15 Minutes Of What’s Coming To America And Why It’s Getting Worse

Added: 2026-05-28

[00:00:00]Somewhere right now, an American is standing at a gas pump doing math in their head. Somewhere else, one is staring at a Costco receipt. This is what it looks like when the cost of staying alive outruns the wage that pays for it.

[00:00:19]>> It really sucks because people are like, "When are our gas prices going to go down? When are gas prices going to go down?" They're not. They're not. He [ __ ] us over and our kids will be shocked that we ever paid less than $5 for a gallon of gas. That's not how this works.

[00:00:35]>> Is this a joke?

[00:00:37]>> Nope. Just gas in America.

[00:00:39]>> I can't afford this.

[00:00:41]>> Oh, great.

[00:00:42]>> What?

[00:00:42]>> I just worked out that's the price before tax as well.

[00:00:46]>> Oh, yeah. Yo, what's wrong?

[00:00:48]>> There's no one to pump my gas.

[00:00:50]>> I mean, yeah, bro.

[00:00:52]>> So, the petrol is this expensive and I have to pump it on my own?

[00:00:55]>> Uh-huh.

[00:00:56]At least in England, if they're robbing me like this, someone pumps it for me.

[00:01:00]>> Really?

[00:01:00]>> Yeah.

[00:01:01]>> I swear the gas is running out quicker than it was before.

[00:01:04]>> Are you serious, man?

[00:01:06]>> We just filled up a full tank and it's already at half the tank in just a few days.

[00:01:11]>> You sound so paranoid right now.

[00:01:13]>> I'm being serious.

[00:01:15]>> Yo, what the heck?

[00:01:16]>> Don't turn on the AC.

[00:01:17]>> Why not? It's so hot in here, dude.

[00:01:20]>> So, open a window then.

[00:01:21]>> Fine. Chill.

[00:01:23]>> Have you not seen the gas prices lately?

[00:01:25]Should we go test drive a car?

[00:01:26]>> For what?

[00:01:27]>> To run errands.

[00:01:28]>> Why would we test drive a car to run errands?

[00:01:31]>> So that we save money on gas, >> bro.

[00:01:34]>> What? I'm being serious. Come on.

[00:01:36]>> And I ain't going to lie, if gas prices keep going up, everybody better watch the [ __ ] out cuz if I miss a X, I swear to God, I'm bagging up. I don't even play like that. I don't know why the [ __ ] they playing with us, but [ __ ] I'm not No, we not going to add on 23 minutes to my [ __ ] GPS. Move out the way. Everyone is talking about gas and everyone is talking about it like a wound. Here's the thing nobody wants to say out loud. Prices at the pump are not really set by the guy at the White House or the station on the corner. They're sent by a handful of oil majors and refiners who've spent the last few years posting record profits while telling us shortages are the reason. The wound is the markup. And guess what? We're the ones bleeding.

[00:02:26]>> Let's see how much it costs to fill up my Bronco in 2026. Gas prices are so crazy right now. Last time I paid $75. I think it's going to be like 75 as well.

[00:02:35]What do you think? until like 76.

[00:02:37]>> It's not working.

[00:02:40]>> I just put in the wrong zip code.

[00:02:45]>> And she's off.

[00:02:46]>> I don't even know if I did that right.

[00:02:49]>> Crawling back into your car, >> guys. Is the angle of mine is crazy, guys. It's already at $16 fast.

[00:02:57]>> Oh my gosh. Oh my goodness.

[00:03:00]>> It's just like you watched your money just like >> I know. Like that was literally my car.

[00:03:04]Like >> I'm just ride my bike everywhere. When I first got my Bronco, I was spending $50 and it last me a week. I'm not even joking. $53. When I had my Nissan Ultima, I'm telling you guys, I put $30 in that thing. Could literally last me 3 weeks. And I was back and forth back watching my money go down the drain.

[00:03:23]>> $75 down the drain.

[00:03:25]>> Guys, watch so she can get her $75 back.

