Money -making, keeping, spending

I stop to think, on a regular basis these days, how lucky I am to have money and not be in "dire straits". I got my car insurance bill today --- $301 a month. Plus Cobra $441 a month. Mortgage, $1180 plus $312 for condo fee. Plus cell phone, cable, internet, electric, gas, food etc. Even if I didn't buy so much as a coffee, my monthly expenses are huge! And I'm not "downsizing" like a retired person, so I can't really cut my expenses by that much. I eliminated my Verizon phone bill.
Yes, I could cut out my cable/ internet but that's not practical (and my phone is Comcast now).
I could cancel the Globe, saving $30 a month. But every month there is something more - temple dues $250, plus buying seats (I always buy 2 for $120). It's time to renew my meds - which frankly, are very cheap -- $57 for 5 meds! 90 days! That's cheap. Plus, the co-insurance on my many medical activities... relative to the cost of the surgery and follow up appointments, not bad, but still averaging $100 or so a month.

While most people do not retire at 50 unless they are already millionaires - young entrepreneurs who sold their business and made millions - I have worked pretty hard for the last 25 years. Maybe not doctor- or lawyer-hard, but i worked, even though some of my money was given to me by Dad, I never asked for any. he wanted to encourage us to invest in IRA accounts, and he wanted to get the money out of his estate, which we would inherit anyway.

I worked 7:30 to 6 PM at the bank on Saturdays and weekends, which were considered the part time hours, while still in college. I took the train into Boston to be at the bank in Boston by 8 AM. I worked 4-8 every night for awhile while in college, doing data entry at Blue Cross, and took the train and bus home - by 9 PM. I worked Saturdays and Sundays at Jordan Marsh. I worked hard at JHF and Keane and Siemens, and now -- well... I'm burned out, and I don't want to work that hard anymore.

While I'm living off my checking account balance I still have considerable investments, and some cash not invested... so even though I obsessively check my investments daily, I am not about to lose my home if I buy an iced latte. I have friends who seriously do have money problems, and barely have any extra left over for luxuries.