In blue zones, communities known for having the highest life expectancies in the world, longevity researcher Dan Buettner says breakfast is a top priority. Based on his time and research in places like Okinawa, Japan and Sardinia, Italy, Buettner suggests that first meal of the day may be crucial to living a long, healthy life.

“We have a saying, ‘Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper,’” Buettner, who coined the term “blue zones,” told CNBC Make It last year.

“In blue zones, they are eating the biggest meal of the day for breakfast and then eating smaller meals as the day progresses, oftentimes eating an early dinner and then not eating until breakfast the next day.“

But the breakfasts eaten by residents in blue zones aren’t at all like what Americans typically eat to start the day, he notes.

“People should avoid most of what is marketed to us in America as breakfast foods such as pop tarts, sugar laden cereals, yogurts and granola,” Buettner says.

“Instead, people should take a page out of the blue zones and eat a hearty, healthy breakfast.”

Buettner suggests going for these foods in the morning to mirror the way the world’s longest-lived people eat:

• Beans
• Vegetables
• Rice
• Fruits
• Miso
• Oats

“I often start my day with a minestrone stew full of vegetables and beans,” Buettner says.

“I challenge everyone reading this to try eating minestrone stew or rice and beans as their breakfast for a week and see how they feel.”

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Many American families are increasingly struggling to keep up with the cost of living in most of the 50 U.S. states. 

The U.S. median household income rose between 2022 and 2023 to just over $80,000 a year, according to the most recent Census Bureau data. But a family of four needs at least $186,618 a year to live comfortably in Mississippi in 2025, the country’s most affordable state, found a SmartAsset study that published on June 4.

“Living comfortably” means having enough income to dedicate 50% to necessary costs, 30% to discretionary wants and 20% to debt payments and saving, also known as following the 50/30/20 budget, according to the study.

In Massachusetts, the most expensive state in the U.S., a family of four needs more than $300,000 per year to meet that threshold. Costs of living grew by over 4% in that state from 2024, slightly more than the national average of 3.87%, SmartAsset’s analysis found. 

Boston has the highest cost of raising a child in the country, a separate SmartAsset study recently found, and much of that total cost comes from child care. Raising a child in Boston costs an estimated $39,221 per year, including $23,800 just for child care, according to SmartAsset.

Having children typically gives families other added costs, too: food, supplies and, in some instances, increased housing costs.

The cost of living for families in other states may not be quite as high as in Massachusetts, but three states — Vermont, New Jersey and Montana — are on track to rapidly catch up, with double-digit growth rates from 2024, found SmartAsset’s report.

On the flip side, overall costs of living actually shrank from 2024 in six states, the report said: Hawaii, New York, Georgia, Delaware, Michigan and Iowa.

SmartAsset used the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s living wage calculator to estimate the annual cost of essentials in each state. MIT calculates family living costs for two working adults and two children and includes essentials like housing and food for all those family members as well as child care.

Here’s the income it takes for families of four to live comfortably in all 50 states in 2025, according to the study:

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $194,522
• Change from 2024: 0.47%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $259,002
• Change from 2024: 6.76%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $237,952
• Change from 2024: 3.17%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $193,773
• Change from 2024: 7.18%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $287,456
• Change from 2024: 3.88%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $273,728
• Change from 2024: 3.30%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $290,368
• Change from 2024: 3.75%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $223,142
• Change from 2024: -2.54%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $217,651
• Change from 2024: 4.10%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $210,829
• Change from 2024: -0.94%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $294,362
• Change from 2024: -0.08%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $223,142
• Change from 2024: 5.63%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $234,291
• Change from 2024: 1.00%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $220,230
• Change from 2024: 6.91%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $202,675
• Change from 2024: -4.13%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $200,678
• Change from 2024: 1.99%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $192,941
• Change from 2024: 1.49%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $199,597
• Change from 2024: 5.27%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $239,699
• Change from 2024: 4.42%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $259,168
• Change from 2024: 8.23%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $313,747
• Change from 2024: 4.17%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $207,584
• Change from 2024: -3.22%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $251,264
• Change from 2024: 2.65%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $186,618
• Change from 2024: 4.96%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $218,317
• Change from 2024: 7.94%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $234,957
• Change from 2024: 11.14%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $215,738
• Change from 2024: 1.25%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $238,534
• Change from 2024: 0.53%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $259,501
• Change from 2024: 6.31%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $282,714
• Change from 2024: 12.55%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $220,813
• Change from 2024: 8.28%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $276,973
• Change from 2024: -0.72%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $210,746
• Change from 2024: 0.68%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $207,334
• Change from 2024: 2.55%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $220,563
• Change from 2024: 5.37%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $208,749
• Change from 2024: 7.54%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $261,914
• Change from 2024: 1.78%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $248,435
• Change from 2024: 7.80%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $256,672
• Change from 2024: 2.97%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $208,333
• Change from 2024: 3.77%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $197,933
• Change from 2024: 2.76%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $200,678
• Change from 2024: 2.51%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $204,922
• Change from 2024: 1.78%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $231,046
• Change from 2024: 5.75%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $286,790
• Change from 2024: 15.48%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $241,696
• Change from 2024: 2.76%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $277,888
• Change from 2024: 7.95%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $195,354
• Change from 2024: 3.16%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $225,555
• Change from 2024: 0.22%

• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $209,914
• Change from 2024: 3.19%

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In 2023, about 11% of Americans officially lived in poverty, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Even more struggle financially, though — and the share may be higher than you think.

