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A guy and his friends shared their travel plans. The results perfectly explain the wealth gap.

What on Jeff Bezos's green earth did we just watch?

A guy and his friends shared their travel plans. The results perfectly explain the wealth gap.
TikTok/@tcruznc

Sometimes you see something so mind-boggling you have to take a minute to digest what just happened in your brain. Be prepared to take that moment while watching these videos.

Real estate investor and TikTok user Tom Cruz shared two videos explaining the spreadsheets he and his friends use to plan vacations and it's...well...something. Watch the first one:

So "Broke Bobby" makes $125,000 a year. There's that.

How about the fact that his guy has more than zero friends who budget $80,000 for a 3-day getaway? Y'all. I wouldn't know how to spend $80,000 in three days if you paid me to. Especially if we're talking about a trip with friends where we're all splitting the cost. Like what does this even look like? Are they flying in private jets that burn dollar bills as fuel? Are they bathing in hot tubs full of cocaine? I genuinely don't get it.


To be crystal clear here, the top 5 friends on the Forbes list are willing to spend more than double what the guy at the bottom of the Welfare 10 list makes per year on a 3-day guy's trip. I don't know what to do with this information.


But that's not even the full spreadsheet. It might make sense if this guy was just rich, had always been rich, only knew rich people, and therefore having multiple millionnaire friends was his normal. Surely that's some people's reality who were born into the 1%.

That's not the case here, though, because Cruz also has a Welfare 10 list. He says this group of friends who make less than $100K a year call themselves that, and perhaps that's true. (If I were a part of this group, I might call myself a welfare case too because everything's relative and some of these dudes spend more in an hour of vacation than I spend on my mortgage each month.)

It's like we can see our society's wealth gap all laid out nice and neatly in a spreadsheet, only these people aren't even the uber-wealthy and uber-poor. This is just the range of this one guy's friends.

I have nothing against people who build success and wealth for themselves, and even $5 million per year is hardly obscenely wealthy by billionaire standards. But Cruz says he's known most of his "welfare" friends since college, which presumably means most of those guys have college degrees and are making pittance in comparison with the Forbes list. One could claim the guy making $5 million a year just works harder, but does he really work 100 times harder than the guy making $50,000? Doubt it.

Money makes money, and after a certain threshold of wealth or income, it's actually quite easy to get and stay rich without actually "earning" more money, assuming you're reasonably wise and responsible. So maybe the guys who are willing to shell out $125,000 for a week-long trip should offer to pay the travel expenses of the friends they "hang out with regardless of income" who don't even make that in a year, since that's probably just the interest they're making on their wealth anyway.

But what do I know? This is like an entirely different world to me and probably 99+% of Americans, as evidenced by some of the responses.

Naturally, there will be a range of incomes in any group of people, but 1) most of us don't actually know how much our friends make, and 2) even fewer of us make spreadsheets with that information in order to rank our friends and figure out who can go on which vacations.

People are just endlessly fascinating. That's all I've got.


This article originally appeared on 08.20.21

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Joy

Hunger in affluent communities: How a Silicon Valley food bank is fighting food insecurity

We can all help fight hunger nationwide with one simple shift in the way we grocery shop.

Photo credit: Canva

Food insecurity is an issue in communities across the United States.

When people hear “Silicon Valley,” hunger isn’t usually the first thing that comes to mind. Instead, most think “global tech hub” and “wealth.” Named after the silicon used in computer chips, this renowned region is home to nearly 3 million residents and is famous for offering some of the highest salaries in the United States.

Given Silicon Valley’s association with wealth, it’s easy to overlook that not everyone living there is affluent. The high cost of living in the area makes it challenging for those without high-paying jobs to make ends meet. Many residents, including those who work full-time, struggle with basic living expenses.

That’s why Second Harvest of Silicon Valley helps provide food to more than 500,000 people across Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent inflation have prevented many families from getting ahead, making the food bank’s role crucial in providing access to nutritious food.

