Feels like it. I'm getting the most pay in my life and 5 years ago it would have been comfortable. Now with the cost of everything I'm just eeking by. Hell I drive a 30 year old car still as I can't afford a new one or even a newer used one

One thing I've noticed is that movies and TV shows don't use exact amounts of money anymore.

'The Rockford Files' always talked about Jim's $200.00 a day fee, and characters would say things like 'Hey, this is a fifty dollar jacket' or 'That house must have cost $100,000.'

The $5.00 milkshake was a big plot point in 'Pulp Fiction.'

Prices are going up so fast that what was unreasonably expensive when the script was written will be the norm by the time the show gets aired.

Yeah, shits tight and every institution is in decay. On the other hand it's only gonna get worse until it gets better, so theres that.

I’m good. Though, I feel like I don’t really have the life I expected for my current level of income. Like my parents made a lot less, but had it better.

Not everybody.

All of the worst people you know of or can imagine are doing GREAT.

Not just financially, also mentally and emotionally!

We don’t generally have to worry where our next meal is coming from, but there is little to no wiggle room after that. Savings? Lol. Investments? See savings. No vacations. No subscriptions. Just rent, food, and bills. We’re one unexpected large expense away from homelessness at any given time. But we do have the essentials covered.

Financially, no. Emotionally, fuck yeah.

I'm not struggling but damnit i want some fucking slack.

I have been rather fortunate, and well paid (~$120K after taxes and savings). Even 3 years ago, I didn't have to think about money day to day. I was brought up with a very modest lifestyle, so the things that feel extravagent to me were affordable in that context.

Today my wife and I eat out less, shop for groceries differently, and plan things that used to be a small purchase more carefully. It's not a struggle in the important senses, but I have a clear feeling of "it's going to get worse", and I want to make lifestyle adjustments ahead of that rather than falling behind it.

I am well off, but not well off enough to lift other people out of their misery. I contribute what I easily can, but every day I wish for the world to change, even if that means having less income as a result.

We're by no means struggling relative to what many are going through right now, but we definitely already lost multiple safety-nets in a very brief amount of time under Trump's 2nd term.

i'm fucked.

I've been unemployed since 04-2025, and while I still have a long way to go, my savings are starting to dwindle. The job market is tough for coders that find generative AI, wasteful, unethical, and a copyright hazard, in addition to not being much impressed with the output, even from tests earlier this year. I wonder if the new convenience store needs people.

I am.

I'm so god damn hungry.

Everytime i manage to save a few thousand and think im adding to my savings, suddenly we need a root canal, i blow a tire, doctor wants an MRI because he felt something odd.... and poof, all my savings are gone.

Not struggling, but not living the high life, either. No retirement savings, so I'll be working until I die, probably, but at least I like my job.

Nah, I'm doing just fine. I have a steady job, frugal lifestyle and quite substantial savings/investments for someone my age. I could live for years without income.

Struggling?

No.

Drowning, yes.

the finances I have to manage are a 12 pound bass hanging off 4 pound line.

I've been aggressively cutting my food bill and making do with the cheapest staple foods. Not ramen, but like the cheap vegetables, bulk rice and legumes, not much meat, no dairy. Making my own sweets, bread, ECT. Lots of soups, stews, vegetarian curries. Getting free fruit from neighbours trees. That's the biggest expense I can cut right now. I'm increasingly frugal on just about everything else, and doing side gigs wherever I can. I even stopped buying books and started going to the library once a week.

I wouldn't say I'm struggling, but I'm all out of things to cut.

I have moved back in with parents, who are struggling to pay their own bills. It's mutually beneficial, but goddamn does it make transitioning hard. I doubt they would kick me out since they'd lose the house when they can't pay bills, but in the meantime I would need to find somewhere to put up a tent and hope I can store my stuff somewhere cheap.

Since my spouse got fired over a medical issue, and their health has since spiraled, we have been eating through our savings. "Luckily" I just started a second job today.

Sure would be great if you could survive on a single income as a family like people used to be able to do. We'd have to make billionaires extinct first(and even then it'd be a long road getting from here to there) and unless society does a 180, that's not happening.

The fediverse undoubedtly skews to the educated middle class; most of us are squeezed but not dry.

Financially? No, I’m doing pretty well, having made a lot of boring but good long term decisions, gotten a few lucky breaks, and had the sort of career where I’ve always been able to find a new job when I needed to. Though with the rise of LLMs that may not be true in a few years.

Health wise though? Fuck. And the mental fallout from that sucks.

My economy is incredibly solid, and I'm not the most frugal. Could live off savings for more than a year.

Living in Scandinavia, background in physics.

My sales had a significant drop the past several months, it's now just barely over my bills. And my bills are really small compared to most.

Quite freaked out about it. Keep thinking sales are coming... Xmas is soon... Where are the sales?

I setup rain water catchment and solar power, so at least I have free water and power.

Counted my stash of canned foods yesterday and checked all the experation dates.

Just making sure I have: food, water, shelter. No matter what happens, hopefully I can ride it out here.

Is it great? No, but I'm above water and not having to cut back. Couldn't afford kids though

Struggling a bit more financially but I prepared for this tbh. I expected shit to get bad, and still think it will get worse.

To put things in perspective I'm learning stuff in case the next depression happens soon, like planting potatoes, food preservation...

Save whatever money you can now. This might be the least you struggle financially for years.

I have some friends that are doing okay but they were able to buy houses before everything went to shit. Those of us that didn't are all pretty fucked.

No. But I do feel slightly bad about it.

Don't have kids I guess? 🤷

Gliding on old savings, but hopefully the new job (39% raise!) will get us back afloat.... for now. It's like I have to keep changing jobs so I can get raises that even begin to match the cost of living increases from corporate greed.

I am.

To answer your question, though: no. Some people are doing GREAT. It may not be a majority of people, but anyone who was rich in 2015 is now super rich. The super rich are now obscenely rich. Even a majority of the moderately well-off - e.g. people who own their houses outright or people with >3 times their annual income in investments - are doing pretty damn well. That is part of the reason that Trump, no matter how vile or incompetent, never dips below 30% approval. People will overlook all kinds of evil when their bottom line is improving.

It’s pretty bad at the moment.

Had to sell the helicopter after last quarter’s revenues tanked and fuel prices are out of control. Kinda awkward since the yacht still has a helipad.

Really just hoping people are too into their own yacht to notice..