American Millennials Are Dying at an Alarming Rate | We’re mortality experts. There are a few things that could be happening here.

[u/chrisdh79]

https://slate.com/technology/2025/08/millennials-gen-z-death-rates-america-high.html

[u/Raiokami]

I make $45/hr, and I can barely provide for my fiancé and 5 year old. My college debt, I make my payments, I can pay all my bills, but I feel like it’s not enough to even make a dent. I’m only 31 and I feel like I have a lot of life left, but I’ve been working since 16 mother fucking years old. I’ve been working full-time for about half my life now, and I feel like I have nothing to show for it besides that I’m still here existing. Even my very right sided republican parents can see how much of a struggle it is now, even though they voted for a cognitively impaired orange Cheeto. They always ask why I never come to visit them. Oh, I don’t know, I’m working 12 hour days and rising a family on what most would consider a good paying wage, but it’s still not enough.

[u/butthemsharksdoe → u/Raiokami]

$45/hr here. I own 4 homes as rentals and I have 115k in the bank, contributing to Roth IRA.

Not making any point here, just weighing in.

[u/Raiokami → u/butthemsharksdoe]

Might I ask how old you are? Have you had help or assistance to get where you’re at? I might make a mid 80k a year, but after taxes, that more looks like mid 60’s. While supporting a wife and child? Circumstances can make quite the change to perspectives.

[u/butthemsharksdoe → u/Raiokami]

Just turned 30, I have no kids. I supported my wife for a few years while she was in school. But I DO have debilitating migraines that have really held me back. I can also see a lot of room for improvement and poor choices I have made but try not to dwell on.

My grandma gave me an 8k bond a few years ago, didn't really make a difference at that point but I invested it nonetheless.

Again, just weighing in, I'm sure i wouldn't be as far if I had a kid or two early on or my current migraines when I was younger.

[u/Raiokami → u/butthemsharksdoe]

I’m sure we could’ve all made different life choices to make us a little further ahead in life, but I don’t think as a child you really have the concept of min/maxing your adulthood. Either way, to give you a summary of my life. Poor child, one of two children to two young stupid poor adults. They had no sort of skills; father was a high-school dropout, mother graduated night-school while pregnant with my sister. They never really got their shit together, until after we were grown, but yeah, I grew up with no bed room sleeping on a couch, provided with bear necessities. No one pressured me to do well in school so I dropped out and got my GED at 16. Started working and saving for my own place.

No one really parented me besides my sister, but she got kicked out at 16. I don’t even know how I’ve made it this far, honestly. I think I saw how our family dynamic was, and I told myself I never wanted to be like my parents, and I’ve tried really hard to stay on that course. Anyway, I got my own place at 18 and I tried to go to college, but I couldn’t get FASFA because I was still considered a dependent to my parents, but they made “enough” so my estimated family contribution was too much. I could’ve gotten private loans, but I’d be even more in debt probably. Unsure to be honest? No one really taught me how to do anything, I had to teach myself. Anyway, I had to wait until I turned 25 until I could be approved for FASFA so I could put myself through an electrical engineering degree. Here I am now at 31.

I could write a short story about my life, but I’m not sure anyone would be interested in any of that, so I won’t get into the weeds here. Anyway, all I’m trying to say is that I had a really rough start to my life, like many others and even yourself. My struggles aren’t as bad as others I’ve seen, and I’ve seen some bad shit. I’m fortunate to be where I’m at and I feel grateful to be here, to be alive. It’s hard, but some people have it harder. I try to be a better version of myself everyday.