A mum-of-two says she is forced to live ‘paycheck to paycheck’ despite being on what she considers to be a 'good wage'.
Mackenzie Moan, from Pennsylvania, has taken to TikTok to explain how she and her husband, who works overtime hours, have just a few hundred dollars to last them two weeks.
The healthcare worker has gone viral on the video sharing platform after sharing an emotional clip about her problems. Watch below:
Even though the couple don't 'live above their means', Mackenzie says the pair are struggling financially.
"I feel like my husband and I are doing everything right," the tearful mum told her followers.
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"We both have good jobs. I'm a registered nurse, I work full time, he works full time.
"We just got paid this past Friday and we paid the mortgage, bought some groceries, put some gas in the car, and guys, it is Tuesday and we have like $200-$300 to last until next Friday."
Mackenzie, her two sons and husband Steve currently live in a 1,100-square-foot three-bedroom, one-bathroom ranch.
"We don't live in a big house," she explained.
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"Somebody has to do something to change this because I make good money, he makes good money, we don't live above our means but we live paycheck-to-paycheck.
"I'm in school full time, I work full time, and he works more than full time, he works overtime every week. I don't know what to do. I'm so stressed out, this isn't how it's supposed to be."
Mackenzie opened up about her past and how she was once a 'homeless drug addict'.
But after deciding to go to college to study medicine, she made the decision to 'turn her life around'.
"I thought I'd be able to pay my bills and not have to check my bank account if my kids say, 'Mom, can we go to the movies this weekend?'" she continued.
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"I thought we'd be comfortable and we're not, at all. Growing up we were told, 'Go to college, get a degree, work to support your family'. Here we are. Did that, now what?"
Since posting earlier this month the TikToker's videos have gone viral, with one viewer sympathising: “Overtaxed and underpaid. It’s harder every year to survive financially.”
A second person said: “Together my wife and I make over 200K and the economy is why we decided to put having kids on pause indefinitely.”
Another wrote: “I don’t have kids and every time I go to the store I ask myself ‘How do people do it with kids?’”
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Someone else questioned: “Why is food so expensive? Nothing else in my budget is exploding that fast.”
If you've been affected by any of the issues in this story, you can find more information about where to get help from Turn2Us via their website
Topics: TikTok, Cost of Living, Money
Anish Vij