[00:03:28]>> So I can get my $75 back. And it's funny because I said 75 and Amaya said 76 and it was like in the middle >> 364 miles and that will last me this week. Peace out, slay queens.

[00:03:42]>> And we not even going to get on how expensive these hygiene products be.

[00:03:45]Girl, I just paid $12 for some soap.

[00:03:48]Some soap. [ __ ] be having it so easy they could just use a 10 in one. They use the same soap for their face, for they ass. They wash their clothes with the same soap they use. Wash the dishes with the soap. Like [ __ ] See, with women, we got to get a soap for the body, a separate soap for the face, a separate soap for the coochie, then we got to get a body oil, then a moisturizer for the face, then a lotion for the body, then deodorant. And we not even going to get on when we on our cycle, cuz that's a whole another thing.

[00:04:16]You got wipes, tampons, pads, panty liners, diapers for the NIGHT TIME. I'M TIRED. I'M TIRED. And y'all lucky I don't walk around here being musty as [ __ ] and actually care about how I smell. But baby, these prices, these prices is something else. And don't let everything run out at once. Girl, $100 minimum. And that don't even be covering everything you need for real. That just be for like the essentials. Girl, I'm tired. One of the issues is that the things that are supposed to be considered luxury and the basic items are priced similarly. The other day I was looking into like ordering some food, right? I was like, "Okay, I'm going to do pickup because pickup's usually cheaper." There was like a $5 difference between pickup and delivery, and they were both high prices. You go to the store now, you're thinking about, "Okay, I'm going to save some money. I'm going to budget."

[00:05:10]The thing that you were going to budget, the item is the same price as the name brand item. Like, you know how stores have generic brands and like their own brand? They're damn near the same price as the name brand food products.

[00:05:26]And that's the issue. Everything is priced similarly now because there's no more margin. And what really grinds my gear is that the quality of these items match. Like you would assume that the name brand would be higher quality, but it's the same as the generic. Listen, point me in the direction of all the crazy couponing moms. I need to learn from y'all cuz things are getting ridiculous.

[00:05:49]>> How much money did I spend on gas on my trip to San Diego?

[00:05:53]>> This is from the Bay Area to San Diego.

[00:05:55]It's actually cheaper to take a flight to San Diego, but I needed my car this weekend. So, it is $545.

[00:06:04]Damn near [ __ ] $50 to fill up the tank, bro. I forgot to mention the tank was already half empty.

[00:06:10]>> THEY GOT ME [ __ ] UP WITH THESE [ __ ] GAS PRICES, BRO. WHY IS EVERYTHING SO [ __ ] EXPENSIVE, BRO? NOW, I know some people in the comments are going to be like, "Why did you book a flight? Don't you think I [ __ ] thought of that?

[00:06:21]It's actually cheaper, but I need my [ __ ] car for the weekend.

[00:06:28]>> That was loud. That was pretty [ __ ] loud. So, we are officially now in Los Angeles, and we still need like 3 hours left to get to San Diego. This is the second stop for gas.

[00:06:38]>> It is currently $5.69.

[00:06:40]Bro, what the [ __ ] >> So, the total came out to $46.

[00:06:48]Keep in mind I'm not filling it up like I'm filling it up when it gets to half a tank. Oh my goodness. It's spilling.

[00:06:56]What the [ __ ] No. Drink all of it, bro.

[00:07:00]Oh, hell no, bro. It just spilled.

[00:07:03]We can't let this gas go to waste, bro.

[00:07:06]The pattern widens out from gas to everything else. And the structure underneath is the same. Most of what you buy at the grocery store, you buy at the drugstore, the gas station, is sold by a tiny number of consolidated companies that can raise prices in tandem and call it inflation. Generic costs the same as name brand because the same conglomerate often owns both. There's no cheaper shelf to walk to anymore, >> honey. Yes, dear.

[00:07:43]>> So, I've just been looking over the budget.

[00:07:45]>> You've been looking over the budget?

