Cost of living in the modern USA

a reply to: AccountThree

The homeless tent cities are just a myth.

Not one infrastructure project to date.

Food. Utilities. Gas. Rent. Health Care. All have increased 30 to 100% in the last 2 years. 2 years.

I looked at some old receipts I found.

Food. A box of GM cereal went from 4.79 to 9.89. Store Brand Mac and Cheese .89 to 1.89. Milk went from 3.99 to 5.29. Now, I am sure there are those who will say you can shop to find it but F that.

Gas. Check a pump. We all know this has been crazy. Popped up over 5 a gallon and now since it is back to 3.79 we should be happy? Don't give me that COVID supply and demand # either because Biden SOLD our reserves. We were energy producing for the first time EVER.

Utilities. I had my AC and Washer Dryer Replaced. I Live in Florida. Want to tell me why the power bill has gone up about 100 a month even when replacing all the older things?

Interest rates are so high it is not affordable OR sell/refi. I have less than 3% and thank god I did not take an ARM like some friends. They are screwed on some rental properties because now rent is barely covered. My son currently pays 2100 with his wife for an apartment and were just told it is going up 300.

HealthCare. It is now 1987.00 a month for a Family HMO with a 2k deductible. I work for a large company.

It is out of control and we see it in the streets. Robbery is up. Looting. Assaults....

The Middle Class of America is officially gone from the majority.

In a world where people cannot combined make 100k and live ok is not the American Dream. They are living paycheck to paycheck.

Where is Tyler Durden when you need him????

originally posted by: matafuchs
Food. Utilities. Gas. Rent. Health Care. All have increased 30 to 100% in the last 2 years. 2 years.

I looked at some old receipts I found.

Food. A box of GM cereal went from 4.79 to 9.89. Store Brand Mac and Cheese .89 to 1.89. Milk went from 3.99 to 5.29. Now, I am sure there are those who will say you can shop to find it but F that.

Gas. Check a pump. We all know this has been crazy. Popped up over 5 a gallon and now since it is back to 3.79 we should be happy? Don't give me that COVID supply and demand # either because Biden SOLD our reserves. We were energy producing for the first time EVER.

Utilities. I had my AC and Washer Dryer Replaced. I Live in Florida. Want to tell me why the power bill has gone up about 100 a month even when replacing all the older things?

Interest rates are so high it is not affordable OR sell/refi. I have less than 3% and thank god I did not take an ARM like some friends. They are screwed on some rental properties because now rent is barely covered. My son currently pays 2100 with his wife for an apartment and were just told it is going up 300.

HealthCare. It is now 1987.00 a month for a Family HMO with a 2k deductible. I work for a large company.

It is out of control and we see it in the streets. Robbery is up. Looting. Assaults....

The Middle Class of America is officially gone from the majority.

In a world where people cannot combined make 100k and live ok is not the American Dream. They are living paycheck to paycheck.

Where is Tyler Durden when you need him????

I need to buy a new car/truck it's nearly impossible to find anything used under 100,000 miles and a brand new one comes close to $1000 a month payment I do not understand how people afford the payments , If I'm paying $1000 per month for a car im living in the dang thing , It's cheaper to just fix the old ones and keep them .

a reply to: Ravenwatcher

Agreed. My son is trying to get a car and running into the same thing. It is crazy.

I just signed contracts to work on a 3rd project. I didn't want to, but to maintain my present life style, it requires more work!

Blessed to have the needed skills and experience in a very competitive industry.

11/28/2023

U.S. President Joe Biden says prices are too high because RETAILERS made them that way and are refusing to lower them!

Source: www.foxnews.com...

fwiw... Biden said last month, high prices are Trump's fault.

a reply to: WeMustCare

Where are the stats on the losses that companies have taken with brazen robberies.

link

The typical American household must spend an additional $11,434 annually just to maintain the same standard of living they enjoyed in January of 2021, right before inflation soared to 40-year highs, according to a recent analysis of government data.

Average hourly pay for workers has increased robust 13.6% since January 2021, although that lags the 17% increase in inflation during the same period, according to government data. The main categories requiring heavier spending for consumers simply to tread water: food, transportation, housing and energy, which together account for almost 80 cents of every $1 in additional spending, according to the analysis from Republican members of the U.S. Senate Joint Economic Committee.

a reply to: matafuchs

Retail Crime Accounted for Over $112 Billion in Industry Losses in 2022, According to NRF Report
nrf.com...

