{
  "label": "How much of a lower housing payment would you keep?",
  "units": "Hypothetical US dollars per month, October 2026; chosen household inputs, not city prices",
  "categories": [
    "Housing",
    "Transport",
    "Other recurring essentials"
  ],
  "cases": [
    {
      "label": "Current Stamford month",
      "income": 6200,
      "expenses": [
        2400,
        450,
        2600
      ],
      "remaining": 750
    },
    {
      "label": "Candidate, income retained",
      "income": 6200,
      "expenses": [
        1700,
        800,
        2600
      ],
      "remaining": 1100
    },
    {
      "label": "Candidate, confirmed raise",
      "income": 6600,
      "expenses": [
        1700,
        800,
        2600
      ],
      "remaining": 1500
    },
    {
      "label": "Candidate, reduced income",
      "income": 5400,
      "expenses": [
        1700,
        800,
        2600
      ],
      "remaining": 300
    }
  ],
  "unrecoverable_transition_allowance": 4200,
  "lesson": "The $700 housing reduction is partly used by a $350 transport increase. With income retained, $350 more remains. A confirmed $400 take-home increase leaves $750 more than the current month; an $800 income reduction leaves only $300 after the chosen essentials.",
  "input_limit": "Replace the chosen inputs with the real home, usable income, transport for every adult and the essential costs your household will carry. The current car and an additional required vehicle are different changes.",
  "transition_lesson": "A verified $350 monthly improvement covers a separate hypothetical $4,200 of unrecoverable transition spending in 12 full months. A worse recurring result has no savings payback. Refundable deposits tie up cash separately; keep the emergency reserve separate too."
}