However, the high cost of living in Silicon Valley is also affecting Second Harvest. Despite the evident need in the community, the food bank had to close its largest warehouse in June 2024 due to rising rent costs.

donationsVolunteers help sort food bank donations.Photo credit: Canva

"Every single week, we receive more than 85 tractor-trailer loads of food. All of that food gets handled at our warehouses and goes back into the community," Second Harvest of Silicon Valley CEO Leslie Bacho told NBC. "Unfortunately, this is our largest facility that we are closing, so we're having to just figure out how we can have that work get done other places."

To help maintain the flow of food, the Albertsons Companies Foundation Nourishing Neighbors Program and O Organics gave Second Harvest of Silicon Valley a $200,000 grant. And they weren’t the only organization to receive funding. Thirty nonprofits received a total of $30,000 in grants during the O Organics $30K in 30 days campaign this past summer to help ease food insecurity. Hunger is an ongoing issue that requires continuous funding, and initiatives like these help ensure that food reaches those in need.

How can we all help make sure people get the food they need?

There are so many worthy organizations that need support to fight hunger, and there are numerous ways to help, from making direct donations and organizing food drives to volunteering. Enhancing these efforts, O Organics provides an easy way for everyone to contribute consistently by simply changing how we grocery shop.

Every time you choose an O Organics product, you not only provide nutritious food for your own family but also help someone facing food insecurity. Through the “Fight Hunger. Serve Hope” program, O Organics has contributed nearly $14 million over the past two years to reduce food insecurity, enabling 56M meals and counting to help fight hunger in local communities.

O Organics helps fight food insecurity.images.albertsons-media.com

Doesn’t organic food cost more than non-organic?

People often assume that organic food is more expensive, but that’s not always true. Many organic products cost the same or even lower than their non-organic equivalents, especially when comparing private label brands like O Organics to national products.

O Organics has products in every aisle of the store, making it easier than ever to find organic products that suit your family’s needs. Purchasing O Organics products also helps support organic agriculture. Small changes that benefit both the planet and its people can add up, and simply choosing one product instead of another can make a significant difference.

No matter where people face food insecurity, whether in Silicon Valley or communities across the U.S., we can all find ways to help. Learn more about how O Organics is helping fight hunger here and look for the O Organics brand at your local Albertsons Companies grocery store, including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, ACME, Shaw’s, Jewel-Osco and Tom Thumb.
Pop Culture

Middle class families share how much money they have in savings and it's eye-opening

"I transfer money each paycheck but always end up needing to transfer it back."

Photo by Karolina Kaboompics/Pexels

Many middle class families are sharing that they have nothing in savings right now.

According to an April 2024 Gallup poll, 54% of Americans identify as part of the middle class, with 39% identifying as "middle class" and 15% identifying as "upper-middle class." That percentage has held fairly steady for years, but for many, what it feels like to be a middle class American has shifted.

Notably, inflation caused by the pandemic has hit middle class families hard, with incomes not keeping up with cost-of-living increases. Housing costs have skyrocketed in many areas of the country, mortgage interest rates have risen to levels not seen since the pre-Obama era and grocery bills have increased significantly. One government study found that cost of living has increased between around $800 and $1,300 a month depending on the state since 2021, putting a squeeze on everyone, including the middle class.

One woman shared that her family is just getting by and asked other people who identify as middle class to "chime in" with what they have in their savings account.

"I swear, every paycheck I am putting money into my savings, but needing to transfer it back within a few days," shared @abbyy..rosee on TikTok. "My registration is due. My husband's registration is due. He needed two new tires, even though they had a warranty. That's $300. My oldest needs braces, he needs a palate expander, that's $120 a month. Not to mention groceries are $200 more a week. Forget about feeding your family great ingredients because who has $500 a week to spend on perfect ingredients to feed your family?"


