Inflation is a tax that nobody can escape.  No matter how hard you may try, the rising cost of living is going to catch up with you eventually, and we live at a time when the cost of living has become exceedingly painful.  The reason why the cost of living has become such an important issue is because those that are running the system have been treating our currency like toilet paper.  Many of us warned what would happen when the Federal Reserve started printing money out of thin air and monetizing the debt.  But instead of learning their lesson, they are beginning to do it again.  And Congress is spending so much money that the monthly budget deficit for the month of October just set an all-time record.  What they are doing to us is literally insane, and the middle class is dying right in front of our eyes.

In so many ways, the U.S. economy is starting to resemble the economy of the Weimar Republic just before hyperinflation kicked in.

As the U.S. dollar rapidly loses value, even high earners are now struggling to stay afloat financially.

If you doubt this, just consider the shocking results of a brand new Harris poll…

• Six figures is survival, not success: 64% of six-figure earners say six figures is no longer a sign of wealth but survival mode — a paycheck that covers costs, not comfort. The benchmark of success has become the bare minimum to keep up.
• The American Dream feels out of reach: More than half of six-figure earners say the Dream no longer feels attainable, revealing a generation of professionals who have achieved everything on paper but feel they're standing on financial quicksand.
• Where luxury used to live, the basics now move in: Groceries, housing, and healthcare are the top expenses draining even the top 10%. Vacations, savings, and wellness — once staples of comfort — have quietly slipped into the "nice-to-have" category.
• The illusion of wealth is exhausting: Many top earners say people assume they can afford it all, yet behind the image of success are quiet sacrifices: skipped purchases, delayed plans, and a fragile sense of security.
• Credit cards as life rafts: Three-quarters of six-figure earners have used a credit card in the past three months because they ran out of cash, not to collect points. For many, plastic has become the bridge between paychecks.
• Affluence, paid in installments: BNPL use is highest among $200k+ households — the top 10% now financing everyday life, from groceries to gas, in ways once reserved for those just getting by.
• The new middle class begins where old wealth used to end: Six-figure earners now define financial comfort at $200k+, and more than half say they'd need double their current income to finally feel secure. The top 10% are quietly struggling — so what happens to the other 90%?