Living On $78K A Year In Gillette, Wyoming | Gen Z Money

Norberto Orellana, 24, and Ehlana Broaddus, 23, live in Gillette, Wyoming with their two daughters. The couple both work at the same nonprofit and earn a combined $78,000 a year. Norberto experienced homelessness growing up, while Ehlana was raised in a low-income household. They also both experienced serious health issues that impact their life today. Now, they are working to build a stable life for their family.
This is an installment of CNBC Make It's "Millennial Money," which highlights how people across the globe earn, spend and save their money.
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Living On $78K A Year In Gillette, Wyoming | Gen Z Money

[@Chrissieb.rackett]

Yes!! This is what we like to see! Just regular people who aren’t KZbin stars or influencers. Thank you for highlighting a family with medical issues. Also I’m guessing that Ehlana works as a residential counselor at some type of residential placement judging by her hours. (Working early morning to get her clients off to school and returning at 1 to prepare for them to return to the program.) Such a difficult but important job. She deserves to be making more than 29,000 a year!! (I see you girl!!!) I really have my fingers crossed for this family!

[@lovingpurrs8388]

They work for a non profit $$$$$$ Non profit equals scammers and government corrupt rich influence

[@lovingpurrs8388]

She shouldn't have kids to bring to suffer..and with all that money only as a non profit scammer employee can qualify for Government Supplemental security income Just by having over 2k in savings or owned property non of us other ppl qualify

[@allenrobinson8602]

You said it perfectly.😊😊

[@tfkdandsvkc]

whats wrong with influencers lady

[@omowhanre]

If either of them or their kids has an unexpected health crisis, or expensive car repair or prolonged joblessness- it will set them back YEARS. I love that they’re so optimistic and starry-eyed, but the lack of safety nets is terrifying. God bless and protect them and may God bless and protect the millions of Americans living on the edge.

[@vanalbury7216]

So true! I was gone say the same! Anything can happen smh 😩🤦🏾‍♂️

[@ipsilonia]

i'm sure they already know that

[@lakersboy132]

Especially with them being overweight

[@deborahbonner476]

@@lakersboy132 the neglect of personal health and well-being is a mistake. They look stressed

[@omowhanre]

Especially with neither Democrats or Republicans caring about working Americans.

[@oweng.3102]

27k in car loans is way too much! He says he lives 2 minutes from work. He could walk. You do not need a nice vehicle for a 2 minute commute. Also, they work at the same place. I bet they could make 1 car work for them.

[@Alex-cw1ph]

He's also severely disabled. Let's not be foolish

[@metorphoric]

The fact that they make almost $70K working in non-profit (in WY no less) is pretty good.

[@Vaughnfriday]

this is so sad, they are being financially responsible and budgeting while planning for unexpected expenses and the health insurance companies are just financially gutting them. The US health care system is terrible. I wish them the best.

[@canadianaviator]

Compared to neighbouring countries such as Canada and Mexico, the American health care system is on another level. It’s something that Canadians dream of, hence why thousands of Canadians take a trip down to the States for medical treatments.

[@adrienb4158]

@@canadianaviator take a look to europe then ; )

[@DiamondFlame45]

@@canadianaviator Right wing talking points dude. You guys also have the highest bankruptcy rates due to medical bills

[@djkenny1202]

@@canadianaviator boy are you in dream land. Only if you are wealthy enough to pay for it. I have family in Toronto that would not dream about trading for our healthcare system.

[@LaidbackLuc9]

And are driving cars of >$27,000 for a 2 min commute.

[@norbertoorellana4917]

Hi everyone! I want to thank CNBC Make It for this amazing opportunity to share our story and our finances. If you want to follow our journey more I started a KZbin channel that will focus on not just personal finance but our overall journey as a whole - all the successes, failures, setbacks, and more. I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to KZbin but that's just another piece of our journey!

[@countessstevens63]

Have you considered downsizing to one car ? It’ll decrease your monthly expenses & you can put that money towards savings

[@yaamo]

@@countessstevens63 I believe the reason they might want to keep the 2 cars is that she works part- time it seems and needs to travel back and fro from work plus having 2 little kids and one sick might be conducive for them. I definitely think they can start saving/investing w/o waiting to finish paying the cars off.