I’m sure the 2023 numbers will dwarf 2022’s

a reply to: matafuchs

My first brand new car with every option available in 1980 was $123 month with minimal down.

It's of note that Toyota has a no frills pickup non-us market for equivalent US $10,000

It's all the government nanny state mandated equipment that stops us from seeing affordable vehicles here IMHO.

You get no choice in the matter.

a reply to: Phoenix

Yeah, when a loaded Toyota Corolla pushes over 30k you know something is wrong. A new Ford F-150 Limited starts at 75k....

I did read about that new Toyota. Sure the Tali will love those...

a reply to: matafuchs

I really sympathize with our younger generations right now because the statement "work hard and you'll get ahead" is hollow at best.

To have a decent auto, insurance, apartment, utilities, groceries etc. it takes an income above $40K and in large metro areas much more that that.

Meanwhile if one is in job market right out of school the pay is no where near what's needed to have even a simple life.

On the other end are retired seniors who through no fault of their own are impoverished even though they did "right" earlier in life.

I was fortunate to live in a time where I could afford a new car, house and normal bills on less than $1600 a month which was a lower middle class number at the time.

Now a lower middle class earner is pretty much priced out of the market as to living nowadays.

originally posted by: Phoenix
a reply to: matafuchs

I really sympathize with our younger generations right now because the statement "work hard and you'll get ahead" is hollow at best.

To have a decent auto, insurance, apartment, utilities, groceries etc. it takes an income above $40K and in large metro areas much more that that.

Meanwhile if one is in job market right out of school the pay is no where near what's needed to have even a simple life.

On the other end are retired seniors who through no fault of their own are impoverished even though they did "right" earlier in life.

I was fortunate to live in a time where I could afford a new car, house and normal bills on less than $1600 a month which was a lower middle class number at the time.

Now a lower middle class earner is pretty much priced out of the market as to living nowadays.

I'm paying for my son to go to school to become a history teacher , But I'm trying to convince him it would be a better route to go to a trade school .

originally posted by: Ravenwatcher
We are being forced to start growing and hunting , It's becoming cheaper to go out to eat/fast food . I went out and paid $6.00 for 4 sticks of butter my Wife usually orders for delivery but we ran out . $6.00 for a pack of 4 butter sticks ?

Even bottled water is more expensive then Beer at this point . I'm not understanding the justifications for these increases on items that are chaep to make . It cost me and my wife household of 2 $600 to eat for a month nothing crazy Chicken, Milk, Cheese It's getting bad , Food items have tripled in price in the last few years How does a family making a Midwest income afford to feed their kids ?

What is this push to have fast foods or processed foods be cheaper then real food ?

Now thats not even including Utilities My water bill is like $30 but my Waste water bill is like $80 . I'm going to hate to see my gas bill this month .

Just curious where you live in the country? Our butter at the most expensive grocery store around here (In NH) is 3.99 for four sticks...

originally posted by: matafuchs
Food. Utilities. Gas. Rent. Health Care. All have increased 30 to 100% in the last 2 years. 2 years.

I looked at some old receipts I found.

Food. A box of GM cereal went from 4.79 to 9.89. Store Brand Mac and Cheese .89 to 1.89. Milk went from 3.99 to 5.29. Now, I am sure there are those who will say you can shop to find it but F that.


Where the hell are you shopping?
15.4 Oz.
General Mills Honey Nut Cheerios Cereal
$4.99
$5.18/Per pound

Gas. Check a pump. We all know this has been crazy. Popped up over 5 a gallon and now since it is back to 3.79 we should be happy? Don't give me that COVID supply and demand # either because Biden SOLD our reserves. We were energy producing for the first time EVER.

We are producing more oil than ever in our country's history right now .. under Biden..

Utilities. I had my AC and Washer Dryer Replaced. I Live in Florida. Want to tell me why the power bill has gone up about 100 a month even when replacing all the older things?

Interest rates are so high it is not affordable OR sell/refi. I have less than 3% and thank god I did not take an ARM like some friends. They are screwed on some rental properties because now rent is barely covered. My son currently pays 2100 with his wife for an apartment and were just told it is going up 300.

HealthCare. It is now 1987.00 a month for a Family HMO with a 2k deductible. I work for a large company.

It is out of control and we see it in the streets. Robbery is up. Looting. Assaults....

The Middle Class of America is officially gone from the majority.

In a world where people cannot combined make 100k and live ok is not the American Dream. They are living paycheck to paycheck.