@abbyy..rosee

somethings gotta give #savings #middleclass #relatable

She explained that her husband makes enough money that they should be able to live comfortably, and that she quit her job because the cost of daycare was more than she was making.

"At some point, something has to give," she said. "What is going on? How do I save money?"

People in the comments chimed in with their savings account totals and it was quite eye-opening. Many people shared that they have $0 saved.

"We make the most money we ever have and have zero savings. We live paycheck to paycheck and every month I don’t know how we get by."

"I think the middle class is 1 personal disaster away from bankruptcy."

"Y’all got savings accounts?!?! 😂"

"I used to freak out if I had under $10k in savings, now I’m happy when I have over $150. 😫"

"We make almost 100,000 a year with no savings!!!! It's always something!!"

"I'm lucky if we have $500-$1K for an emergency. every single time we start saving something happens. the vet, the cars, the kids... something."

"Savings account? I transfer money each paycheck but always end up needing to transfer it back. My husband makes great money too but we are scraping by."

"$803 but we have to pay a $750 deductible this week b/c my Husband hit a deer soooo… back at it 😭 It’s exhausting. Constantly draining it, refilling it, transferring."

Some people shared that they do have some savings, but several said it was because they'd had an inheritance or other chunk of money come their way. Many people shared that their savings has dwindled as increased costs have taken their toll. Some people gave lifestyle advice to save money, but most agreed that just the basics have gotten so expensive it's harder to make ends meet much less put extra into savings.

Thankfully, the inflation issue appears to be waning, but even just plateauing at their current financial reality isn't ideal for many American families. Middle class is supposed to be a comfortable place to be—not rich, but well enough off to feel secure. That's not how many middle class folks feel, though. Most Americans don't have anything close to the amount of money saved that is recommended across the age spectrum, but at least hearing that others are in the same boat is somewhat comforting.

It can be vulnerable to put your financial reality out there, but it's helpful to hear what other people are doing and dealing with so we all feel less alone when we're struggling. Perhaps if people were more open about money, we'd all be able to help one another find ways to improve our financial situations rather than lamenting our empty savings accounts and wondering how to change it.


This article originally appeared on 7.17.24

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Joy

11 ways growing up poor effects people in ways the wealthy don't understand

Let's hope this creates greater understand among the social classes.

via Canva

An economically-disadvantaged child.

One big reason social inequality exists is that the wealthy and the economically disadvantaged have difficulty understanding each other’s perspectives. The rich see life as a series of choices, but people who don’t have many resources have far fewer options from which to choose.

"People in positions of high power actually have more choices than those in positions of low power," Yidan Yin, PhD. told Salon. "That's almost a definition of having power. Unfortunately, our research suggests that powerholders overgeneralize their greater sense of choice to others. They see everyone as having lots of choice, regardless of these people's actual situation."

This perspective leads wealthy people to believe that people are poor because of faulty life choices when, in reality, it’s most likely because their options are few.

Social scientists believe that economically disadvantaged people have “different, unequal opportunities that cultivate distinct ways of knowing and being” which allows them to understand the lives of the wealthy better than the affluent do theirs.

To educate people who are well off about what life is like for someone poor, a Redditor named PrestonRoad90 asked people who grew up poor to share something that affluent people don’t understand about being economically disadvantaged. Many shared that even though they were able to escape poverty, their experiences growing up still gave them a sense of anxiety surrounding money, which is hard to escape.

The posters also shared the guilt, pain and frustrations that come with growing up in an economically disadvantaged home that people who grew up wealthy may not consider.

hungry, poor, disadvantagedChildren hold an "I'm hungry" sign.via Canva

Here are 11 of the most powerful things that people who grew up wealthy don’t understand.

