Jean Chatzky
Region: US
Thursday 11 December 2025 20:18:27 GMT
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Gina Marie :
Idk. I am a single mom. I have 5 children, one is away to college, the other 4 are home half the time. I bring home $3500 a month after tax and get $385 in child support currently. I own a home in Kentucky ($1450/month mortgage), I own 3 cars ($315/month for my car and my daughters' cars are paid off, but I still cover their insurance). I make it. I spend $400 month on groceries. we generally eat out maybe twice a month. We have everything we need and I make less than have of $140k a year.
2025-12-29 18:16:07
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jenni :
How are ppl vacationing? Getting Botox? Nails? We make well over 140k and have essentially free healthcare bc my husband served 20yrs. But I see all these ppl driving new Tahoe’s, suburbans and vacationing. How?
2025-12-16 12:20:31
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christina.cant.cook :
We do not need 1,000 a month cars.
2025-12-11 23:36:56
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Rebecca Gonzalez :
Tough to live on $140k 😂😂 my family of 5 living on $60-70k. Things are tight, but $140k being tight?? Thats hilarious
2025-12-14 19:34:36
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Alinna Mehaffie :
I'm 41, grew up well below the poverty line, and my whole life I imagined that if I one day made over $100,000 a year I would be rich. My husband and I combined make about $120,000-$140,000 depending on his bonuses and are definitely living paycheck to paycheck with our four kids and I'm constantly thinking about people living on less. It's exhausting.
2025-12-11 21:35:46
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dreamingofparis13 :
Feeling like American Dream is a lie. Europe taking care of their people with healthcare, affordable groceries, subsidized childcare and free education seems like they have the dream we were sold.
2025-12-12 01:50:49
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tiffanymarshall840 :
My husband is a software engineer, and we bought a house in 2022. Mortgage $3,000. Salary 150k. We are barely making it. I don’t know how people are living right now.
2025-12-27 03:25:35
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MMitsme :
$1000 in car payments should absolutely NOT be normalized nor is it necessary!
2025-12-12 00:02:48
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horseshowgrad :
Homeowners insurance alone will be about $800 a month
2025-12-11 20:56:29
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Zippered Zebra :
I thought this was a good time to bring up the fact that many disabled people are expected to live on less than $1000 a month.
2025-12-13 20:40:00
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katy__591 :
You’re not taking home $8k a month on $100k, you forgot fica, state, or insurance. It comes in around $5.4k/mo.
2025-12-23 05:58:17
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renee.kirkpatrick :
Average income: $8,000. Average mortgage: $3,000. That’s already over the “your mortgage should be be over 25% of your income rule”. I haven’t even finished the video yet!
2025-12-27 13:00:55
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RayDawn111 :
Depends where in the US you live. 140k would be poverty in Orange County CA or NY for instance
2025-12-13 01:34:42
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Siomara Stroud :
Poverty?? If you own a home and a car how is that poverty???
2025-12-27 21:47:30
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user7513649989802 :
Poverty line is not comfortable, or living at average costs. Car/ insurance payments of $1000 is not a poverty used car. Average house purchase of $400k is not the same as average rent for a 1bedroom apartment of $800.
2025-12-13 14:14:47
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Charlotte Japp Crater :
…not to mention putting money away for savings and retirement!
2025-12-12 02:21:46
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user4129811795979 :
You forgot to mention student loans
2025-12-14 22:30:57
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Sarina :
Hi I’m an accountant, I do think it’s important to point out older generations are experiencing a different economy than people just stepping into things. If you owned a home prior to 2022, you’ve doubled your assets just by sitting in your house. While people in their 20s have a first time car loan given at 10% and student loans at 7/8%. Between student loans, car loans, and credit cards the average monthly debt payment right now sits at 1,500 a month for younger generations. Almost an entire paycheck for the average American salary. The math presented did not include debt, which is reality for our generation and the bigger issue to even think about entering an into mortgage or staring a family.
2025-12-16 02:17:42
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ThereWillBeNoShame :
I make 60,000 as a single mom in Seattle area and I’m short every month. It’s hard
2025-12-12 14:13:44
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user8595366773123 :
So realistically 6k a month after taxes. That is not a comfortable number even if 96k feels like a good income.
2025-12-11 20:59:27
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Crafty Ginger :
Well damn! Then we are well below the poverty level. 😳
2025-12-11 21:09:08
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Whataboutit :
And student loans!
2025-12-12 02:37:26
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Violette :
My childcare costs for two in daycare is 53k a year. This is the average costs of childcare in the area that I live in/
2025-12-12 03:30:28
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Jenny|Lifestyle Edit :
Let’s not forget competitive sports for kids! My daughter’s gymnastics every month is $500 not including all the straw. Thank you for breaking this down because it isn’t a spending problem.
2025-12-12 16:55:55
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timmmads :
What’s “crazy” is my husband and I do it on about half and are green every month. The “cost of living” is including a lot consumerism!!
2026-01-19 15:14:43
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