[00:07:47]>> Yeah. And we >> the family budget >> and we're way over. So, I think we really need to start talking about some budget cuts here.

[00:07:54]>> Yeah. I agree. Budget cuts are a good thing. I agree. I >> like the spending has been out of control.

[00:08:00]>> You know what's funny about that is like I've felt that way and I really wanted to talk to you about it, but this is perfect that you're bringing it to me. I love that. I love that for us.

[00:08:08]>> Yeah. Like there was a $300 gas charge.

[00:08:11]You spent $300 on gas this month. That's insane.

[00:08:15]>> I have Well, I have a diesel pickup truck. I fill it up twice. It cost $300.

[00:08:20]>> Okay. So, I think that's where we can start. Like, we could start with that.

[00:08:23]That definitely needs to be cut.

[00:08:25]>> Um I don't know where the heck you're driving that you're spending that much on gas, but that's ridiculous.

[00:08:29]>> So, wait. Are you trying to tell me that the budget cuts you think are going to come out of my end?

[00:08:34]>> I buy fuel.

[00:08:36]>> Where else would they come from?

[00:08:37]>> I buy fuel. I eat at home. I buy fuel.

[00:08:41]You spend money everywhere you go.

[00:08:43]There's packages being delivered to this house every day. I just brought in seven packages this morning.

[00:08:49]>> Okay. I spent having a discussion. I feel like you're turning it on me. I was talking about you and now you're turning it on me. I'm already stressed about the budget. The least you could do.

[00:08:59]>> Well, the problem the reason you're stressed about the budget is cuz you spend your budget and then also my budget. All I spend is $300 a month on fuel.

[00:09:06]>> Okay. I would coming over here. Okay. I was trying to be nice, calm, cool, and collective. You're getting a little crazy. So, from now on, your gas is cut.

[00:09:15]Okay.

[00:09:17]>> Excuse me.

[00:09:18]>> Mom just told me that in the 70s, another time in America when they were having horrific gas issues and gas prices because of war that in Cooko, Indiana, they ran out of gas. In fact, everywhere in the nation ran out of gas, right? Many gas stations did not have gas. And so there would be bulletins that went out saying, "Oh my god, we have gas now." And then in the 70s in small rural towns that were incredibly [ __ ] far from major cities, gas was5 to$6 a gallon in the 70s.

[00:09:49]So if we want to just add the inflation, gas is about to be 10 to 12 [ __ ] dollars. If this [ __ ] doesn't stop and we don't figure this [ __ ] the [ __ ] out immediately, gas is going to rise to 10 to 12 [ __ ] dollars because what do you mean it was up to5 and $6 in the 70s and we're not going to see that same jump? We're not going to see that. We're not going to see that same increase.

[00:10:22]We will.

[00:10:24]Oh my god. So, another month of me going into my bank account to pay off my credit card and I'm like, "What?" Like, genuinely, when did I spend all that money? And then I start scrolling through and I'm like, "Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh." Cuz it's like deep, deep.

[00:10:42]Not deep. What's the sound of the Apple Pay? Like, I don't know how to make the sound, but like I scan that thing so much. Like, it adds up so quickly. I swear I never leave the house without spending money like ever. like whether it's an Alani pineapple like getting gas like I'm always spending money on something something and I'm just like oh my god Allison please stop like this is not okay it's not okay and the way I pay off my credit card like twice a month I never even let it get to like the actual due date cuz I'm like I don't want to forget to pay it so every single time I think about it I just go in and pay it disgusting like I need to be stopped and yet I just purchased an online order that. And yet I will probably go tomorrow and I'm already planning to go to the grocery store in the morning.

[00:11:28]That's already at like minimum $20 right there. It's like I don't know how to stop spending money.

[00:11:38]Do I get a manicure or go grocery shopping for the week? Because then not only will my nails be done, but I'll be skinny. So, I could reload money onto my laundry card, or I could add a hash brown to my sausage, egg, and cheese bagel. Honestly, my sheets will be good for one more week. I'm going to need that bagel tomorrow. Let me check to see if anyone owes me money. There was a couple hundred in my demo. $6 cold brew from Blank Street. $20 box of curig pods that will last me a month. Blank Street.

