There are ways to spend $1,500 a month that would make life more pleasant for the whole family, not just you. A weekend away, membership to a pool, season’s tickets to some sports team, a trip to the nearest major city and a Broadway-quality show. Then your family would be making some memories together that went beyond “my dad hated us so much he hid in an apartment all weekend.”

Lose the dogs though. There’s no purpose to having those filthy creatures in a human home.