[@LisetteZ3]

@@countessstevens63 yep, he lives 2 minutes from his work, can’t be more than a 10 minute commute by bike if it’s save and he recovered enough from cerebral palsy to do so. It would save so much! But I’m from the Netherlands, we have bike lanes and everything to make riding a bike easier than driving a car

[@babybbbb]

It was really cool to see your story. I wish you and your family the best! - from another small KZbinr

[@sunnyrays2281]

You both have so much to be proud of! I enjoyed seeing your story and will check out your channel. Many blessings to you and your family from your Wyo neighbors (in Sublette Co!)! 💗

[@CookingItAllWithYasmin]

Love these couples ! They are so young and more mature and family oriented then most people who are older . Praying for a better future for them .

[@vanyac6448]

Honestly, in a low cost of living area, $78,000 is plenty to raise a family on, though health insurance, daycare, and kids with disabilities are gonna put a dent in that, and I admire the mindset with which this young family approaches things. Also, I gotta admire their maturity for being able to raise family at 1 and 2 years younger than I am, when at the same stage of my life I was struggling with a lot of mental health related things and definitely not ready to even be in a relationship.

[@jpignacio829]

Such a kind hearted couple and beautiful kids. This family deserves all the happiness and love. What amazing work to buy a home and raise 2 wonderful kids! Sending all the best.

[@mattfishfrog5797]

If they were really kind they shouldn't be breeding. She gave her daughter the same problem she had making her need surgeries when she could've just not been so selfish.

[@lauralarisma]

Great video. I enjoy how honest they were about their background and ow they're working towards their goals.

[@TheNeonArcade]

Thanks for showcasing people from all walks of life

[@XX-fn2wj]

Such a likable couple. Thanks for sharing your story!

[@sidvas1089]

They're so positive, inspiring, and thoughtful! I wish to see more people like them.

[@BlackTrunksPodcast]

What a great story & a resilient family. 🙏🏾

[@nuutasi]

Wish this couple and their children all the best!!

[@deneshae]

Thank you sooo much for showcasing an everyday, relatable family that doesn't live in California or New York. What a great story - wishing them all the best for the future. More of these please.

[@patricep.9382]

Good luck to this beautiful young couple

[@brithelsing]

Thank you both for sharing your stories. Cheering for you! You all have some great goals.

[@22221mm]

I wish them all the best! Their hearts are in the right place.❤

[@timo7043]

Never commented on your channel before. But thoroughly impressed with this couple and their beautiful children. 1000% they gonna go far and successful in life. Way way far.

[@tomrishak3782]

they are 23-24 years old and have already 2 kids.????????????????????*

[@anoukc6928]

Yes, they are so young!

[@sindilevabaza5194]

I am rooting for them so much. Good people doing well warms my heart

[@chrisanderson2797]

This is a family worth highlighting. They are responsible and live within their means despite hardship! I admire this couple.

[@omowhanre]

AND they have a government who refuses to support them as they strive to help themselves. Imagine how much less danger they would be in if public school started from 3 months and not year 5 OR if they didn’t have to pay through their nose for life saving prescription drugs.

[@helena3631]

yes i love this they seem very level headed

[@mattfishfrog5797]

@@omowhanre Its not the governments job to support them. If they wanted to help themselves they shouldnt of had kids when they cant afford it and when the mom is sped and gave it to her kid. Now her kids going to have the same problems and look like an alien like her mom.

[@5bscs]

I don't think the cars are really in their means

[@lovingpurrs8388]

She shouldn't have kids to bring to suffer..and with all that money only as a non profit scammer employee can qualify for Government Supplemental security income Just by having over 2k in savings or owned property non of us other ppl qualify

[@YasinNabi]

great contents and wonderful videos. thanks for sharing .....!!

[@FcCopa90]

Beautiful family. God bless them

[@FatFIREfamily]

Thank you for sharing

[@candyjamaican]

Very relatable. All the best

[@amysteele9778]

Great work!

[@fazzyakamello]

Proof that you dont need to make 200k+ a year to be happy. Kudos to both of them.