1. Constant financial fear

"The constant fear of running out of money that creates this weird obsession over and guilt about spending money, even when you've got decent finances. I grew up poor and my partner grew up upper-middle class. We have managed to carved out a pretty comfortable life but I still have panic attacks about money and being able to afford essentials (food, rent, etc.). They are flabbergasted every time it happens. Like supportive but completely confused as to why I get so upset. My response is always 'money can run out.'"

2. Poverty is exhausting

"You just get so tired. It feels like there's no resting because there's always the pervasive feeling that you should be doing/making/fixing something. Poverty means constant planning - for the next meal, for the next bill, for the next crisis."

3. Relationships are important

"How much relationships matter. You're alot safer in a dangerous neighborhood if you know and have good allies/friends in the neighborhood. It's a lot easier to share a bedroom with four or so other people if you like those people. You can't afford that new car part, but if you know that dude in the neighborhood who fixes cars, he might hook you up for a little cash. Etc."

4. Sleep for dinner

"When you are starving and there's nothing to eat so the only option left is to try and sleep because you hope that when you wake up you won't feel so hungry."

5. Constantly thinking about money

"One thing people who weren’t poor don’t really get is how you always had to think about money on every little thing. Like, even simple stuff like snacks or going to the movies wasn’t just a fun idea. It was, 'Can we afford it?"'or 'Do we have enough to cover everything else?'"

"Just how much headspace money takes up. You ALWAYS think about money. You think about when more money is coming in. Change is not superfluous, it is vital. Money is like a drug, you love and hate it at the same time."

6. Poverty is expensive

"Being poor is very expensive. For example, if you're unable to afford to pay a speeding ticket, it will accrue late fees, making it even harder to pay off. If you need money right now to buy food and pay rent, Payday Loan shops can help you, but with exorbitant interest rates so you'll end up paying back way more than you borrowed. If you have a toothache but can't afford to see the dentist, it can grow into something worse and more costly to fix."


pay day loan, cash advance, povertyA payday loan center.via Taber Andrew Bain/Flickr

7. Generational poverty is hard to escape

"As someone experiencing situational poverty, even if you’re financially independent from your family, having help with things like co-signing apartments is definitely something that can be hard to come by in generational poverty."

8. No privacy

"This is maybe more applicable to poor people in urban centres but you don't get any privacy and everything's always loud. Your apartment's probably too small for the amount of people living there and you don't have a private outdoor space. You can probably also hear your neighbours and they can hear you. You do your laundry in the laundromat. You either walk or take public transit as transportation and you're definitely going to be that kid who loses their shit on the subway at some point."

9. Lack of choice

"People think poor people just make poor choices because they want to. No. Most of the time poor people can choose from a few very shi**y choices."

10. Food guilt

"I have food insecurity, but the guilt is just as much. Every bit of food I eat, when money starts to get low, or even when I am visiting people who have money, I feel like I am stealing from the rest of the household. 'I'm hungry, but if I eat these two pieces of toast, that's two pieces less for partner/parent/sibling/friend who might need it more.' As the oldest child, foregoing things so others could have them is a part of my DNA."

11. Don't ask for anything

"When you're a kid and it clicks that you should never ask for things or show that you want something since all it does is make your folks upset because they can't get it for you. Never finishing school projects because you know they can't afford the supplies so you just take the F. Being the ONLY kid from your class who didn't go on the field trip so you work in the school office all day. Or if there are more of you, they'll let you just sit in the cafeteria or library all day. And then to cap it off, your senior year when your parents ask about class rings or yearbooks, you tell them you never got the form or just forgot about it."

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Pets

Research shows why you should always pet your dog before leaving the house

via Pixabay

One of the most wonderful things about having a dog is how attached they become to their owners. I work from home and my Jack Russel terrier, Scout, lies next to me on his bed for most of the day. The only time he leaves my office is for a sip of water or to go outside and sun his belly on the porch.

That's why whenever I leave the house and can't take Scout with me, I wonder, "Does he miss me? Is he sad that he's alone?"

