Rachael Gambino and Garrett Mazzeo planned their financial life by the book: They went to college, paid down debt, saved aggressively, got married, bought a house, started a family. The dream.
But sitting at the kitchen table of their suburban Pennsylvania home — an asset they feel both lucky to own and also somewhat trapped by — they say they wouldn’t do it all over again quite the same way.
For their nine-month-old son, Miles, Rachael and Garrett agree: They’re not going to push him to pursue the same path.
“I think a lot of Millennials were forced into saying, ‘you need a four-year degree in order to be successful,’” says Rachael, who is 33. “At 18, you’re signing up to be $100,000 in debt before you even really know how to make the best decisions for yourself. I think we need to change that narrative.”
But the couple still feels like they’re on a knife’s edge. Their day-to-day lives are dictated by a spreadsheet where Garrett, 35, meticulously manages every dollar coming in and out.
“This is the American Dream,” Rachael says. “But at what cost? What are we paying for the American Dream now?”
It’s a good article that tracks the economic pinch points of the last couple decades. I wish it had a more satisfying end or call to action but realistically, what would that be. It’s hard to feel hopeful or like there’s positive change on its way or possible.
Sigh.