[00:12:05]Blank Street. The electric and Wi-Fi bill is due tomorrow. I also have plans to go out to dinner. Well, change the dinner plans to the next day so that I'm not spending all of that money in one day and then I get paid so it cancels out.

[00:12:18]>> What you're hearing is people trying to budget their way out of a problem that budgeting cannot fix. The personal finance industry has spent decades telling Americans the issue is their ladders and their manicures when wages have been flat against real cars since the 1970s.

[00:12:39]So people cut the small things and then cut them again. And the math still doesn't work. The shame is doing the job the wage was supposed to do.

[00:12:51]>> Guys, one thing I can't do for [ __ ] is budget. Me and my boyfriend were like, "Oh, we're going to spend 150 a week on groceries. Like, try keep it around there, you know?" [ __ ] I'm on my third grocery shop this week. $150 minimum each grocery shop as well. I don't even know what I'm buying, bro. I buy stuff.

[00:13:06]I go home. I look in the fridge. I'm like, "Oh, we have enough food. Time down to grocery shop." The one thing we wanted to budget. We're like, "Okay, we're not going to spend too much on food." Babes, all we're spending on is food.

[00:13:16]>> Bro, I'm not going to [ __ ] make it in this [ __ ] world. Because like, tell me why I just went to [ __ ] Kroger's and got groceries. I just got paid today. My last [ __ ] paycheck.

[00:13:28]And I spent 73 [ __ ] dollars on popcorn, crackers, Cheezits, milk, ranch dressing, tomatoes, just basic [ __ ] man. Like a box of [ __ ] Cheezits and a box of [ __ ] crackers was $5 a [ __ ] peaks. The ranch dressing was [ __ ] $5. The tomatoes was worth $4. Like the milk is $7 a gallon and my kid drinks three gallons a week. That's 20 [ __ ] dollars. Like, how the [ __ ] did I barely get any goddamn food and it's $73 [ __ ] dollars? Like, what the [ __ ] am I going to do?

[00:14:07]I spent $400 at Costco on Tuesday. I have two 20 year olds, a 17-year-old, and an almost 16-year-old in my home for this summer. While at Costco, I purchased one chicken, which in hindsight, terrible mistake. I should have bought six chickens, but I bought one chicken. And uh that chicken was to be uh dinner last night. And so I come home, it's late, it's 8:00, I'm trying to get dinner ready for everybody. I pull the Costco chicken out of the refrigerator.

[00:14:42]It was only a carcass.

[00:14:46]Bones.

[00:14:49]The 20-year-olds had eaten all of the chicken off of the bones and then placed the carcass back into the Costco bag and into the refrigerator. So, at 8:00 p.m.

[00:15:02]when I was getting ready to make dinner for everybody, I had a carcass. Now, look, I'm not Julia Child, okay? I am not I'm not going to make homemade soup with those bones, okay? Um, so I had to then send the 20-year-olds back to the store for additional chickens. Um, I'm I'm I'm I'm never going to financially recover from this summer.

[00:15:32]They don't stop eating.

[00:15:35]>> And then it lands in the kitchen. Food prices are up because four companies control most of the meat in this country. A handful control the grocery shelves and the seed and fertilizer supply has been consolidated the same way. Look, a mom buys one chicken because one chicken is what the budget allows. The carcass goes back in the bag. The kids are still hungry. That's the consequence nobody puts on a chart.

[00:16:09]None of this is a vibe or a phase. It's a series of decisions made by a small number of people who are doing very well while the rest of us have to recalculate at the register. Now, the breakdowns in these videos are not personal failures.

[00:16:27]They're receipts. Receipts.

[00:16:30]What do you think? How are you coping?

[00:16:32]Please let us know your experiences.

[00:16:35]Look after yourself. And here's to the next one.