We were told to work hard, get a degree, buy a house, retire at 60. Now we’re overworked, overeducated, renting at 40, and praying Social Security still exists by 70. This isn’t the American dream. It’s the American nightmare.

There’s no ladder anymore in America. Our parents climbed it and found success. We got handed a treadmill. Run harder. Earn less. Watch prices skyrocket. And when you can’t keep up? Sorry, you just aren't hustling hard or budgeting.

Boomers: I fed a family of four on $50 a week. Gen Z: $50 barely covers lunch. This isn’t inflation. It’s engineered poverty.

Cost of living is breaking people. Half of America is stressed about rent. Half is stressed about groceries. Nearly 4 in 10 under 45 are using “buy now, pay later” just to get by. This isn't about budgeting better. It’s survival.

The middle class was erased quietly. One tax cut here. One bailout there. One “record profit” headline after another. Now three families hold more wealth than half the country. And you’re still told to “work hard.” But we can still bring it back! We must!

They’ll tell you “be grateful you have a job.” Grateful for what? A poverty wage? A 2-hour commute? Watching groceries double in price while your paycheck stays the same?

Poor in America doesn’t mean lazy. It means two jobs and still broke. It means credit cards maxed out on groceries. It means praying your car doesn’t break down. This isn’t personal failure. This is what happens when a country treats basic needs as a profit opportunity.

You’re not “living beyond your means.” The average car payment is $750 a month. Transportation isn’t expensive because you bought a new car. It’s expensive because wages are stuck in 1999 and interest rates are sky‑high. But sure, just sell your car. Walk 20 miles to work.

The American dream didn’t die. It was murdered. By $2,400 rents. By $100 grocery trips. By CEOs making 300x more than you. By politicians who told you to “just work harder” while voting themselves raises.

Middle class used to mean vacations, savings, a home. Middle class today means: Roommates at 35. DoorDash as a side hustle. Hoping your car doesn’t break because $400 would ruin you. And they still dare to call this “booming.”

Average Social Security check: $2,000. Average rent for a one-bedroom: $1,700. That leaves $300 for food, meds, gas, everything. What’s the plan when the car breaks down? When the heater stops working? When there’s no family left to help? Nobody’s talking about it. But it's

Boomers: My hospital bill was $200 when I broke my arm. Gen Z: I avoid going to the ER because I might owe $20,000. This isn’t bad financial planning. It’s a healthcare system that profits from your pain.

The middle class is gone. The poor are drowning. The rich are richer than ever. And yet we’re told to “budget better” while CEOs make 300x our pay. This isn’t bad luck. It’s theft in broad daylight.

Broke used to mean hustling for a few months to get ahead. Broke now means hustling forever and never catching up. Why? Wages froze, costs exploded, and the American dream turned into a rental agreement.