[@omowhanre]

True. It’s just that they have zero savings and safety nets from their government. 1 little emergency can set them back years or even break them. Imagine if early childhood education was public like elementary school?

[@cbase06]

Love this whole video!!!

[@oyinkansola1682]

What a blessing, this was a great episode. I love how they support one another. They are both so driven and they are on the right path. Wishing you both all the best.

[@noone-um4hk]

Finally made a gen z money instead of calling everyone in their 20s a millennial, good job

[@demontlake]

So inspiring!

[@namastemcl]

What an exceptional story…they have already survived so many hurdles…I wish them well

[@CaseyBurnsInvesting]

Gen Z money… we’ve been replaced Millennials 😞

[@MLW374]

Lmbo 😂

[@jebiusenvy]

Yup 😭

[@TheCreoleSon89]

Sounds like millennial don’t want the camera on them anymore lol 😂

[@ladybug3380]

We’re getting old 😩

[@kristinrodriguezrealtordmv3434]

I just think us Milliennials are making pretty good money and they want to showcase more individuals that are just starting out.

[@jones2277]

i love these quirky couples. so cute.

[@grantcanty7294]

amazing family with an amazing story. hope all the best for them soon. we need more stories like this

[@countessstevens63]

Wow this was quite eye opening & pretty sad. I gained a new perspective watching this. Good luck to them!

[@Outcome_Agent]

beautiful cinematography

[@itsteatime6805]

I really admire them, their strength, tenacity , courage...but I am confused about something. He is a chemist and working at a non profit doing non chemist work? What was his degree for? Because he was smiling in all the pictures with his white blouse, I thought he liked the field or something. Even if he didn't want to be a chemist, I have people with this degree working in tech making 6 figures in NC, NY, TX and MA that I know of. As long as you have a STEM degree you can at least leverage it in TECH. I think what he really needed was a career/guidance counselor honestly. At least he realized his mistake on the PHD, but it is not too late to reorient his career. Not sure if he his reading it, but around 40-50 you are too old in tech, then you can start your second career in non profit if you wish. I am a first gen immigrant and have plans to work non profit later, for now I just volunteer helping non profits during my off time for free. You are only 24 you can still swith careers. I hope you do. :)

[@yeraori]

He is Chemistry major. Not a Chemist atleast not a licensed one.

[@itsteatime6805]

@@yeraori thanks for the clarification I didn't know you needed a license. Though my point still stands. He can and should go in Tech for the sake of his family. He has a degree in STEM. He needs to go see career counselors, do his research etc.

[@adeyosola414]

@@itsteatime6805 No, he has a degree in Chemistry but is also currently doing his masters degree. However people make certain decisions for various reasons : he might enjoy working in the non profit or the STEM related jobs he is finding are far from where he lives or out if state. They did have kids pretty quickly though. I wish they waited a few more years before they did so

[@Ascorbicon]

Thank you for showing a real family! I’m so tired of watching these episodes and midway it’s an ad for the person’s course on “let’s talk about how to save and invest money bc I grew up poor” or their KZbin channel w a couple thousand subs

[@LA-cm9ly]

I love these two. Both are smart and I can see they are moving up. They are young, smart and hardworking. Much love to these two souls.

[@udipta21]

More of such content please

[@RandageJr]

They're still pretty young and probably will be rocking in a few years

[@Allison_647]

Wow, I couldn’t believe it when I saw Gillette in the title 😳😳😳😂 crazy!! Nice job guys!

[@faithybyfaith]

I love the realistic view on making a happy life together. Them working together will get them farther than working alone. It's OK to build a happy life and it takes time. ✨️

[@bonniegaither3994]

Your work is two minutes away and you drive!?! Why can’t you ride a bike or walk. Save gas and wear and tear.

[@jones2277]

maybe bc of their chronic health issues it's not possible. cerebral palsy and a bone disease.

[@a004]

Imagine working 8 hours a day and only getting paid 29k a year...

[@mhkhan1234567]

That is 100k in NYC or San Francisco if you factor in cost of living.

[@missalicesmiles]

They're so young and have kids already. Dang.

[@Tam84USA]

Best comment so far.

[@omowhanre]

Not everyone wants to be mistaken for the grandparents of their own children. Also, with all her health issues, it was probably smart of her to have kids wealthier than later.

