One woman was wrecked with nerves while working up the courage to ask if Rite Aid was hiring—but she says she needs a second income to get by.
Despite inflation numbers decreasing, the average family isn’t feeling much financial relief. Millions of Americans—the most since the pandemic started—have turned to getting a second or even third job to make ends meet, USA Today reported.
“Yes, the headline numbers on inflation are supposedly going in the right direction. But it doesn’t feel that way,” Lorna Sabbia, head of retirement and personal wealth solutions at Bank of America, told CNN in an interview.
Everything from food at the grocery store to renting a car is still much more expensive than before the pandemic. The average family spends about $700 per month on the same goods and services compared to two years ago, CNN reported.
In a viral TikTok video, worker Kat (@kat71766) shared that despite having a full-time job, she’s looking for a second job to make ends meet.
Kat is so determined to get additional work as quickly as possible that she used her lunch break to job hunt. She specifically went to Rite Aid to see if they were hiring for part-time positions.
“I don’t wanna do this. I’m so nervous I don’t even know what to do,” Kat says in the clip.
She ended up grabbing a few snacks, including a pack of pistachios and a coke, so she’d have a reason to talk to the cashier about employment.
Kat paced around the store for a while before finally ripping off the proverbial bandaid. Turns out there was a “Now Hiring” sign at the register with a QR code for the application. Kat said she’d be applying online. But one weird thing happened, when she told the cashier she’d be applying, the person went to get their manager “so he knows what he’s getting himself into.”
That comment aside, it seems Kat is continuing her job hunt. In a recent video, she went to another Rite Aid location and a pizza shop to ask about a job. But she said that being away from home and barely making enough money to survive is leaving her feeling “very defeated.”
@kat71766 This was so nerve wracking for me #fyp #jobhunt ♬ original sound – Kat
As of late last year, most Americans, a whopping 74%, said they were stressed about their personal finances. More than half (61%) said they were living paycheck to paycheck, CNBC reported. That’s when you have enough money to cover necessities without any left over for savings or to cover an unexpected emergency.
Kat’s video has over 35,000 views as of Monday morning.
“Good luck girlie! i also got a second part time job too it nerve racking but it worth seeing the paychecks!” one commenter said.
“Door dash. Part time jobs are hard to find. They want you to be available all of the time,” another advised. Kat replied, saying she also applied to do Instacart since she’d prefer something flexible.
More and more people like Kat are taking to TikTok to share their struggles in hopes of finding people who can relate or help. One mom broke down into tears due to her desperation over money. Despite living life by the book, with a well-paying job in a dual-income household living below their means, they still barely have any money left between paychecks.
