Dollars aren't tied to gold. Your money is dying—it's going down in value each day. That's why you need to get as much money as you can as fast as you can so you can put it into assets that will blow up. Money that just stays money will die.
The problem is that you are being educated by people who are teaching you things from a bygone era. Middle class wages are flat and they won't be going up again. You must simplify this. If it doesn't produce income, don't do it. When interest rates go down, debts go down, and assets go up. It's all artificial. Your money is going down in value. Get rid of it and put it into assets, but wait until you have $100K saved. You need to first understand basic economics—you want it, they have it, go and ask for it. In 1960 the minimum wage was $1.60. That was worth $2 more than minimum wage is worth today even though the dollar amount is higher.