What does living paycheque to paycheque really look like? A nurse’s video sparks debate

A video of a nurse sharing how the affordability crisis is impacting her life, despite her and her husband working “good jobs,” has sparked an online debate about what living paycheque to paycheque really looks like.

The woman, who is based in the US, says she is a registered nurse, and she and her husband work full-time jobs.

“We just got paid this past Friday,” she says, tearfully. “We paid the mortgage, bought some groceries, put some gas in the car.”

@aprnbeauty_81 Nurse gang thoughts ?? Lets talk about it! #nursegang #nursesoftiktok #nurselife #fyp #poverty #nursesinthenews ♬ original sound – Aprnbeauty

Now, a few days after payday, the woman says she only has a few hundred dollars left over to last the week.

“Guys, it is Tuesday and we only have two or three hundred dollars to last us until next Friday.”

She goes on to say that she and her family live in a modest home. “We live in a little …ranch. It’s 1,100 square feet. Three bedrooms one bath, us and our two kids,” she continues.

“[My husband] makes good money. We don’t live above our means. We’re … less than what paycheck to paycheck is. What is that? Poverty as a registered nurse? With a husband, with a second income.”

“I don’t know what to do. I’m so stressed out. This isn’t how it’s supposed to be. Now what?” she asks.

What counts as living paycheque to paycheque?

The video was taken from TikTok and reposted on X with the poster questioning if having a couple of hundred dollars left over for the week is something to be concerned about.

“She has $200 left after paying her bills. That’s me & I’m laughing,” wrote @tiffmahogany on X.

She has $200 left after paying her bills. That’s me & I’m laughing. pic.twitter.com/OAUouagU05

— Tiff4Mahogany_44 🇺🇦🇺🇸 NATO MEMBER (@tiff4mahogany) November 29, 2023

The comments on the X post had many folks debating whether or not the nurse had a justified reason to make her feel she was living paycheque to paycheque.

“Bills paid. Food in fridge and money to spare? That would be a win to me,” wrote X commenter @DrVirgo1981.

“Maybe the family should volunteer at a homeless shelter and ask the homeless how do they survive with nothing,” said one commenter.

“We all definitely have a different definition of living in poverty. For those of us who have LITERALLY lived in poverty, having 200-300 left after hitting all of your family needs in one pay period is a win. I’m sorry if that’s hard for ppl to understand,” wrote another commenter.

“They’re living above their means,” wrote another individual.

“Lemme know when you’re donating plasma at two different centers and the power bill has an 8-year-old’s name on it lol,” said X used @BUDDFAF.

But others were more sympathetic to the woman’s claims that $200-$300 wasn’t enough to make it through the week with family.

“She’s one emergency away from disaster. If her kids get sick she’s done. They can only afford to go to work and go home with the gas they have. This is the very definition of paycheck to paycheck,” stated one commenter.

“Let a tire blow or another emergency come up that $200 gone. It’s spooky out here,” wrote another.

One commenter highlighted just how expensive kids can be.

“She is gonna need more groceries before she gets paid again. Kids eat a lot. Groceries are expensive,” said X user @danicababy.

Others noted that even having a “well-paying” job doesn’t cover the basics anymore.

“This is such a reality nowadays good paying jobs not really paying to match cost of living. I bet you if that mortgage was sliced in half they would have plenty of money the banks are so predatory to ppl trying to buy a house especially nowadays making it very hard to have,” said a commenter.

“The lack of empathy is so disgusting…She literally is just one emergency away from it getting really tough…The economy right now is hard for everyone,” wrote another.

Canadians feel the struggle

Although the woman lives in the US, her apparent struggle is felt across Canada as well.

Many Canadians have shared their emotional stories about affordability and the cost of living on social media and others have even decided to move out of the country.

According to a recently published RBC survey, three generations of Canadians (Generations X, Y, and Z) say they are living paycheque to paycheque.

Compared to 40% of all Canadian adults surveyed, Gen Y (millennials) are the most likely to have a difficult time sleeping because they are worried about their finances at 53%,  followed by Gen Z (48%) and Gen X (43%), notes the report.

The majority of Canadians (52%)  also say they’re $200 or less away from being unable to pay their bills, according to the latest MNP Consumer Debt Index.

What are your thoughts on the woman’s video? Let us know in the comments.