Mackenzie Moan, mom-of-two who works full time as a critical care nurse and PhD student from Pennsylvania, shared her financial struggles with tears.
Despite the good income of Moan and her husband, they lived 'paycheck-to-paycheck', with only a few hundred dollars left to last them two weeks after paying their bills.
The healthcare worker sobbed in the video as she told how she and her husband, Steve, made decent salaries and didn't live beyond their means, but they barely had enough money to survive.
"I feel like my husband and I are doing everything right,' she told the camera as her eyes welled up.
"We both have good jobs. I'm a registered nurse, I work full time, and he works full time.
"We just got paid this past Friday and we paid the mortgage, bought some groceries, put some gas in the car, and guys, it is Tuesday and we have like $200-$300 to last until next Friday."
The mother revealed that she and Steve live in a 1,100-square-foot three-bedroom, one-bathroom ranch with their two sons.
"We don't live in a big house,"
She continued: "Somebody has to do something to change this because I make good money, he makes good money, we don't live above our means but we live paycheck-to-paycheck.
"I'm in school full time, I work full time, and he works more than full time, he works overtime every week. I don't know what to do. I'm so stressed out, this isn't how it's supposed to be."
Mackenzie, once a homeless drug addict, turned her life around by enrolling in college to study medicine, demonstrating her resilience and determination.
Throughout her schooling, she reminisced about believing that her life would improve after graduating and starting her career.
"I thought I'd be able to pay my bills and not have to check my bank account if my kids say, "Mom, can we go to the movies this weekend?"' she recounted.
"I thought we'd be comfortable and we're not, at all. Growing up we were told, "Go to college, get a degree, work to support your family." Here we are. Did that, now what?"
Mackenzie observed people discussing out-of-control prices online, feeling they lack the influence or power to change. She encouraged her followers to share her video and continue posting about it, hoping it might spark change.
"Maybe somebody who can do something about it will see one of our videos," she said.
"I just wanted to share our struggle and maybe someone else could relate. We just need to support each other until things change. Thanks for watching."
Mackenzie's video garnered over 1.3 million views and garnered thousands of comments from individuals who shared the same experiences with her on TikTok.
Better day will come. Don't give up. You're not alone, one comforted.
We have 98 cents in our savings. It's so rough out here. We are all depressed and drowning, the second replied.
Wages are not keeping up with inflation, another agreed.
We had $47 left to last two weeks for a family of 6, someone expressed their sympathy.
I feel extreme guilt because I'm not saving anything. I literally can't, another admitted.
Mackenzie received support from most, but the video also received negative responses. Mackenzie responded to some hate comments in a follow-up.
"Clearly based on the video, I have enough problems that I am stressed out about in my life. I don't need to deal with this. I don't owe anyone an explanation, especially a stranger on the internet.
"I didn't make that video asking for help or asking for a breakdown of my finances, I didn't ask for sympathy, I didn't ask for anything in that video. The internet is just wild. It's just nuts to me."
She emphasizes that stress doesn't mean she's not grateful for what she has.
She also addressed someone who encouraged her to sell the artwork that was hanging on her walls in the background of the first video.
"Those came from Walmart and it was like $30 or $40,' she shared.
"I'm not in the situation where I need to be selling everything. I know I'm in a much better situation than a lot of people, I get that because I've been on the other side.
"I've been there and I'm extremely grateful for what I have and what I worked for. Yes, I am extremely fortunate to have all of those things but I'm still allowed to be stressed out about our financial situation.
"You don't need to be mean to others, if you don't like it, keep scrolling. What we're not gonna do is make assumptions based on a 10-minute video you saw on the internet, don't assume you know everything about my life."
The woman expressed her utter amazement at the kindness she received and praised those who shared their own stories in the comments as being extremely brave.
"The point was, we are all stressed and all struggling so we need to come together,' she said. 'We just need more kindness, love, and acceptance."
