I know a lot of people are struggling to make ends meet here these days. It doesn’t come up often in daily conversations in my circles because of a confluence of societal pressure, feelings of shame in admitting you’re struggling to get by, and one’s pride in wanting to keep these matters private. It also doesn’t help that the shiny, thin veneer of the new Bozeman blinds outsiders to the growing pains of this town. I see a stark contrast in financial well-being between the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots,’ which is certainly a microcosm of the growing economic inequality in this country.

I question how it’s possible for people nowhere close to retirement age driving around in Sprinter vans loaded up with multiple $8,000 mountain bikes to exist alongside those living in their cars, not by choice. I question those whose parents bought them a house here just to go to college and live carefree, while a single mother trying to get through school has to work multiple jobs on the side just to get by. I despise how our state leaders welcome wealthy out-of-staters with open arms, then blame low-income residents for our problems. I further question why many people struggling here continue to vote against their own interests by re-electing those state leaders.

Personally, I feel like I’ve done everything “right” in my thirty years of life so far. I worked my ass off in college to get an engineering degree. I started working full-time right after graduation; I didn’t have the luxury of taking a “gap-year(s)” like so many people I know. I drove a beater car until I could afford a good used car. I diligently paid off loans. I taught myself how to invest and I’m on track to maxing out my 401K this year for the first time. I keep my skills sharp and learn new things to progress in my career. I’ve always lived below my means so I could save up for large purchases, like a house. And I’ve always voted for the leaders I thought would actually help working class Montanans, not those who cater to the wealthy.

Yet, at the end of day, where has it gotten me? Until I get married to someone with my salary or greater, I have no hope of affording a house here, let alone afford a family someday (and the dating scene here is abysmal, by the way, which is another topic). The rising cost of everything has cut into my savings, increasing the sense of futility. But since this is Bozeman, are we supposed to pretend like having the mountains here makes up for the real financial hardship that real people here are experiencing?

I’m fully aware that my situation is not desperate by any measure. I’m grateful to have a roof over my head, food on the table, and a good life outside of work. However, I believe these are basic requirements of a healthy life that people here should not have to struggle for just because the wealthy want to have their Nth investment home here to prance around outdoors while acting like they’re doing us all a favor. When I was a kid, Bozeman was a solidly middle-class town. Homes were pricier than the national average, but not exorbitant. Middle class folks could at least afford a decent single family house, even with only one parent working full-time.

I reminisce on the days when real cowboys intermixed with real dirtbags, and people generally didn’t give a damn about what car you drove or how fancy your outdoor gear was. In fact, the jankier your stuff, the better. All that mattered was that you were kind and respectful. Now, many of those genuine people I grew up with have been replaced by cosplay Yellowstone cowboys and trustafarians, whose greatest struggle is maintaining their social media clout. Kindness has been replaced by selfishness, and respectfulness and humility have been replaced by one-upmanship and ostentatious wealth. Change is hard; I’ve come to accept that. Bozeman is suffering the fate of every trendy “mountain town” in the west, and I’m afraid there’s no putting the genie back in the bottle. I am in a constant state of conflict about whether it is worth living here anymore or if it will ever be feasible to establish a life and a family. The barometer keeps ticking towards leaving, but, for now, caring for my aging parents keeps me fighting to stay. Life is hard, but it shouldn’t be so hard to have at least a little hope that, one day, your work, efforts, and responsibility will result in a good life for you and your family.    

Reddit’s Beneficial-Friend-86