The motto that Dad always passed on to us is "don't spend what you haven't earned yet". And when I was older, I would add to that by telling him "Dad, God squeezes, but doesn't hang", heh, heh, heh.
As you state in your publication, spending priorities must be kept in mind. My brothers and sisters in Venezuela can say, "they live day to day". The box I send them monthly is used wisely.