Woman Criticizes People Who Claim That Anyone Who's Financially Struggling Isn't Working Hard Enough
Even with the most prestigious career, the current cost of living is difficult to manage.
PBXStudio, Shutterstock; CanvaPro As the cost of living continues to skyrocket, even those working multiple jobs and maxing out their schedules to earn paychecks are struggling to maintain their finances.
However, some out-of-touch individuals believe that there is an easy fix to this issue — people simply need to get out there and work harder.
But lack of hard work is not what is to blame for people struggling to afford groceries and pay their rent. It's a combination of economic problems that are leaving many Americans scrambling to save money.
One woman took it upon herself to call out a man who believed that anyone having trouble financially must not be working hard enough.
Despite how hard people are working, the woman noted that inflation has gone up and many are struggling to make ends meet.
In a TikTok video that has been viewed nearly 200,000 times, Blaire Allison recalled an incident when a man told her that the economy is “booming” and the only reason people are struggling is because “they’re not working hard enough.”
However, Allison pointed out that work ethic has nothing to do with one’s financial success, especially in today’s economic climate. “Today there are people who are making 30-50,000 more dollars a year than they were making three to five years ago, but they are struggling more today than they were three to five years ago,” Allison said.
Much of this is due to the spike in prices of essential items, including food and clothing. “Has this guy walked through a grocery store? Has he seen the price of chips? Has he seen the price of cereal? Has he seen the prices of anything?” Allison wondered aloud.
And she’s right. The U.S. Department of Agriculture predicted that food prices will rise by 2.9% in 2024, while the price of groceries is expected to increase by 1.6%. As a result, more and more families are struggling to put meals on the table, no matter how much and how hard they’re working.
It's not just families who are struggling — all generations are being affected by the ridiculously high cost of living.
Even those who intend to retire continue working since they will be unable to afford basic necessities if they stop. “Does this guy realize that we have elderly who, in order to put food on the table, have to go work at Walmart even though they’re 80 years old?” Allison asked.
“People who are in their 30s and 40s who do have a job and who do have a good career, have moved back in with their parents because they can’t afford the price of rent and they can’t buy a home right now because the interest rates are so high, and the prices of homes are so high,” she added.
The price of a home also includes home insurance and property taxes, both of which are becoming nearly impossible to keep up with.
“It’s not as simple as, ‘go get a better job’ or ‘go get a second job,’” Allison noted. There are many people, including herself, who are raising their families in addition to working full-time and physically cannot hold down multiple jobs.
In fact, it may only worsen one’s financial situation as now they have to pay additional daycare costs since they will not be around to look after their children themselves.
Allison encouraged everyone to do a better job at recognizing this financial crisis in hopes of improving it in the future.
“We have a lot of people in this country and in this world struggling and the answer is not to bury your head in the sand and act like nothing is going on,” she said. “Don’t tell me the economy is booming. The economy is not booming when people are struggling the way they are.”
Even those with an impressive education, multiple degrees, a steady career, and a double-income household are not immune to the skyrocketing cost of living.
According to a Household Pulse Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 40% of working American adults report struggling to make ends meet each month, an increase from 34.4% in 2022. Furthermore, the price of rent, utilities, and services have all skyrocketed to an all-time high in four decades.
It seems as if no matter how many hours one works, how many promotions they may receive, or how many jobs they have, they will have great difficulty living comfortably.
The relationship between hard work and financial success is complex — and certainly does not have a direct correlation, at least not in our current economy. While hard work is crucial, addressing larger societal and economic factors is necessary to create a more equitable environment where everyone has a fair chance at financial success.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.