There’s a well-established financial concept known as “pay yourself first.”

The idea is that to properly save for wealth an individual must first put aside a small portion of their income for themselves. That slice is often suggested to be 10%. Using the remaining 90%, the individual pays the mortgage, the bills, and buys groceries. But the “mine to keep” money must come off the top. If it doesn’t, there will never be enough to go around, and the individual will stay perpetually poor.