$pent Millennial

Dear Reader,

The Joneses are broke.

We’ve all heard the phrase “keeping up with the Joneses.” Even if you haven’t, you’ve probably seen it—or felt it. The pressure to have more, to keep up, to prove you’re doing well: the car, the house, the 2.5 kids, the golden retriever.

I remember when I realized it was all (or at least a lot of it) a façade.

In my early twenties, I was working hard, making my debt payments, and living paycheck to paycheck in a creaky old apartment. 

Meanwhile, others around me seemed to be thriving—buying homes, driving new cars, eating out, traveling. I couldn’t help but think: What am I doing wrong? 

I had a degree. I was showing up and putting in the effort. So why did I feel so behind?

Then I learned the truth. Some had help from family. Others were “doing it all” on debt.

Like most moments of clarity, it started to become clear slowly at first – a few mentions from friends and neighbors about credit cards and car notes. Then, all at once. 

It clicked: the Joneses weren’t ahead—they were just better at looking the part. And they were doing it on debt. 

Maybe there was a time when “keeping up” meant something real—when people actually had what they showed off. But in #ThisEconomy, the façade is financed. And for many, the highlight reel comes with interest.

The truth is, if you’re feeding yourself and your family, keeping the lights on, and paying your bills—you’re doing it. That’s the dream.

Don’t stretch yourself thin to look like you’re living large. Don’t take on payments that will keep you up at night. 

Financial freedom is the real flex—not the leased car that ends up on a repo TikTok, or the oversized house that owns you more than you own it.

This week, I told someone I had to load my laundry into my car to take to the laundromat. Their reaction wasn’t judgment—just surprise. I’m sure they assumed I had in-unit laundry, or at least one on site that worked.

Later in the week, coworkers were chatting about dinner plans—restaurant meet-ups, well-earned Friday nights out. As they should. 

Me? I was heading home to Spanish Rice-A-Roni that my boyfriend had cooked. Since it was payday, I did stop at the market for a $1.99 bag of tortilla chips to go with it. What a splurge.

Looking back, there was a time that would’ve stung. I might’ve felt embarrassed about lugging laundry, and spending Friday night at home with a budget-friendly meal would feel unfair- like deprivation. 

But not these days.

Now, those small choices feel like power moves.

Living within our means is how we build the life we actually want—not the one we’re told to want.

I often think about the saying, “To live a life others can’t, you have to be willing to do what others won’t.”

That’s it. I don’t want what the Joneses have—no offense to them. 

I want my own vision of a life worth living. I want peace, flexibility, freedom from debt and from golden handcuffs.

I don’t share this to judge anyone who’s struggling with payments or juggling bills. I share it to remind us all: things aren’t always what they seem.

So, if you are feeling like you can’t keep up, you are not alone. You are not behind. You are building. And what you build – is yours to choose. 

Sometimes wealth—or even just stability—doesn’t shout. It whispers.

Until next week- take care, 

Everett