Came to the US a few years ago after reading so much about how hard it is to exist here. All I’ve seen over the past few years is people around me desperate to live way beyond their means. Doesn’t matter how much you all make, you find a way to immediately spend it all somehow. I’ve seen people making 50k, 75k, 100k and some even more, but the common theme is how quickly they manage to burn through their paycheck, and almost always just the Americans, while those around them manage to actually save and better their financial positions. If you truly want to get out from under your employer’s thumb, maybe try not being financially beholden to them week after week? Trust me, MILLIONS of people in this country do it, even at the median wage (~40k/year)