[@missalicesmiles]

@@omowhanrethen maybe you should take better care of your health and skin if you are so worried about being mistaken for a grandparent? Even if you have kids at 35, you will be 53 by the time your kids grow up and plenty of people who take care of themselves still look amazing at that age.

[@Alex-cw1ph]

@@missalicesmiles be that as it may, unless you are spending money to be made out of plastic it is extremely unlikely that you're not going to look like you're in your 50s at 53.

[@missalicesmiles]

@@Alex-cw1ph plenty of Asian women in their 50s still look very young without "plastic". It's just a matter of taking care of your skin and body.

[@hannahmuellenmeister]

One of the best videos from the channel in a while. Wishing them nothing but the best.

[@cecemoon1208]

Cute couple. Real salaries. I love seeing couples that other people can relate too. Talk about overcoming poverty and health issues. They don’t give up, American dream. Keep at it guys you will get that 6 figure salary. Please sell the car and buy a $5-$10K vehicle. The vehicle is too much. Have a savings account for a rainy day.

[@dominick6131]

With the recent surge in used car prices, what was once a 5k beater is now 12k. Before the pandemic you could get a one year old car for 14k. It's now 20k

[@juniorruiz3078]

There no such thing as a real salary. I get what you mean though.

[@djkenny1202]

Might as well pay it off and keep it long term with today’s car market.

[@Alex-ii3tv]

He has a 2 minute commute to work.

[@djkenny1202]

@@Alex-ii3tv yeah, that’s ridiculous to Drive.

[@jasminesky4063]

What a beautiful couple. So sweet. 😊

[@salvatorecampbell698]

Gen Z money? Finally my generations time! (Born in 2001)

[@helena3631]

great couple i love this !!!!

[@kingzaire2444]

Here’s to wishing these two and their family nothing but love and success. May you two have noting but continued success in your days and years ahead.

[@LOSTobsession1415]

So much happened to them over the course of 4 years

[@cyrellroberson9698]

I wish CNBC would share a way for viewers to contribute to some of these families.

[@hannah5]

Main recommendations: - Sell one car and share one, pay down that debt - Walk to work and walk to do daily activities as much as possible. Saves you money and it’s exercise. - Start growing your savings NOW - Plant a garden, save money on fresh fruits and veggies. - Switch from meat to legumes, save tons $$

[@minoltaaraya]

YES, to all of this! 🙌🏾 🌱💕

[@pascalebronder8947]

Agreed!! The one thing that really shocked me was the carnivore diet.. from both a money and health perspective, plant based is better.

[@jones2277]

with their bone issues, i wouldn't recommend plant-based, but I'm not a fan of the carnivore diet either.

[@vickym9221]

You really think someone with a bone condition can walk to work?

[@hannah5]

@@vickym9221 Only one of them has a bone condition. I recommended sharing the car, not completely getting rid of it. A 2 minute drive with a car should be less than a 10 minute walk. Anyway, I was just giving my recommendations, not telling this family how to live their life.

[@egardea]

I love the flow of the vibes from them, so optimistic and proud. Way to go. 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

[@Grace-ql7pv]

Finally a Gen Z version!

[@xtinabay]

Sweet couple, great story

[@nater88dawg]

Keep it up Norberto and Ehlana

[@CABAJO9]

Frack... i feel they are stuck in a loop and cant move forward on the expenses and income..so hard to raise two kids , medicine transportation housing...

[@mohamedabdourahman9845]

I will say they are doing a great job, Graham will have an interesting video. 2300 for student loans isn't too bad. They could pay it off in a year.

[@aliali-ce3yf]

Norberto is an awesome name

[@ragnhildurrobertsdottir3931]

Loved seeing this realistic representation of a young family in the US. Great to finally see Gen Z!

[@mattmasteringer4399]

As a doctor, soon as they mentioned their past medical conditions, I immediately concluded that their is a high chance that their children are going to have worse or about the same health conditions. I wish someone could have educated them before they thought of being together or having kids. 😔

[@BarbellFinancial]

Love these series and hearing different stories. Humbles me and gives me perspective outside my bubble.

[@djetton1]

Adorable couple!

