Here's the ironic part though—follow the standard playbook to a T:

College degree? Check.
Stable job? Got it.
House with a mortgage? Done.
Health insurance premium payments? Every month.
Tax bills? On time.
Raise kids? Full commitment.

Add it all up and you're literally keeping maybe 10% of what you actually earn. The rest goes to institutions, obligations, and systems designed to keep you locked in.

That gap between gross and what actually stays in your account? It's the real story nobody talks about. Makes you wonder why anyone follows the script anymore.