Many of the headline economic stats you see are based on “survival indexes,” says Gene Ludwig, founder of the Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity, and don’t reflect Americans’ full financial picture.

“What people are thinking about — a real shared prosperity — is not, ‘I can survive,’ but, ‘What does it take to live a middle-class life?’” he says. ”‘What does it take to be on the first rung, at least, of the American dream?’”

To that end, LISEP developed a “Minimal Quality of Life Index,” which takes into account not only essentials, such as food and shelter, but also the costs living a fulfilling life with a chance at upward mobility. Food costs in the model, for example, include occasional trips to casual restaurants as well as the cost of hosting an annual holiday meal. The index factors in basic leisure costs, such as cable and streaming subscriptions, and trips to the six movies and two MLB games per year in the cheap seats.

According to LISEP’s analysis, most Americans don’t meet that standard. In 2023, the bottom 60% of households by income fell well short of the threshold for a minimal quality of life.

That’s largely because wages have failed to keep up with rising costs, the researchers say. Medical premiums rose 301% from 2001 to 2023, they note, while travel expenses were up 170%. Rent grew by 131%. The cost of raising children, which includes saving for higher education, by LISEP’s estimates, grew by 107%.

With wages failing to keep pace, LISEP finds that consumers’ real spending power decreased by 4%, on average, over that period.

Americans who fall short of the minimal quality of life costs may sink into debt or have to forego important financial planning steps, such as saving for college or investing for retirement, to afford modest discretionary expenses such as a gym membership or an occasional vacation.

For families looking to get on the path to upward mobility, “it is hard to give advice without being patronizing,” says Kevin Brady, a certified financial planner with Wealthspire Advisors. If your budget is stretched thin and you have mouths to feed, there’s only so much financial maneuvering that can help.

That said, there are a couple key things you can do to lower your living costs and help you put more money toward your goals.

1. Focus on the ‘big three’ expenses

You may feel guilty about spending on some of the things that bring you or your family joy, but those small luxuries likely don’t break your budget.

“I get tired of the ‘Stop your Starbucks latte habit’ [advice], because in reality it’s not people’s fault,” says  Laura Lynch, a CFP and founder of The Tiny House Adviser. “The structures around us have created an expectation of a lifestyle that is increasingly becoming unreachable for folks.”

You’re better off focusing on the major tentpoles of your budget, experts say: Housing, transportation and food costs.

Marcos Segrera, a CFP and principal at Evensky & Katz/Foldes Wealth Management, calls these the “Big Three,” and attacking them may involve some creativity. “This might mean refinancing a mortgage, choosing a more fuel-efficient or used car, or embracing meal planning to cut down on food waste and expensive takeout,” he says.

You may want to consider outside-the box solutions to lowering your housing costs, says Lynch. “Co-housing, tiny homes, [accessory dwelling units], multi-generational ownership are all ways to share expenses, resources and create wealth,” she says.

2. Look to boost your income

It’s easier to fund your financial goals — paying down debt, building an emergency fund, investing for the future — if there is more money to go around. So “one other piece of advice I have here is to not just focus on expenses, but think more about growing your income however possible,” says Brady. “Again, it is easy to say but harder to do this.”

Boosting your income may mean asking for a raise or finding a different job altogether. Workers who switched companies in May earned an average pay bump of 7%, according to data from ADP.

It may make sense to look for inexpensive ways to increase your workplace skills or to familiarize yourself with emerging technologies, such as AI, Brady says. You may even think about picking up a side hustle.

You may find it less difficult, in the end, to bring in more money than to cut back on what you provide for the people you love. “Look at both sides, not just spending,” says Brady. “Because with a young family, that might be hard to change.”

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Miley Cyrus still remembers the first purchase she ever made upon making “a little money.”

It was “a black perforated Alaia belt,” Cyrus, 32, told The New York Times in an interview that published on May 31. “I do still have it, and that’s why I’m so emotionally attached to Alaia.” Perforated Alaia belts currently run for $850 to $1,750 each, according to the French design house’s site.

Cyrus, who wore a custom crop top and skirt made by the brand at the 2025 Met Gala on May 5, is perhaps best-known today as a three-time Grammy-winning recording artist. But she first attained public recognition and wealth as a child actor — playing the titular character on the Disney Channel’s TV show, “Hannah Montana.” The show first aired in 2006, when Cyrus was 13 years old, and ran until 2011.