[@briantep458]

finally a video about real people!

[@laynegarcia4466]

This episode gave me a lot of perspective, I really feel for them and wish them all the best, it is making me think about the things I have and how I can be able to do and grow financially, I feel humbled.

[@Just_Hu]

He got that look that every dad want their daughter to be married to, haha.

[@dani23dani85]

Thank you for this content!!! Rooting for you guys!!!

[@cocoreo89]

Wow he can get a higher paying job with that degree! Nonprofits don’t pay anything. And she could maybe finish her degree and become a teacher!

[@djkenny1202]

I don’t think he will benefit from moving to another job. He’s happy and will move up. Any idea what teachers”make” in that State?

[@cocoreo89]

@@djkenny1202 yeah, but if he’s happy with his current job, why is he going for a masters degree in a field that’s completely opposite. I assume he is looking to make a move once he earns the degree. And a teacher def makes more than 29k. Maybe 40k at the lowest? She’s not even making $15/hr right now, so as a teacher she’d have a stable work schedule and have summers off to spend with her kids.

[@djkenny1202]

@@cocoreo89 this is all true. And they already have to pay for daycare. Some states just pay so little to teachers. Unreal. 40k might not really be worth it for the flexibility, if she has a good situation, as much as summers off are great, and they could drop daycare at least at that point. Hopefully they can work it out wheres she can complete the degree. Not sure how far she is into it?

[@cocoreo89]

@@djkenny1202 yeah I wonder how far she got before she quit. Wouldn’t be a bad idea.. it was in early child education so I assume her goal was to become a teacher at some point. I hate that Childcare is so expensive..basically another mortgage or rent! But best of luck to them. It looks like they’re on a good track forward and are doing great at budgeting.

[@djkenny1202]

@@cocoreo89 It is so expensive. It made more sense for me to stay at home to raise my two young kids. $1300 is PER Child, on the low end, where I live. There’s just no way!

[@gabriellaF95]

I grew up homeless with my mom and sister and eventually foster care. My husband grew up poor. at 26 he makes $150k a year and I do family and boudoir photography and im home with our 3 year old. We bought a house on 16 acres outside of minneapolis. I think my story is unique and love seeing all the different stories

[@rachelmairura8737]

What does he do for living?

[@egyptianqueen4007]

How did you buy a house with your husband if you don't work? You mean he bought the house.

[@essel23fly]

It’s just amazing how this couple is as happy if not happier than the ones making 200k+ a year. Money can’t buy happiness.

[@SiNERw211]

78k a year in gillette is kinda good amount!

[@usefultipstricksandhacks5803]

A job 2 min away is my dream. My job is 2 hours away, lol! I am thankful for it while still looking for what I want.

[@MB-nb7yq]

Nice to see a gen z doing well 👍

[@blakliffy]

These are the elder gen z'ers. I think 24 is the max age before you are deemed a millennial. They sound just like my fellow millennials. Which is depressing and familiar. I hope the younger gen z folks are able to make things work as they get older.

[@anoukc6928]

It's more about the year of birth than the age itself. Everyone's get older, all generations get older so you can't use a specific age. The oldest millennials are in their 40's now since they were born in 1980.

[@willmichael4033]

With so many genetic health problems it was an interesting decision to have biological children…

[@Alex-cw1ph]

Accidents happen and eugenics aren't cute.

[@egyptianqueen4007]

Right....smh

[@sheilaarp6453]

Your a beautiful couple with a beautiful family always love each other and you can do anything together.always put God first he will lead and guide you

[@brittoncoil2518]

They have a wonderful family and outlook on life

[@liangingrid5023]

Waow! I love them! There is a lot of love and they will do well 💕

[@advin_]

She should get a job remotely that pays more and save that day $13,200 a year on day care. Wishing them them best !

[@califlorican]

Remote jobs that would allow her to care for 2 toddlers while working is a very difficult thing to find. A lot of jobs have remote work policies that say you’ll have someone else provide childcare during work hours.

[@cinnawhat8797]

@@califlorican people still do it, and get away with it.

[@advin_]

@@califlorican it depends on the job.

[@califlorican]

@@advin_ Which is why I said "a lot of jobs" and not "all jobs".

