And you're how the system should work. I grew up to middle class parents but was largely in the same situation, except my parents had nothing to help with. Multiple bankruptcies, a failed business, and marital problems eventually led to my childhood home being foreclosed on. I've seen both wealthy and poor alike game the system. It's frustrating, especially when the hard times are from their own poor decision making. One family I knew could have entirely paid off their home, bought a modest used vehicle the desperately needed, and saved some money for college. They blew it on giving it away to friends and family vacations. Their car fell apart and their home was foreclosed on, their children were forced to drop out of college all because they made poor decisions and refused any attempts at listening to the warning we tried to offer then that they were making poor decisions. These were people below the poverty line. If they'd waited a single year they would have been able to have it all with what they and from paying off their mortgage.

By no means am I claiming to be perfect financially. We moved before we were ready because the neighbors we'd previously been close with became resentful as our financial situation improved beyond theirs. They would do really insane things, burning trash in their yards immediately after we washed our cars to get our cars covered in ash, putting a floodlight directly into our bedroom that would go off randomly at night, blocking our driveway. We bought a house below what we could have in a moderately nice, but not upscale neighborhood. It took us months of searching for the right house. I have to drive a bit farther for work when I can't work from home, but saving thousands a year in mortgage payments and living in what we've made our dream home is worth it to us.

People like you are what makes the system better. Putting in the work and earning it. I bet you're awesome at what you do.