‘I need to start a house fund for my kids’: Gen X mom says her 20-something son and daughter work hard, still can’t ‘afford to live’
A mom on TikTok shared a video explaining the financial struggles of the younger generation. She questions the difference in housing prices from when she was a young adult to now.
Jess (@that1crazy72) also referred to as “Gen X Jess,” has reached over 3.9 million views on her TikTok video. Gen Z and millennial TikTok users are appreciating Jess for speaking on behalf of their generation.
@that1crazy72 Its no wonder there is a mental health crisis amoung the younger generation..and to make matters worse most cant afford to get treated and if they do they are told to “get a better job” what happened to the middle class just wanting to make w decent living? #housingcrisis #mentalhealth #americandream #rent #longervideos #howtoretire ♬ original sound - That1crazy72
Jess says that her two kids are grown adults, ages 28 and 25. She thought that by teaching them what she learned growing up that they would get the things in life they need. “You work hard, you get a good job. Worked for me, why wouldn’t it work for them?” she says.
“And before my generation comes at me, yes I understand struggling is a part of life. But there’s a difference between struggling and drowning,” she adds.
Jess’ son went to college, got a full-time job, and asked to live at home for two months after graduating.
“It’s been 10 months. He saved almost everything. He still can’t afford to live,” Jess says.
She then adds, “It used to be upper class, lower class, and middle class. It’s turning into the ultra wealthy and then everybody else is just poor.”
Jess says her son can barely find a 1-bedroom apartment for less than $2,000 a month and his car insurance went up $150 when he turned 25. She thought it would go down like it did when she turned 25.
Her son recently had a medical emergency and needed to go to the emergency room twice. “He couldn’t get anyone to see him with the health insurance he had,” she says. “Now he’s out of money for that too.”
Jess also says her daughter pays double the mortgage that she pays herself, but her loan was the same amount. “Maybe instead of a college fund I need to start a house fund for my kids,” one comment says.
Jess adds that “all they see when they come home is what they watch on social media. Kids their age are on lavish vacations because we value those things over hard workers.”
Viewers in the comment section are praising Jess for speaking out on this. One comment says, “Thank you for seeing the reality in this. So many parents don’t understand this struggle.”
Another comment says, “The traditional American dream is dead. Idk the answer but something has to change.”
One says, “As a millennial, I’m tired.”
A Gen X commenter says, “My first job out of the military I made $18k. I was able to afford a car, insurance and an apartment.”
“Times have changed,” Jess says.
According to Fortune, most millennials and Gen-Z workers say they still rely on their parents for money. And a recent Yahoo report notes that their finances are so bad, their parents may be unable to retire. Generation Z was poised to enter the workforce with economic momentum, but the COVID pandemic made them the most likely workers to lose their jobs, according to a LinkedIn post by a business leader.
The Daily Dot reached out to Jess via direct message.
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