Make It Marathon journeys to Washington, California, and New York to connect with three individuals earning less than $30,000.

Chi Baik, 26, lives in Seattle, Washington and earns $27,000 a year as a Ph.D. student. Baik used to work as a teacher outside Washington D.C., but then moved to Seattle to get her Ph.D. in special education at the University of Washington. Despite earning less money and having higher living expenses, she is grateful for the money she is making and still finds ways to treat herself.

Tiara Simmons, 39, is a lawyer in Long Beach, California and earns roughly $26,000 a year between her job as a law clerk and her social media marketing side hustle. She lives in a one-bedroom apartment with her husband, 3-year-old and chihuahua. Simmons is a below-the-knee amputee and has been disabled for nearly her entire life, and she wants people to know that those with disabilities are "disabled, not lazy."

Hector Carvajal, 26, owns Don Carvajal Cafe, a Dominican-inspired coffee roasting company based in the Bronx, New York. In 2022, his business brought in roughly $190,000 in sales and from that, he lives off a $25,000 salary.

Produced by: Valentina Duarte, Mickey Todiwala
Managing Producer: Beatriz Bajuelos Castillo
Camera: Tristan Pelletier, John Paget
Editor: Marisa Forziati
Animator: Elham Ataeiazar
Reporter: Kamaron McNair, Jennifer Liu
Additional Footage: Tiara Simmons, Chi Baik, Envato Elements, Getty Images

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Living On Under $30K A Year In 3 U.S. Cities | Millennial Money Marathon