Studies show that our dogs miss us the moment we leave the house and that feeling slowly intensifies until we are gone for about four hours and they have a "plateau of melancholy." That's why the longer you're away, the more excited your dog is when you return home.

The moment I pull up in my car Scout begins to howl like a wolf trying to contact someone who's miles away. It's like, "Dude, I'm 30 feet away. Give me a second to grab the groceries out of the trunk."

Researchers from the Universities of Pisa and Perugia, Italy have found that if you give your dog some affection before you leave the house they'll have less anxiety while you're away.

They conducted experiments with 10 dogs between the ages of one and 11 without attachment issues. The group was composed of seven mixed-breed dogs, one Labrador retriever, one Hovawart, and one Chihuahua.

Participants in the study walked their leashed dogs into a fenced area where they were greeted by a researcher who took their dog's heart rate. In the first test, after the owners walked their dogs into the area, they talked with a researcher for one minute then left without giving the dog any special attention.

In the second test, the dog owners petted the dog during their interaction with the researcher.

In both tests, the owners left the fenced area and hid far enough away so that the dog couldn't smell them.

After the owners left, the dogs looked for them for about three minutes on average. After the owners returned, the researchers measured the dogs' levels of the stress hormone cortisol as well as their heart rates.

The researchers found that whether the dogs were petted or not, their cortisol levels were unchanged. But their heart rate showed a marked decrease if the owners petted them before leaving. Researchers later watched videos of the dogs and found that the ones that were petted showed " behaviors indicative of calmness for a longer period while waiting for the owner's return."

Next time I'm ready to leave the house and Scout follows me to the front door after saying, "Sorry bud, you can't go with me on this trip," I'll kneel down and give him a little extra love and attention.

Maybe that way he won't howl like the house is on fire when I pull up in my car after a trip to the grocery store.

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Kids

Mom is shocked to learn how babies are evacuated in a hospital emergency. She's not alone.

You just put them in pockets?

Photo credit: Canva

Hopefully they never need to actually use of of these.

How do hospitals transport newborns in an emergency evacuation?

It’s just one of those things you never think about, unless of course you’re a nurse.That’s why people are usually shocked to find out how it’s actually done.

Like this mom, for instance, whose TikTok handle is @momma1323. In a clip posted to her account, she admitted to being “freaked out” as she showed an oversized vest (aka an evacuation apron) with pockets large enough to fit…let’s say, a baby…inside.

“We’re just shoving the babies in feet first?” @momma1323 asks.

Yep, that’s correct. Expect probably the shoving part.

As this woman’s video shows, there are actually a variety of vest types. One (the first vest showed) keeps the baby’s head upright.

Another places the baby completely inside the pocket sideways, almost kangaroo style. Either way, nurses are able to move about with their hands free while getting these newborns to safety.

There’s also the evacuation stroller, which can hold up to four-to-six babies, depending on the model. Perhaps more sturdy, but then you lose the hands-free benefit.

@momma1323 Idk what i was expecting. But that first one wasnt it!! 😳😅#emergency #evacuate #evacuation #hospitallife #hospitaltiktoks #relateable #invested #fypシ #greenscreen ♬ original sound - • C A N D A C E •

“I don’t know why I never even thought about or considered what it would be like for them to evacuate a hospital…it’s never even crossed my mind,” @momma1323 said.

She’s not the only one with this kind of reaction. In fact, some folks have a…let’s say, stronger reaction when they find out…

@tate_ording YOU NOT PUTTING MY BABY IN THAT #deardiary #fyp #evacuation ##vest##baby ♬ original sound - TatumOrding

And when you see little bloopers like this one below, it’s understandable that people would be a tad nervous.

@teamtinyhumans Because Jessie’s clip deserves it’s own post. 🤣💁🏼♀️ #NICU #nursesoftiktok #nursetok #nicunurse #nightshift #candysalad ♬ original sound - TeamTinyHumans

Gosh, it’s the thud of the baby doll against the wall that really makes this peak dark humor.

