Your colleague needs additional income and is starting to plan investments so that the increase in groceries doesn't make it difficult for him to keep buying them, and it cannot be denied that those who live in poor or developing countries have difficulty increasing their income because of limited job opportunities.
The truth is, you've got the potential for greatness. Skills, ideas, whatever; that's your goldmine. Turn it into something real; side hustles, smart investments, maybe your own business. This is how you make it, not with your hand out. I know it's tough. But easy doesn't build empires. Stepping up, pushing yourself, that's where the true power lies.
Waiting on the government? Waste of time. What do YOU love? What are YOU driven to do? Figure that out, hone it, and we'll build financial security ourselves. Because at the end of the day, true freedom comes from knowing you made your own success. Isn't that the American dream, the human dream, after all?