Cyrus’ affinity for high-end fashion hasn’t gone away: In December, she purchased a vintage Bob Mackie dress at auction that was previously estimated to sell for up to $8,000, according to the Hollywood Reporter. (The actual price Cyrus paid remains undisclosed.)

Clothing is a popular choice among newly minted celebrities, looking to spend their first big paycheck. NFL star Travis Kelce spent around $10,000 on a limited edition pair of Nike Air MAGs, he said on his “New Heights” podcast, in an episode that aired in May 2023.

“Saturday Night Live” star Bowen Yang bought a pair of Gucci shoes with his first paycheck from the TV show, he told New York magazine in a video published on Dec. 4. “The kind that everyone got, and the kind I wouldn’t feel super cool wearing out now,” Yang said.

DON’T MISS: A step-by-step guide to buying your first home—and avoiding costly mistakes

Other high-profile first big-money purchases include homes, sometimes for family members, or cars. Retired NBA star Shaquille O’Neal did both: He spent his first $1 million within hours on paying off his mom’s house, three Mercedes Benzes — for himself, his dad and his mom — and “rings and diamonds and earrings,” he told Business Insider in November 2017.

If you ever receive a windfall of money — whether that’s winning the lottery or landing a job with a major pay raise — don’t be hasty, financial experts advise. Working with estate and tax advisors can help you avoid unnecessary taxes, Warren Racusin, a wealth planning attorney and partner at Lowenstein Sandler, told CNBC in December 2023.

Those financial experts can especially help you prevent regrettable spending decisions. At age 24, for example, comedian and actor Kevin Hart shelled out for a series of throwback jerseys from athletes like Julius Ervin, Reggie White, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, he told CNBC Make It in October 2018.

He declined to share how much he spent. “If I had to put a number on it, I would say it was stupid plus stupid, which equals stupid, OK? I don’t even feel comfortable talking about it,” Hart said, adding: “In my defense, so many people don’t understand the value of money until they have it … When you have it and lose it, you understand the value of it and its importance.”

Disclosure: NBCUniversal is the parent company of CNBC and NBC, which broadcasts “Saturday Night Live.”

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Earning a household income of $150,000 might sound like a lot, but in many of the biggest cities in the U.S. it still puts you squarely in the middle class.

Middle-class households earn between two-thirds and twice the local median income, according to Pew Research Center’s definition. Nationally, the middle class spans incomes from $51,813 to $155,438.

By the same measure, San Jose, California, has the highest middle-class income range of the largest U.S. cities. The city’s median household income is $136,229 — nearly double the national median of $77,719. That means middle-class residents in San Jose earn between $90,819 and $272,458 per year.

Large cities like San Jose and New York are economic hubs with a high concentration of high-paying jobs in sectors such as tech, finance and professional services, which is part of why median incomes tend to be higher in these places. But higher earnings are often offset by steep living costs — especially for housing.

And while earning $100,000 has long been seen as a milestone, in a city like San Jose it puts a household at the lower end of the local middle-class range. For residents, that might help explain why earning six figures doesn’t feel like it stretches as far as it once did.

Here’s how much you’d need to earn to be considered middle class in each of the 15 largest U.S. cities, according to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data, which adjusts all income to 2023 dollars, ranked from the highest to lowest median income.

• Low end of middle class: $90,819
• High end of middle class: $272,458
• Median household income: $136,229

• Low end of middle class: $70,520
• High end of middle class: $211,560
• Median household income: $105,780

• Low end of middle class: $61,001
• High end of middle class: $183,002
• Median household income: $91,501

• Low end of middle class: $53,721
• High end of middle class: $161,162
• Median household income: $80,581

• Low end of middle class: $53,134
• High end of middle class: $159,402
• Median household income: $79,701

• Low end of middle class: $53,109
• High end of middle class: $159,328
• Median household income: $79,664

• Low end of middle class: $51,388
• High end of middle class: $154,164
• Median household income: $77,082

• Low end of middle class: $51,051
• High end of middle class: $153,154
• Median household income: $76,577

• Low end of middle class: $49,649
• High end of middle class: $148,948
• Median household income: $74,474

• Low end of middle class: $46,747
• High end of middle class: $140,242
• Median household income: $70,121

• Low end of middle class: $45,379
• High end of middle class: $136,138
• Median household income: $68,069

• Low end of middle class: $41,758
• High end of middle class: $125,274
• Median household income: $62,637

• Low end of middle class: $41,567
• High end of middle class: $124,700
• Median household income: $62,350

• Low end of middle class: $41,548
• High end of middle class: $124,644
• Median household income: $62,322

• Low end of middle class: $40,201
• High end of middle class: $120,604
• Median household income: $60,302

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