For someone who grew up poor in the inner city US, I've basically done everything right. I managed to get through college without debt, got a good job as a Software Engineer working remotely, and bought a house in a small town the midwest. It's everything they say to do. “Get a better job! Move to a cheaper area.”
And yet. I had a single mundane trip to the hospital. My car is on its last leg. My furnace needs to be replaced. My air conditioner will need to be soon.
Tomorrow I start a new job where I'll be making a lot more than my previous job, and I'll hopefully have the extra income needed to pay off these things. But as it stands, I don't have any safety money.
I am ridiculously lucky, and I'm still concerned about my retirement. I'm still concerned about having enough for emergencies. I will still need to be stingy in order to save money.
With the way rising costs are going, I have no idea how people are going to survive. I don't know what people are expected to do. I don't know how all of this is expected to continue.
When someone tells you to pull yourself up by your bootstraps, just remember that even for people who are lucky enough to have bootstraps, the american dream still isn't a given.