“The lifetime tab for such aspirations as owning a home, driving new cars, raising kids and taking annual vacations comes to a cool $4.4 million, according to Investopedia, the financial media site. "

I wonder how much of it is interest through bad financial decisions. They don't really push starting investments early or how to avoid the trap. But a lot of this could be down to people being conned with aspirational lifestyles at 25% APR. You shouldn't be able to just go a buy a brand-new car, but now it's needed for the industry to function, and people do it before having anything else sorted.

Vacations are another one we've been convinced we simply have to go to all these places 2 or 3 times a year. Most of us haven't explored our own doorsteps yet.

Weddings that figure is crazy and people get the pressure to go further than that. As a married person, trust me, no one cares. They're there for you, not some crazy venue. They all had to travel 4 hours to get to.

No doubt the cost of living has gotten well out of hand and earnings to interest rates are disgusting. But instead of making ladders, we make comfort blankets and focus on the previous generations and trying to play the game their way. The game is to beat inflation and most of us are on hard mode but it can be done.