Naturally your cost of living is the total expense of housing, food, utilities, clothing and entertainment. People usually calculate this as monthly
total. The majority expense as you guessed is housing. Myself, I rent and water is part of that rent and am single so that expense is $355/mo for a
studio apartment. What I consider my utilities are electric and insurance, roughly $100-$150 per month (electric heat and cooking, so there is
variation). Entertainment (things that can be done without): gasoline $30/mo (company car is why so low), phone $50, cable and internet $100. Then
comes food which is roughly $200-$250. So total estimated expenses is $800-$900 per month depending on extravagance and any clothes I happen to buy.
Now a minimum wage job, with no overtime has a take home pay of about $970/mo on average ($7.50/hour x 40 x 4.2 weeks x .77 (taxes) = $970.20. Would
a better paying job fix that? Sure but there would be an added expense of additional gasoline costs which fluctuate due to pump prices.
And for the record, companies providing housing and a place to purchase goods and services did exist and were quite common in the early 20th Century
as this song illustrates.
There was also a slightly different form of "employer provided benefits" that ended after a large war in 1865.
Things are that much better across the pond either. Sure there is "government provided healthcare" (you pay through the nose in taxes on everything
especially gasoline--hence gas costs $7-$8/gallon or more in Europe). Have severely limited freedoms (just try to purchase a gun for home defense in
England or purchase/do anything not caught on camera somewhere). I suppose it is better than the old system of fiefdom/serfdom. But really isn't much
different when you really look at it.
In fact in all these systems of life, there is a commonality to them all. They are all pretty much slavery in one form or another, it is just we the
dupes then to think of ourselves as being free because we can make limited choices that ultimately do not matter one way or another.
Politics is a good example. You can vote for any approved candidate on the ballot or even write in one of your own (in some places). Or automobiles,
buy any car that you like, unless you have the money to buy outright you will have to finance through any bank you want (that are all connected to the
Fed in way or another) it just means you are not going to be moving away anytime soon (for most people) until that debt is paid.
But it does mean you will be working to pay off that debt for the next 5-6 years depending on the loan. And since income tax is about 25% of your pay
on average for minimum wage earners (that already cannot afford a new car--see living expenses above). In fact do some quick easy math there on that
25%, 1 out of every 5 years of income goes directly to good old Uncle Sam.
1 in 5 years or if you think of it this way, from 18 to 68 (retirement with full benefits from Social Security) is 50 years pay, 10 of which go
directly to the government without you ever holding it. Now, buy a house on a 30 year loan at good rate would be another 10 years gone. Assuming a new
car every 10 years would be another 10 years gone in those payments. So where does the remaining 20 years pay end up? Food, Clothing, Utilities and
Entertainment.
Still wondering if you are a slave or not now?
