What is the American Dream nowadays?

Fuel. Food. Rent/Mortgage.Car payments. Insurance. Utilities. Tuition. Daycare. Credit card debt. Taxes.
It seems like the list of stuff that we have to spend our hard earned cash on gets longer and longer all the time. There are the monthly bills and the things that show up unexpectedly. According to the Wall Street Journal 25% of Americans have no emergency funds and I have a feeling that of the 75% who say that they do could not handle multiple big expenses coming at them in succession.
To be honest, most of us (see how I am including myself here) spend money on things we don't need. I know that I do it and I struggle constantly to keep myself in check. But is that what is behind our apparent inability to catch up or get ahead financially?
While the mismanagement of money can certainly be the downfall of even the most well off of America, I feel like the everyday necessities are really killing any chance that middle class families have at getting ahead and having the ability to really plan for the future. Middle class families have to think about future emergencies; for example a medical procedure like an appendectomy can become necessary for anyone out of the blue, car trouble can be one of those things that really cripples a working family and is not one of those expenses you can put off, and utility bills always fluctuate with the weather-a cold winter can be extremely costly for families trying to keep their homes warm. Gas prices are high. Food prices are high-hell I can't find top sirloin around here for cheaper than $12 a pound at the moment. A gallon of milk can set you back almost $4 on average.
My least favorite expense to pay every month has become medical insurance. Thanks to the new government regulations and mandate health care coverage changes my premium had gone up even though I don't have a plan that is considered ACA compliant(which means the government thinks that the plan that I have is not good enough for me. Funny how they think they know my needs better than I do!) My deductible also increased which meant I had to pay more before some of my benefits kicked in.
Luckily some last minute extensions allowed me to keep my plan for another year, but lo and behold that time is up and I am forced with a really fun decision: Keep my current plan at a new (higher) monthly premium or choose a new plan. Sure I MAY qualify for a subsidy-but why should I have to? I was doing fine paying my $324 a month before. My premium fit my budget. My deductible was very reasonable and I liked the coverage I had and the doctors in my network. But because some schmuck in D.C. decided he knew better I am being forced to pay more, possibly losing my doctor (as of today he does not list the insurance plans I am being offered as ones he accepts) and looking at an even higher deductible. That kind of uncertainty is stressful and really unnecessary.
What is my version of the American Dream?
I want a house that is big enough for me to smoosh 2 kids per room with adequate space for a reasonable amount of clothing.
I want a laundry room that is not just 2 machines hidden in a closet in the hallway. I want A dining room big enough for a table that will fit my husband and I along with our 5 kids without baking into a wall every time who slide away from the table to get up.
I would like to be able to take 1 summer vacation. Not anywhere exotic mind you-I would be happy with traveling 3 hours to central Oregon to enjoy a 5 day stay at a place like Eagle Crest or Sunriver with the option to skip a year and save up for a bigger vacation to Disneyland the following year.
I would like to be able to afford a date night a couple times a month.
I would like to have some money put away in case of a medical, dental, vehicular, weather related or education related emergency or necessity.
I don't want a mansion. I don't want an Escalade and a lifted truck. I don't want a fleet of pets. I don't want designer clothes in my closets paired with shoes that cost more than my electric bill does.
We don't go to football games. Or the movies. I don't get my nails done and have stopped going to the salon to get my hair colored because spending $100 to get that and a cut done is not in the budget.
So I guess the new American Dream is to just survive. To have a little bit of nice stuff to enjoy after working hard every day for years and years. To have a chance to make things easier for our kids and grand kids. To make sure they are better off than we were at their age.
Hopefully that dream is not unattainable but I fear that if we as a country don't wake up soon it very well may be.