In our modern times, what does ‘affordable’ actually mean? So many households consist of two people working. But when it all boils down, most households still can’t afford major purchases. Most households still struggle to keep up with their bills. Now, a West Virginia woman is sharing her opinion on ‘normal’ two-people household incomes. It turns out, most people don’t actually know what normal is when it comes to what two incomes bring in.
TikToker Jade wanted to bring attention to “normal 2-person household income,” where at least two people are working. She goes on to say that she and her husband make good money. However, they still struggle because they’re paying their mortgage, immense student loan debt, and daycare for their children. Altogether, she said this adds up to the amount of three mortgages. She said “over half of our income goes just to those three things,” and that’s just to start. There’s saving for food, utilities, insurance, clothing, and more.
So, with all of that considered, how ‘rich’ is somebody if most of their income is going to their debts? As Jade says, both she and her husband went for doctorate and master’s degrees. She said “you can only imagine” what they have to pay just for their student loan debt alone.
In a world where everybody tries to push you into choosing the most prestigious colleges and expects you to bring children into the world, jobs aren’t typically paying enough. Furthermore, there’s not enough out there for everyone. So many people are struggling because they just can’t keep up.
“Daycare for two kids is more than a small mortgage,” one person pointed out. And that’s if you can find one affordable enough. Nearly half of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, according to Goldman Sachs.
“Imagine working 2 jobs 6 days a week making 40k a year like me. I can’t afford to breathe and people tell me work harder,” said another. So if both parents are working two to four jobs, where’s the time to raise kids?
But it’s not just adults, either; they also expect literal children to make life-changing decisions like signing onto student loans that will follow them through life.
One commenter brought up the problem of teenagers getting shackled to student debt. “No offense at all, but this should be shown to teenagers who are looking into student loans. Because you make more than my husband and I combined, but because of your student loans, we most likely have more keep money. We make over $150k with paid off vehicles, a low mortgage and no other debt. All of my paychecks go straight into savings,” they said.
It’s not a bad idea. But with so many high-paying jobs requiring degrees these days, teens are left with few options on where to turn.
