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UPS driver has a blunt take on US economy after delivering this year's Christmas packages

It's the guys on the ground who notice things first.

via Elvert Barnes/Flickr

A UPS driver on a phone call.

Certain professions have an inside look at the economy because they’re on the ground floor and see things change firsthand. For example, the advertising business knows that a recession is coming six months ahead of time, and realtors often get a good idea of how the economy is changing before the shock hits everyone else.

Delivery drivers are another group of people who can get a good idea of how the average person is doing. They have more packages to deliver when the economy is doing well and fewer when things take a turn for the worse. That’s why a TikTok by UPS driver Donate McCauley (@dontaymccauley) has so many views. After delivering Christmas packages, he thinks things are going well for most people at the end of 2024.

“I thought everybody was broke. I thought we were trending towards a recession, and y’all been complaining all year about finances, and y'all say that until Christmas,” the UPS driver said in a video with over 100,000 views.

@dontaymccauley

credit card debt going crazy. #ups #peakseason #Texas #foryoupage

“I see y'all actually do got money. And y'all making us pay, for every house got, like, 3, 4 packages. I'm loaded up,” McCauley continued. “Every day I'm going out with 400 packages on this truck, and y'all killing us, man, give us a break. But I thought you ain't have no money, though?”

Is the U.S. economy good or bad in 2024?

The post received many comments; some said they are having difficulty getting by this year, while others say they are doing pretty well these days. It’s another example of the lukewarm way that people have viewed the U.S. economy since the COVID-19 pandemic subsided.

“Broke as in it costing me a whole helluva lot more to live than it should. I will always have money for Christmas one way or another,” Lisa Marie wrote. “We’re using After Pay. I did LOL,” Juanita added.

“I have been saying this ALL YEAR. Every restaurant, every tourist attraction, special event, and retail store is PACKED most of the time in my small ‘poor’ city,” SteelersGirl wrote. “I said this to my husband a few weeks ago. Everywhere I go, people are buying stuff. Car dealership was packed last week, too. The economy seems ok,” Wiat What wrote.

Another delivery driver chimed in, and she felt the same way as McCauley. “USPS here. I have been saying this for the last year,” ChicagoGirl wrote.



Are Americans spending more during holiday seasons?

The confused delivery driver who says that people are saying one thing but spending in another tracks a pre-election poll. A survey taken in September 2024 found that 62% of respondents said the economy was weak, while 38% said it was strong.

Regardless of how individuals feel about the economy, the numbers don’t lie. 2024 was a strong holiday season for retailers. Visa says that spending is up this holiday season 4.8% over 2023. "This holiday shopping season, we’re seeing increasing consumer confidence as people sought out in-store experiences – and went online – to purchase gifts and celebrate the holidays with friends and family,” Wayne Best, chief economist at Visa, said in a statement. “This spending growth demonstrates the adaptability of both consumers and retailers and the overall strength of the economy.”

This article originally appeared last year.

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These kids were asked what they’d do with a million bucks. Their answers are awesome.

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One question has probably made an appearance in a lot of our daydreams:

Hmmmmm. GIFs of kids via TD Ameritrade.

Whether it's while gazing longingly out the car window, fantasizing about winning the lottery, or comparing out-of-this-world scenarios with friends, it's fun to think about what we'd do if money wasn't an issue. Our minds can go to some pretty fascinating and creative places.

The answers of these little rascals sure capture what many of us would think up if we dared to dream.

Who wouldn’t want to jazz up their wardrobe?

Time to dust off those L.A. Gears!

Or get psyched about stocking up on some bling?

This little lady is all of us.

Maybe you'd want to buy something cool just because you can.

How did I not think of this?!

(Don't pretend you've never thought about what you'd do with a billion and a hundred bathtubs. Who hasn't dreamed about doing this?!)

Where do I get me one of these bad boys?

But even if these kids had bathtub convertibles lined with jewels that light up, it doesn’t come close to what they say matters to them the most: family.

As usual, amazing kids are showing us how it's done.

You know what? Me too.

This warms my heart.

The BEST indeed.

There's a whole lot more to life than just having a lot of money.

It'd be great to have a bajillion dollars. (And a garage full of bathtubs.) And there's no denying that life is a lot harder if you're not making enough money to afford you basic necessities.

But whatever you'd spend your imaginary gazillions on, there's a common thread that ties all of us together: It's the people around us that truly make us happy. In fact, the longest study in history came to the same conclusion.

So yes, money isn't everything. But the people you love? They sure are.

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Financial literacy is too often a privilege of the wealthy. Justin Tuck is changing that.

It's not uncommon to hear about the financial struggles of former NFL players who, in spite of multimillion-dollar deals, are now living paycheck to paycheck.

It's easy to judge them, but that's ignoring a very real truth: Financial literacy is a privilege often afforded to the already wealthy, not the newly wealthy.

As Justin Tuck, retired Giants defensive end, told Reuters, "Look at the average NFL roster, and most players come from low-income families. They go from being 18-year-old kids with nothing to being 21-year-olds with millions of dollars. ... They get all this money all of a sudden, and they just don't know how to handle it."

Image via Heath Brandon/Flickr.

That kind of wealth isn't easy to manage, and when it happens in such a short period of time, at such a pivotal moment in the player's lives, it's too easy to lose control and wind up in dire financial straights.

That's part of the inspiration behind Tuck's R.U.S.H. for Literacy.

The solution to being poor isn't just to acquire more money; it's also to know how to manage and grow your money. So in 2008, Justin and his wife, Lauran, founded Tuck's R.U.S.H. for Literacy, an organization dedicated to addressing a number of issues, including financial literacy for low-income families.