But all jokes aside, emergencies are never ideal situations. These tools can help staff move multiple babies at once if absolutely necessary, and they are trained in how to use them safely. It might seem a little odd, but heaven forbid something happens, these funny looking vest for the the very thing that saves a baby’s life.

And now, let’s just all file this under “things I never knew I never knew.”

babies
Pop Culture

John Cena drops unexpectedly profound wisdom about life and purpose on Kai Cenat livestream

His question, "Did I earn the sunset?" got people thinking.

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore

John Cena speaking at the 2016 Phoenix Comicon Fan Fest

When you think about philosophers pondering the purpose of life, WWE wrestlers may not be the first people who come to mind. But professional wrestling star John Cena has been known to challenge perceptions, and in a surprise appearance on Kai Cenat's livestream, he's done it once again.

Kai Cenat is one of the most popular Twitch and YouTube streamers, with millions of viewers. In a clip from Cenat's stream that has gone viral, Cena explains how his view of his purpose in life has evolved and how he reflects on how he's living his life each day.

"I used to think I was put on Earth to be a wrestler. That was it. I was put on Earth to be a WW superstar," he said. "And then I started doing a little bit of acting and I'm like oh no, it's easy, I'm a storyteller. No, I'm a human being, breathing air like everybody else. And I'm significantly insignificant. I'm a grain of sand on a beach on a pale blue dot out in the middle of nowhere."

"I just want to be useful," he continued. "Life, to me, is a gift."

He explained that he understands he's been given "lottery ticket after lottery ticket after lottery ticket" in his life. "I am lucky," he said. "I understand my luck and I try to live each day grateful for my luck. So when the sun goes down, I look at what I did for the day, even if it's relax—did I earn the sunset? Some days I don't, and I motivate myself to try to do it again, but most days I do. And that's my sense of purpose."

Watch:

People loved Cena's thoughtful self-awareness and praised him for being a good example, especially for young men who might look online for examples of healthy masculinity.

Here are some things people said they learned from this clip:

"John Cena is actually smarter and cooler than I thought which in turn tells me that forming my opinions based on the few snippets i have seen online makes me judgemental and quite ignorant. I hope I remember this lesson and not rush to judge people I know almost nothing about."

"To be useful, To be grateful, To be productive, to be mentally wired to try again no matter what and lastly to have great self awareness."

"Reflect on your day, and what are you going to do better tomorrow."

"That the meaning of life is to be in the service of others. That everything from greed, pride, envy, etc is just type of self service, moving us away from the meaning, happiness, and purpose we can derive by living our lives for others."

"Humility, Accountability, and Gratitude."

"Do your best every single day so you can feel happy about yourself at the end of the day it's also okay to fall, just get up and try again."

"'Did I earn the sunset'? is an incredible line. That's gonna stick with me."

Cena talked with Cenat for about an hour in a wide-ranging conversation that ended with another motivational drop.

“Wow, this has been fun and here we are sharing a moment together—hopefully a moment of motivation, purpose, growth," said Cena as the stream wrapped up. "I guess if I would have to bestow some advice, take it if you want it. If not? It’s just advice. I would say, ‘Never give up.’ And that widens out to whatever lens you wanna put it in. I think as long as we’re breathing, we have a chance. We’re all eventually gonna get to the finish line.

"So, I don’t know. If you just attack every day with persistence and effort and follow your excitement and enthusiasm and never give up, especially through those hard times—'cause I’m not gonna act like it’s all roses and candy canes, there’ll be a bunch of hard times—just do your best, try to do the best you can, and never give up.”

Cena shares positive motivational messages on X in addition to interviews and has made a name for himself in the public eye as a genuine good guy. In an online environment where "influencers" are not always the greatest role models, it's refreshing to see a demonstrably "manly" man so unabashedly demonstrate self-reflection and humility.

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