How financial struggles impact daily life: A comparison across income levels

From existential fears to unpaid freelance work, explore how financial stability shapes morning routines, worries, and survival instincts.

The morning routines of three individuals from different financial statuses can vary drastically in terms of responsibilities, fears, and worries, as their concerns reflect their positions in life.

Person 1: the affluent professional

This individual wakes up in a comfortable home, possibly with automated systems handling the start of their day. They may check their phone or email to confirm meetings or plans for the day, often centered around their work or future investments. The morning might be spent considering career growth, upcoming travel plans, or charity work. Their fears revolve around maintaining status, making good on high-level deals, or balancing personal fulfilment with the expectations placed upon them by their social or professional circles. Despite their material comfort, their worries are often intangible: "Am I doing enough? Am I where I want to be?"

Fear: Despite external success, their fear may lie in losing influence and prestige or being perceived as irrelevant in their industry. Often, they're plagued by "existential" questions, seeking meaning or balancing the demands of their high-pressure lifestyle. Worrying about whether they are reaching their full potential keeps them constantly striving.

Decision-making: For higher-income people, food, transportation, and leisure decisions are often about convenience, quality, and experience. They might opt for organic, gourmet, or even subscription meal services, ensuring their meals are of the highest standard. Regarding transportation, owning a luxury vehicle or using premium ride services like Uber Black allows them to prioritize comfort and efficiency. Leisure activities often include international travel, fine dining, and exclusive experiences like spa retreats or concerts. Their choices are influenced more by personal preferences and enjoyment than by budget constraints.

Person 2: the middle-class worker

This person may be someone working a steady job with a stable income, perhaps a professional or skilled worker. Their morning begins with a focus on logistics: preparing breakfast, getting children ready for school, and commuting to work. While they don't face immediate financial hardship, there's a constant concern about maintaining this balance. An unexpected expense — a car repair, medical bill, or tuition — could destabilize their carefully managed life.

Fear: Their fear is more tangible: losing their job or missing out on opportunities for advancement. There's always a concern about not being able to maintain the quality of life they've worked hard to build. Thoughts about rising costs of living, healthcare, and saving for the future creep in during moments of stillness, like the commute to work. Worries about the future weigh on them even as they handle the practical aspects of their day.

Decision-making: The middle-class individual makes decisions about food, transportation, and leisure with practicality and budget in mind. They may cook meals at home or opt for affordable dining options, focusing on value without sacrificing too much quality. Transportation choices usually involve owning a reliable vehicle or using public transportation when necessary. Leisure activities may include local outings, family trips, or budget-friendly entertainment like movies or occasional dining out. While they have some financial flexibility, they must balance spending with saving for future needs, such as education or home maintenance.

Person 3: the financially struggling individual

This person, living paycheck to paycheck or even unemployed, starts the morning with immediate and pressing concerns. Practical fears dominate their thoughts: "Will I have enough to pay rent this month?" "What if something breaks down?" "How can I find work that appreciates the years I’ve invested in my craft?" Their morning might involve skipping meals to save money or contemplating how long they can stretch what little they have left.

Fear: Their fear is survival-based: the fear of eviction, hunger, or losing utilities. They worry about whether they can meet the most basic human needs for themselves and possibly their family. For them, celebration plans are a distant, almost alien concept. While others plan holidays or birthdays, this person is consumed by the anxiety of getting through the day. Their mornings may include searching for job listings or reviewing bills they can’t pay, knowing that even some paid work hasn't brought in the expected compensation. The fear of being unseen and unemployable after years of hard work feels like an unjust weight pressing down, draining their energy for even basic activities.

Decision-making: For those facing financial hardship, food, transportation, and leisure decisions are based almost entirely on necessity and affordability. Meals may consist of inexpensive groceries or discounted items, with eating out a rare luxury. Transportation is often limited to the cheapest options, such as public transportation, carpooling, or walking. Leisure activities are often minimal or free, like watching TV at home or visiting a local park, as most of their energy and resources are focused on meeting essential needs like rent and utilities. Budget constraints shape nearly every choice they make.

Comparison of fears and worries

• The affluent professional worries about identity and purpose in a life where material needs are met. Their fear of losing status or relevance drives them to overextend themselves.
• The middle-class worker is on a tightrope, concerned about security, trying to hold on to the life they've built while fearing the rug being pulled from beneath them.
• The financially struggling individual faces existential fears about survival, plagued by daily worries about making ends meet, navigating a system that seems indifferent to their experience and skill.

While the affluent and middle-class individuals can engage in abstract fears about the future or self-worth, the struggling person is weighed down by the immediate fear of not making it through the month. Celebrations and moments of joy seem trivial, disconnected from the urgent need for stability and dignity. In this way, the distance between their lives isn’t merely financial — it’s existential.

For those with a pre-existing health or mental condition, these financial anxieties become even more acute. The fear of an unexpected medical expense, the struggle to afford medication or treatment, or the possibility of losing a job due to health-related issues can magnify their anxieties. The morning routine might include taking medications, monitoring their health, or scheduling doctor's appointments — all while juggling the same financial concerns as their healthier counterparts. This additional layer of complexity adds to the already overwhelming burden of financial instability, creating a sense of constant vulnerability and uncertainty.