[@califlorican]

@@cinnawhat8797 Yeah, for now. Plenty of people get fired for breaking their company work-from-home policies.

[@octaviakf]

This was actually very beautiful I enjoyed every minute of this video

[@pineglen9356]

OMG… I love this couple! The dad is such a level headed person.. hope they succeed in everything they do!

[@iTzDritte]

Graham is gonna savage them about PMI on their $0 down mortgage in his reaction video

[@mutisovictorm438]

i love this vid

[@Tizianv]

I would love to see a follow up video on these two. I think they are taking the right steps and i wish them all the best for the futur!

[@moff_gideon]

Good hearted people making terrible financial decisions

[@Nick-pd2yo]

They r too optimistic what if someone gets hurt and can’t keep working

[@laina-brown]

Pretty cool how they can switch who is at work for childcare. Probably hard to see each other though...

[@aaronwalker9573]

There are no circumstances that you can't claw your way out of and build something from. Is my favorite thing that they said.

[@darlinspaces]

Please find more couples/families who are like them! This was really educational on so many levels. Was it just me or do they seem like the perfect family to get an electric car which might save them and defray the future costs of health services?

[@fillingswithtobydonut]

I really like their closing statements. There's no situation you can't get out off and this is only the beginning of the journey, not the end. I wish Norberto and Ehlana all the best, looking forward to seeing an episode of them in a few years doing better.

[@orisafe1149]

Nice story good luck with everything

[@thespinachreport7419]

I learn more from episodes like this than I do from episodes where they make 500k/yr

[@Melancholy_Analog]

So sad how this couple lives but anyone else confused how these generations are determined on this show or in general by these marketers a 25/26 year old is a millennial but a 23/24 year old is gen z mostly all mid-late 90s born would agree that 23-26 year olds are the same generation. Very strange. I was born in 1999 and most of us were told we were millennials until like 2 years ago but even still gen z originally started in 95 so this generational divide is dumb imo splitting the 90s up like that. Gen z really starts in 2002 both culturally and logically.

[@GlamGoddes101]

I don’t agree, that would mean people born in 2000 are millennials and that’s just doesn’t sit right with me

[@Melancholy_Analog]

@@GlamGoddes101 yeah well it weird to me to lump mid 90s with ppl born in 1980 when I grew up with them and I’m closer personally closer to them thank the tik tok and Fortnite kids who are like born in 2005-2010s. I don’t understand how we are lumped with kids who legit don’t remember life before computers and social media. There’s literally nothing different from people born 1995-1999. When all 90s born grew up together if anything you’re right have gen z start in 2000 but I said 2002 because I know a lot of 2000 borns who also don’t act like the the stereotypical “gen z” it’s really the teens of today. Not 20 year olds or mid 20s.

[@anoukc6928]

It’s just a label. Doesn’t change anything for us

[@jones2277]

they did the same to my generation. i was told i was Gen X until after i had graduated from college and suddenly they were calling us millennials.

[@sebastian7539]

Noberto is shooting himself in the foot by settling for such little pay. The average chemist makes $75k a year. Also, they should’ve accumulated more of an emergency fund before splurging on a new car. That car payment is taking away from saving and investing, so they’re stuck living paycheck to paycheck. Don’t fall into more lifestyle inflation traps as your income goes up.

[@TheCreoleSon89]

I don’t disagree with you but it sounds like they are in a very small town. I doubt wages are extremely high there but I do tend to agree with you. He is working on a masters so maybe that will become possible to make more money.

[@edb484]

They live in Wyoming, that’s a pretty decent wage there.

[@mike48084]

That is true, but maybe there is some reason that they don’t want to move out of buttfuck, WY. If that is the case, he can’t really command much of a higher salary.

[@kristinrodriguezrealtordmv3434]

@@mike48084 Higher salaries often come with a higher cost of living as well. Plus they have a home and there family is settled. It's not always easy for people, especially families to up and move.

[@mike48084]

@@kristinrodriguezrealtordmv3434 no saying they should or ought to move, just saying he salary is comparable based on the location.

[@angadjattana5595]

Great story and an awesome couple! They are so young and they are doing a great job with there finances, things will only keep getting better from here.