Your right about what he should do and thass how it should be ..but end of the day ..if one believs in a hadith of the Prophet SAW .. that No man can even equal the debt his parents have on him through out his childhood and esp the mother who carries him/her for 9 months.. they go through hell just to bring u up and get u to a status where you are and its the duas of the elders that get u there .. yes personal effort is there but its not enuf without the blessings of the elder ..and now if you got a 50k job and u go tell ur parents that you need to cut down on your spendings .. i think thats really sad i d say ..
and secondly, just wanted to correct you .. that looking after ur parents in every way even financially ..is NOT an eastern concept ..its the ISLAMIC way.. what ISLAM teaches us.
Thank you.
ps. whats more greater and better, the happiness of your parents or the worldly life where one lil glitch that moneys running out .. ?