R.U.S.H. stands for read, understand, succeed, and hope, and Justin and Lauran set out together to encourage those ideals by donating lots and lots of books — over 86,000 of them, in fact — to children who needed them. They wanted to help decrease summer learning loss, when kids lose a lot of the momentum gained throughout the school year.

Image via Ginny/Flickr.

But they noticed that encouraging regular literacy was only part of the equation when it came to keeping the kids motivated and invested in their academics. Financial literacy is also a huge factor. So they set out to equip students and their families with the skills, tools, and hope needed to thrive in school, college, and beyond.

Financial literacy is directly related to which kids pursue undergraduate degrees.

As explained in a 2010 Center for Social Development research brief by William Elliott III and Sandra Beverly, financial planning has a huge effect on college attendance:

"We assume that savings and wealth may have two effects on college attendance. The first effect is direct and mainly financial ... . The second effect is indirect and mainly attitudinal: If youth grow up knowing they have money to help pay for current and future schooling, they may have higher educational expectations."

Image via Tax Credits/Flickr.

The people behind R.U.S.H. noticed this link between having a college savings account and going to college. Lauran told Upworthy that in spite of efforts to even the playing field, "there were still barriers to college access. A lot of the kids — especially those that were at risk — were responding saying they still didn't think they were going to go to college. They said it's too expensive."

Seeing this problem, R.U.S.H. stepped in with a long-term solution.

Lauran and Justin partnered with a number of organizations and began seeding college savings accounts and raising matching funds. Megan Holston-Alexander, R.U.S.H.'s program director, shared that the initial "seed was $150,000, given at $100 per student. As of June 1, 2015, the accounts have risen another $40,794." And that amount will only continue to grow.

Lauran explained that the financial contributions have been supported by efforts to educate the families so that "parents and students understand why we're saving for college and so that parents understand that their money is going to be matched."

Image via Nazareth College/Flickr.

Justin emphasized to families that "if it's important to you, then you have to be prepared to sacrifice."

R.U.S.H. isn't making college free; it's planting the seed of hope and arming families with the information necessary to prepare for their children's futures.

As Lauran stated, "what keeps us going is the 'H' in the acronym, the 'Hope' piece of it. We want to provide for so many kids and families hope, where the opportunity gaps do exist. It's the hope that motivates us."

By giving parents the skills necessary to maintain financial health and enabling them to set up college-savings accounts for their kids, R.U.S.H. helps these communities to build a legacy of achievement. They're making it possible for the kids and their families to see and work toward goals that may have felt impossible. R.U.S.H. is making it possible to dream. But more importantly, it's making it possible to achieve.

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Starting a money talk can be awkward. But these tips may make it easier.

Talking to your boss, partner, or child about money? We got you.

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Talking about money is tricky business.

Think about it. Many of us share the most intimate details of our lives with friends and coworkers and even on social media. But money? That's still as taboo as it's ever been, and talking about it can get uncomfortable really quickly.

I know, right?! GIF via "Maleficent."

That doesn't change the fact, though, that there are important conversations many people need to have about money. Avoiding them can hurt our relationships and our financial health or those of our loved ones.

So where do you even start? And once you start, where do you go?

Whether you're cleaning the house, going to the gym, or asking someone out, no doubt the act of simply getting started can be a tough one. Just imagine having to do that with the money talk!

Luckily, we've gathered some helpful tips to get you started on three essential money conversations: with your boss, your partner, and your kids.

Tip #1: How to ask your boss for a raise

Help them help you. GIF via "The Office."

It may not seem super helpful, but the answer really is just ask (but be well-prepared, of course!).

Sounds easy enough. Yet for some reason, not many people do it. In a PayScale survey, 57% said they've never negotiated for a higher salary. We know it can be a scary thing to do, but you'll never know unless you ask, right?

Luckily, the numbers are in your favor. According to another survey by PayScale, 75% of workers who asked for a raise actually got one. Which is awesome, but don't forget to ask yourself an important question too: Why do you deserve the raise?

Once you answer that, you'll have an easier time getting the ball rolling and will be much more confident sealing the deal.

Tip #2: How to talk to your partner about money

Don't let it go here. GIF via "The Princess Bride."

The answer: honestly.

Clearly, this is a given. But when it comes to money, sometimes we need a reminder.

In a 2014 survey, one 1 in 3 adults admitted to committing financial infidelity on their partner. And that can manifest itself in a variety of ways — whether it's not being upfront about your spending habits, hiding your financial history, or just making secret purchases.

There's a reason money is the #1 cause of stress in a relationship, and arguments about money are a big predictor of divorce. But it doesn't have to be that way. By being honest at the onset and talking about money on a regular basis, couples can start a healthy dialogue that'll give everyone a much better grasp of how to deal with finances down the road.

Tip #3: How to teach your kids about money

This is clearly what NOT to do. GIF via "Black-ish."

The answer: WITH GAMES!

Money and math are rarely the most exciting topics for kids. And that's where playing games comes in! Susan Beacham, CEO of Money Savvy Generation, tells U.S. News, "Games become something you can use to open the discussion, so it's not always you preaching about money."

You can try a classic board game like Monopoly. Or download a fun educational app for them. Or even pretend to be a customer in your kid's make-believe store. The important thing is that kids learn the nuances of what's going on each step of the way, so that they become familiar with financial literacy early on.

It can be intimidating to talk about money, but there are ways to make it a little easier.

Taking that first step can be challenging, especially in this area, but having a plan of attack certainly eases the burden. Now that you have some starting points, the next step is to do just that — start!

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