Cost Of Living

[JohnDB]

There are plenty of areas in the US where families can legally live off grid. Tents or shed-to-house conversions, composting toilets, etc. Life can still be simple.

There aren't many...and the travel from these locations to potential jobs is rather long and difficult.
It's not quite the same as it used to be. Nor as inexpensive as it used to be.

Even one of those tiny homes is 6 figures or just under anymore.

The "middle class " here in America has a house payment or rent of $1800/month. Cell phone service costing $150/month. Car payment of $600/mo (+ins, gas, oil, tires)
And daycare $1200/mo...then there's clothes and groceries. Requiring $800-$1,000/month.
And an income of right at 100k/yr.

To a young person with a high school diploma making $20/hr (or less) the path to middle class is extremely daunting. At best they are going to earn 40k/yr. Not even half of a middle class income.

That's why people are upset. Even discount chains like Walmart have some really arbitrary pricing these days for the products on the shelf. Is that bowl $1 or $6? And very similar to dollar tree $1.25 for 2 bowls.

That's why people are having misgivings about things. Prices are arbitrary...there doesn't seem to be any logic or reason behind the prices and costs except for the laundry list of reasons why your employer wont/can't pay you anymore and how you are likely overpaid now.

That's what is going on. The path to middle class is increasingly becoming more complex, expensive, difficult to navigate and for seemingly arbitrary reasons.
(Then there's the whole navigation of daycare rules and regulations or public school costs and rules that I find daunting)

 

[Genipher]

There aren't many...and the travel from these locations to potential jobs is rather long and difficult.
It's not quite the same as it used to be. Nor as inexpensive as it used to be.

Even one of those tiny homes is 6 figures or just under anymore.

The "middle class " here in America has a house payment or rent of $1800/month. Cell phone service costing $150/month. Car payment of $600/mo (+ins, gas, oil, tires)
And daycare $1200/mo...then there's clothes and groceries. Requiring $800-$1,000/month.
And an income of right at 100k/yr.

To a young person with a high school diploma making $20/hr (or less) the path to middle class is extremely daunting. At best they are going to earn 40k/yr. Not even half of a middle class income.

That's why people are upset. Even discount chains like Walmart have some really arbitrary pricing these days for the products on the shelf. Is that bowl $1 or $6? And very similar to dollar tree $1.25 for 2 bowls.

That's why people are having misgivings about things. Prices are arbitrary...there doesn't seem to be any logic or reason behind the prices and costs except for the laundry list of reasons why your employer wont/can't pay you anymore and how you are likely overpaid now.

That's what is going on. The path to middle class is increasingly becoming more complex, expensive, difficult to navigate and for seemingly arbitrary reasons.
(Then there's the whole navigation of daycare rules and regulations or public school costs and rules that I find daunting)

I get what you're saying and agree with a lot of it. Just pointing out that, say, CPS won't go on the attack if a family lives off grid.
I even heard of some extreme off grid property in Alaska that doesn't have propert taxes. So someone could, potentially, survive without the system or a job...if they could go hard core.

 

[JohnDB]

I get what you're saying and agree with a lot of it. Just pointing out that, say, CPS won't go on the attack if a family lives off grid.
I even heard of some extreme off grid property in Alaska that doesn't have propert taxes. So someone could, potentially, survive without the system or a job...if they could go hard core.

Yeah....that's Alaska. The bears will eat you. That's why it's tax free living. The mining and oil pays for most everything up there. Entrenched residents get a gubberment check from the state every year for just living there.

Summers in Alaska I have survived....cleaning fish.
Winters there?
There's not enough money in the world that could make me want to live there. The cold and extended nights are insane. I hate going to work in the dark and doing the same to go home and it was light in between and I'm freezing cold the whole time.

Not my cup of tea.
And where occasionally I like salmon....I'm not a big enough fan to live in Alaska. It's like a huge staple food there. There are some people that have it B.L.&S.

 

[MsMediator]

So many in my generation (millennials) and those younger are disrespectful to their parents. I don't understand it. I know people who believe that if the parent isn't perfect, then they shouldn't have had children. Heck my own brother told my mom once that she shouldn't have had kids if she wasn't going to finish college. Of course he's changed now but he did say this about ten years ago in his teens.

My cousins are mean to their mom and my aunt does a lot for them. They are short with her and get irritated if she asks a lot of questions. I don't understand. Makes me not want to be a mom because I would hate for my kids to treat me like that.

Actually I don't think it is uncommon for children/adult children to wish that their parents provided a better upbringing or made better decisions. Parent decisions (whether smart or not) affect the child, and the child has no say about this. However, being mean/rude about it is going too far, but nowadays therapists say you should talk about issues that bother you with the other party. Most parents and children don't see eye to eye in most cases anyway, such as the parent believing they provided a wonderful upbringing while the child disagrees or is able to pinpoint some parts of childhood that negatively affected adulthood. Most adult issues trace back to childhood.

 

[Moses_Young]

It makes me scared about the future. I mean how much will groceries cost in 10-20 years? How much will college be for younger generations? Will I ever be able to buy a house and pay it off? It just kinda freaks me out.

I'm sure we'll see some more bank crashes in 2024. As the fake money is destroyed, people will (hopefully) start to realise the scam that fiat currency was and is, and that it effectively is just another form of taxation and theft.

I mean, the peasants need to work for money (or its the crime of forgery/fraud), but the government can just print as much as it wants and give it to its buddies?

Then there will be a reset (but hopefully not a great one), and things will (possibly) start to be priced again more realistically in terms of true worth. But first the pain.

 

[Karlon]

i feel like i want to say i'm sorry for tithing 10% for so many years! you can always depend on the government robbing you as quick as you can say "help"!