Where is Tyler Durden when you need him????

a reply to: DoubleDNH



Do you see where it took off? We are just getting back there and this is after the sell off from Biden. The reason it is high is not helping the entire country, just Texas and NM. They are going offshore and about 20 bucks a barrel is shaved. Lots of money being made.

As for prices, yes, you can find a cereal that is cheaper and smaller but I was pointing out the largest box. I took this a few days ago....



Oil is coming back....remember, the current admin sold it off to 'offset' costs of that war in Ukraine we have sent billions to.

Link

The 9.59 was at a store closer to Orlando so maybe it was jacked a bit but this is a local super market in Central Florida. That is insane.

Now, if you want to purchase the store versions they run about 6.50 right now for this size.

Bottom line....# is waaaaaay more expensive than just 2 years ago. Noticed recently for the first time bee has started to really rise also.

a reply to: DoubleDNH

I'm in the upper midwest in a town where the average salary is $30 grand pop around 4000 , I make decent money and have no mortgage but it still cost me around $3000 a month to live Insurance is a killer credit cards are just insane interest rates I'm about to take a mortgage out on the house to get rid of those , Covid killed us we moved to this state 2 weeks before the shut down so we got none of the perks like unemployment/benefits so we had to live off of savings and credit cards for over a year . I could cut back on some luxury items like beer./wine coffee but whats the sense in working and not enjoying life .

Covid screwed us .

The cost or living adjustment was a joke.

Our rent went up 500 and a 3 percent increase for us is only 70 dollars.

Don't get me wrong we are grateful for a bit extra and don't want to be greedy but whomever is doing the math for that program is extremely out of touch.

We need a goddamn housing solution but everytime I suggest solutions people say I'm building concentration camps because the history of government housing turned into failed crime ridden ghettos.

We need more free thinkers and problem solvers and charitable investors to solve this issue because the government ain't doing dick and it's up to the American People to step up and do what's right.

originally posted by: GENERAL EYES

The cost or living adjustment was a joke.



We need more free thinkers and problem solvers and charitable investors to solve this issue because the government ain't doing dick and it's up to the American People to step up and do what's right.

The metrics used by the government seem to serve corporations by keeping wages depressed and itself by keeping benefits lower - either way yes, it's a joke because its nowhere near reality.

Most of the affordable housing problem is restrictive zoning rules designed to maintain higher tax base along with a very strong NIMBY attitude for those already in homes.

a reply to: Phoenix

Retired and disabled usually aren't hard-core consumers either.

There is a wealth of younger people with mental heath issues who seem to have endless resources to keep their obsession with collecting toys and things like Manga comics and so forth so I can only assume they've got internet ventures or gofundme benefactors taking care of them to supplement their income.

I mean I'm schizophrenic and only make 550 because I was so young when it became disabiling and that was back when minimum wage was only 4.25 an hour but I'm doing alright and sometimes mystified I'm able to make do as well as I am.

I'm really thrifty and been lucky to find good things at thrift stores and I buy things to last instead of impulse buys of trends and cheap clothing and I'm amazed at how we were able to create such a comfy household on such a limited budget.

It's like a miracle and I'm so blessed its unreal.

It was just bad timing when the property sold...we had just taken out a loan for emergency dental extractions that required a specialist to the tune of 13000 and we had to dip into the emergency credit card to replace our phones after the 5g upgrade.

So my check is being eaten up by bills and I had to make lifestyle changes in order to adjust. It's OK though I can make coffee at home and my voices and delusions have calmed down and they're not making me got out and report for coffee or buying things anymore so that's nice.

I'm sad we can't stay here but at least we had time to pack our possessions and we can afford a moving company this time around so we don't have to lose everything and start over from scratch like we have had to do in the past several times.

I'm going to miss this place and community but such is the life of a military kid. As soon as you make friends you get reassigned and have to move.

My husband is still going through some strong emotions because he has a history of losing everything multiple times in his life and we both thought we'd be in this complex for the rest of our lives but I think the move will be good for his mental health being out in the middle of nowhere where he can actually sit on the porch and not be surrounded by cars and people and environmental stressor.

We are trying to focus on the positives right now but he's a lot more resistant to change than I am and it clearly rattles him severely.

It's OK though.

Everything happens for a reason and what initially feels like a curse can actually turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

a reply to: Phoenix

Renters are apparently disposable because they aren't property owners.

Even the Founding Father's gave voting rights only to land owners before we made amendments.

Some things still haunt this country like a festering sore.

We have made so much progress but we still have so far to go.