It’s Not Your Fault You’re Broke. Here’s Why.

If you're struggling financially right now, it's not because you're doing something wrong. And it’s not too late to chart your financial freedom.

I'm tired of watching people beat themselves up over money when the deck is stacked against them. You're paying rent that's doubled in five years. Your groceries cost 30% more than they did in 2020. You got a 3% raise while inflation hit 8%.

You might be doing everything "right" — working full time, skipping the lattes, budgeting — and still have nothing left at the end of the month.

Here's the truth: 23% of Americans feel ashamed of their savings habits. Nearly half of us say money negatively impacts our mental health. 67% of Americans don't believe they'll ever save enough to feel financially secure.

You're not alone. You're not broken. You're not failing. The system changed, and it's working exactly as designed, just not for you.

Let me show you what's really happening, and more importantly, what you can do about it.

The Shame Stops Here

If you're living paycheck to paycheck, it's not because you're irresponsible. It's because 44% of Americans had to cut back on savings contributions just to afford daily expenses.

Do the math with me. This is what basic survival costs in a major metro area these days:

• Rent: $2,500/month

• Groceries: $800/month

• Student loans: $400/month

• Car payment: $500/month

• Health insurance: $300/month

• Utilities, gas, phone: $400/month

That's $4,900 before you've bought a single coffee or gone to a movie. If you're making $60,000/year, your take-home is about $4,000/month after taxes. You're already $900 in the hole just existing.

And society tells you it's your fault for not saving 20% of your income. That's gaslighting.

Here's What's Really Happening (And Why You Can't Win Playing by the Old Rules)

The Dollar Is Losing Value While You Sleep

Every dollar sitting in your checking account is quietly losing purchasing power. Inflation has averaged 3-4% annually for years, hitting 8% in recent periods. That means if you saved $10,000 in cash, it can now buy what $9,200 worth of stuff cost last year.

The Rich Don't Play the Same Game

Here's the secret wealthy people know that nobody taught you: Rich people don't keep their money in dollars. They convert it to assets immediately: stocks, real estate, bonds, gold, crypto, businesses.

When inflation hits 8%, your savings account earning 0.5% interest loses 7.5% of its value. Meanwhile, someone who owns stocks sees their portfolio grow 10% annually on average. Someone who owns real estate sees their property appreciate while their fixed-rate mortgage payment stays the same.

The wealth gap isn't widening because rich people work harder. It's widening because they play a completely different game with different rules. You're literally getting poorer by saving money the "safe" way.

Your Paycheck Can't Keep Up

Wages have grown modestly — maybe 3-4% a year if you're lucky. But the cost of everything that matters has exploded:

• Housing: up 40-50% in many markets

• Healthcare: up 30%+

• Education: up 180% over 20 years

• Childcare: $15,000-$30,000/year per kid

The Top 10% Know Something You Don't

The top 10% of Americans control 75% of all wealth. The bottom half owns 2.5%.

But here's what most people miss—it's not just about income. It's about what you do with money once you have it.

High earners immediately convert cash into assets:

• They max out 401(k)s (which grow tax-deferred)

• They buy index funds and hold them for decades

• They purchase real estate that appreciates

• They invest in businesses that generate passive income

• They use debt strategically (low-interest mortgages while their assets appreciate)

Meanwhile, most people:

• Keep money in savings accounts earning nothing

• Carry high-interest credit card debt

• Pay rent instead of building equity

• Never invest because they "don't know how"

• Use debt for consumption instead of asset building

The system rewards asset ownership and punishes wage dependence. You can't save your way to wealth anymore — you have to invest your way there.

What You Can Actually Do About It

1. Stop Feeling Shame — Start Feeling Anger (Then Channel It)

Financial shame keeps you paralyzed. Anger motivates action. You should be angry that nobody taught you this in school. Angry that the system is designed to keep you broke. Angry that financial literacy isn't a basic right.

But don't just be angry, use it. That's why I started my YouTube channel and this website. To give you the knowledge that wealthy families teach their kids from a young age.

2. Convert Dollars to Assets (Even $50 at a Time)

You can't opt out of inflation. But you can protect yourself from it. Every dollar you keep in cash is a dollar losing value. Even small amounts matter:

• $50/month into an S&P 500 index fund compounds into real wealth over decades

• Fractional shares mean you can buy Tesla or Apple stock with $10

• REITs let you invest in real estate without buying property

• I Bonds protect against inflation (though capped at $10k/year)

The goal isn't to get rich overnight. It's to stop playing defense with cash and start playing offense with assets.

3. Understand You're Fighting Two Battles

Battle 1: Covering your basic needs (you have to win this first) Battle 2: Building assets for the future (this is how you escape)

If you're drowning, you can't save for retirement. Prioritize survival. But the moment you have $20-$50 extra, start building assets. Even tiny amounts compound over time.

4. Automate So You Can't Self-Sabotage

Behavioral economics proves that people save more when it's automatic. Set up automatic transfers:

• Paycheck → 401(k) contribution (before you see the money)

• Bank account → brokerage account (auto-invest in index funds)

• Direct deposit → high-yield savings (for emergencies)

When it's automatic, you can't talk yourself out of it. You adapt to living on what's left.

The Bottom Line: The System Won't Change, But You Can

I'm not going to lie to you, this is hard. The system is designed to extract wealth from workers and transfer it to asset owners. Inflation punishes savers. Wage growth can't compete with asset appreciation. The rules favor people who already have money.

But here's what I need you to understand: Knowing the rules doesn't mean you can't win. It means you know what game you're actually playing.

Stop keeping all your money in dollars. Start converting it to assets: stocks, index funds, real estate, anything that grows faster than inflation. Stop feeling shame about struggling. You're not broken—the game changed and nobody sent you the updated rulebook.

The wealth gap exists because one group holds assets and the other doesn't. Rich people don't have better willpower or work ethic. They have better information and generational knowledge.

Now you have that information too.