anything legal to keep yourself out of debt.

I find it sad that the number one reason I'm not even getting married is because I can't afford a wedding on my own and neither my parents nor possible in-laws could foot the bill.  Then I hear that people are just waiting until they're older to get hitched, and my thought is "why would you wait to spend the rest of your life with someone when you are pretty much married anyway?"  I know that parents have been horrified knowing their children are moving in with their boyfriend or girlfriend, but what's more horrifying to me is seeing people MOVE BACK IN WITH THEIR PARENTS.  I understand times are tough, but good LORD that is not okay with me.  I'd rather swallow anti-freeze than do that.

I'm starting to see this reversal in my generation that is showing people unwilling to become financially independent and the parents enabling their children until the cows come home.  It makes me sick to my stomach to think that people feel like their parents owe them in some way.  I wish I was making 3 times the amount I make a week in salary because then I'd send a third of that back home each week.  Why?  Because my parents work too hard and put up with a lot of shit from me over the years.  The least I can do is give them a cushion to alleviate some form of financial stress.  But I don't make that much.  I don't know how long I'll even have this job because of this economy just failing all over itself every day.  The world should just hurry up and end so I can start clean again.  I'm always wanting to do a project and at least that will give me an excuse to say "screw it all" and start fresh.