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A mom on TikTok has gone viral for her stance on getting a second job to survive as inflation burns holes in Americans’ bank accounts.
The TikTok creator by the name of @shayjo21, or simply Shay, posted a now-viral video with the caption: “$100,000 a year is the new $50,000 a year #fixitjesus.”
In the clip — which was viewed more than 1.7 million times and amassed over 207,000 likes and 6,900 comments — Shay says “things out here are getting expensive.”
She goes on to list items impacted by inflation: “Grapes: $7, eggs: $5, homes: half a million dollars, cars: 40 grand (used — and it could be a Mazda, they don’t care).”
But one thing she makes adamantly clear is: “I don’t give a damn how expensive it gets, I’m not working a second job.” Shay says she’s “good until about 5:30” but then her “legs start buckling” and by 6 p.m., her “vision [is] blurry, can’t find my car.”
“I can’t work two jobs,” she says. “So, whoever needs to fix it, please fix it. Because it’s to the point now where working 40 hours a week ain’t enough — but I’m going to make it enough.”
Shay’s stance resonated with thousands of TikTok users, with one commenting: “Clocking out then having to clock in somewhere else 30 minutes later is CRAZY,” while another quipped: “my vision is blurry at 9 a.m. baby!!!”
If your paycheck hasn’t kept up with the cost of living, here are three ways to stretch your hard-earned dollars without working two jobs.
One woman who commented in support of Shay’s video said she refused to sacrifice the time she has with her son by taking a second job. Instead, she said she’s “learning to live simple and stay on budget.”
Sticking to a budget requires constant discipline and mindful spending to bring you closer to achieving your financial goals.
If managing a budget feels overwhelming to you, apps like Rocket Money can simplify the process.
Rocket Money tracks and categorizes your expenses, providing a clear view of your cash, credit, and investments in one place. It can even uncover forgotten subscriptions, helping you cut unnecessary costs and save potentially hundreds annually.
