You probably can't afford the "American Dream"

TOP OF MIND

American dream or American nightmare?
Earlier this month, Investopedia released their analysis on how much you need to make in order to achieve the American Dream, and the numbers might surprise you.

They claim the grand total one needs to make in their lifetime is $3.4 million. This number would allow you to own a home, afford childcare and send your kids to college.

That poses a big problem because the average lifetime earnings of Americans across all education levels is around $2.3 million. This means we all need to find an extra $1 million hiding inside our couch cushions.

The important bits
The definition of the "American Dream" is not exactly set in stone. It can vary from person to person. For some, it's simply the idea that everybody, no matter where they come from, has equal access to opportunities as long as they are willing to put in the amount of hard work required.

Sadly, these days, you can work hard every single day of your life and never get ahead, especially if you are raising a family, which is what Investopedia looked at.

Of course, these numbers are dependent on where you live. For example, in Mississippi the annual child care cost is just north of $11,000 and the annual mortgage cost is $10,500. But in California? The child care cost balloons to $28,000 and your mortgage would set you back nearly $30,000 annually.

It's worth noting the Investopedia analysis factored in expenses like buying a car, having a wedding, owning a pet and one year of college tuition. You can certainly live the American Dream without owning a pet, but it wouldn't be nearly as fun.

On a slightly related note, a recent poll of millennials determined they needed to make $500,000 a year to be happy.

The average salary in the US? $60,000. 😬

What’s it all mean?
It means inflation has been outpacing salary increases for a long time, but there might be good news coming! According to this article, wages might finally catch up to rising inflation rates by late 2024. If we can all hold on a little longer, we might finally start to see the nightmare turn back into a dream.

And while you're holding, here are 15 ways to save money on just about everything.

DID YOU HEAR

Google is ruining Santa!
Some parents are upset over how easy it is for young children to find out Santa isn't real by simply typing, "Is Santa real?" into Google. They want some sort of safeguard in place, but one could argue if your kid is Googling "Is Santa real?” they may already have an idea something is amiss. If you want a laugh, try asking Alexa if Santa is real.

How to shop at Costco for under $100 a month
Feeding kids is always more expensive than you think. How in the world can two family size bags of chips disappear before you even have time to unload the car? It's madness, but if you want to save some money, this self-proclaimed "Costco Mom" is sharing her coveted grocery list.

Paris Hilton hired someone to change her son's diapers
Paris Hilton became a mother for the first time this year, and during a recent episode of Paris in Love, she revealed she still hadn't changed her son's diaper. The 42-year-old heiress had her nanny do it for the first month. "I'm scared," Hilton told her sister, Nicky.

And while it's easy to judge her for this, who here wouldn't hire a full-time diaper changing nanny if they had millions of dollars in the bank?

Pet goldfish are turning into mini Godzillas in the Great Lakes
For many kids, a goldfish is their first pet, but what happens when they grow tired of the little fish in a bowl? Well, turns out a lot of people have been releasing the fish into the wild, and surprisingly, they are thriving... a bit too much. This eye-opening article explains how goldfish are turning into giants in the Great Lakes and destroying habitats for native species.

Friend, egg, toothbrush, desk, silver
Which word is the odd one out? That's an actual question on a first grader's sheet of homework, and thousands of parents are trying to figure out the correct answer.

A DOSE OF GOOD

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JUST FOR YOU

Bites: Don’t let the business of holiday prep get in the way of putting a warm dinner on the table. With the help of rotisserie or leftover chicken, canned beans, and easy to add toppings (think sour cream and avocado), this White Chicken Chili comes together in a snap. (This version is even easier, since it's made in a slow cooker — now you have no excuse 😉).

Hacks: Traveling with your kids this holiday season and worried about keeping them occupied on a long flight? Well, according to this ex-flight attendant, all you need is painters tape. In a 30-second clip, Nichola Knox shares several ways to utilize painters tape to keep your child entertained on the plane. The video has over 6 million views and parents are flooding the comments to rave about how genius the idea is.

Betterments: They say your hands can reveal your real age, but who's to say we can't de-age our hands? According to at least one popular dermatologist, "hands are the next frontier" and more people should be taking better care of them. But where do you start? And what products should you use? This article has all you need to know, including 17 of the the best anti-aging hand creams.

PARENTING WIN/FAIL

This week, loyal reader Courtney W. shares a parenting win that's more like a parenting miracle!

Wow, Courtney! And you didn't even have painters tape! We're impressed!

If you have a parenting win/fail you'd like to share, email us at [email protected] and your story might be featured in a future edition!

HERE’S A QUESTION

Last week we asked you, "When did you stop believing in Santa?" and nearly 75% of you said ages 7-9, while a few folks were honest enough to admit 10-12.

RECALLS

Please do not eat cantaloupe right now.

At least eight people have died and hundreds have fallen ill after eating cantaloupe tainted with salmonella. Since mid-November, over 200 people have been affected, but that number is likely much higher since not everyone reports their illness.

Officials believe they have narrowed down the brands responsible, but they were sold all over the US and were shipped to multiple grocery store chains, so the process of correctly identifying the products being impacted has been cumbersome.

You can check out the full list here.