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Posted on 07/06/2025 4:47:09 AM PDT by Libloather
The American dream is slipping away.
Most US citizens no longer enjoy “a minimal quality of life” due to skyrocketing costs, a depressing new study has uncovered.
Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity conducted research into the economic well-being of the country’s residents, defining “minimal quality of life” as the ability to pay for a “basket of American dream essentials”: housing, food, transportation, clothing, medical costs and basic leisure expenses.
The leisure expenses included access to cable TV and streaming services, as well as the ability to pay for six movie tickets and two baseball tickets per year.
The Minimal Quality of Life index goes “beyond traditional cost-of-living measures to provide a more comprehensive understanding of what it takes to secure a foothold on the bottom rung of the American dream ladder and have a real opportunity to climb it over time,” the authors wrote.
The bottom 60% of American households by income fell well short of that threshold, the researchers damningly determined.
“The MQL reveals the harsh reality that the American dream, with its promises of well-being, social connection, and advancement, is out of reach for many,” the authors concluded. “Rising costs in essential areas like housing, healthcare, and education significantly outpace wage growth, leaving millions struggling to attain even a minimal quality of life.”
An average American couple with two children would need to spend $120,302 per year to cover the minimum quality of life expenses, the researchers determined.
Skyrocketing costs over the past two decades are to blame...
**SNIP**
“I get tired of the ‘Stop your Starbucks latte habit’ [advice], because in reality it’s not people’s fault,” financial planner Laura Lynch told CNBC in relation to the study. “The structures around us have created an expectation of a lifestyle that is increasingly becoming unreachable for folks.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
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12’ X 8’===built with wood salvaged from the large boards that glass companies use on their delivery trucks/service trucks.
2 retired guys over 75 built it...$600 20 years ago.
THE LIZARDS ARE FREE.
AROUND THIS HOUSE-—I RE-PURPOSE MUCH MORE THAN I RECYCLE:
ONE EXAMPLE: the square ice cream containers from Wal- Mart work very well in the garage to keep ‘supplies’ in. Same for larger plastic containers ( Peanut butter & Miracle Whip) for garage bits & pieces. CAN SEE THRU THEM, ETC.
I live Rural-— so I am VERY aware of having “spares” on hand to avoid a 50 mile round trip to stores.
I’m on a fixed income now and the rising costs of all the essentials such as car and homeowners insurances, property taxes, and the utilities are starting to really hurt.
I’m not sure it is a problem with impulse control. Many people have physiological reasons for being overweight and bad food/chemicals, etc can affect weight.
WHEN THE GOVERNMENT SAYS A MINIMUM WAGE SHOULD BE $20 or more...they are deliberately driving prices up & up.
THERE ISN’T ONE SINGLE FAST FOOD EMPLOYEE WORTH $20 an hour....NOT ANYWHERE.
TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT YOUR AUTO INSURANCE...
CALCULATE THE % OF PREMIUM THAT IS DEDICATED TO “UNINSURED MOTORISTS”.
IT WILL PISS YOU OFF
Maybe. But the will be in the belly of the HUD beast while in Alex. More dirty deals with the corrupt city council.
I hear you. Nothing is going down in price and wages aren’t going up enough, if at all, to compensate.
I’m not having the income issue but I planned it that way. I am making 1/3 more in retirement working PT than I did when I retired and I can do it for as long as I like. If you look at people doing well in retirement, they probably have a government pension.
“”I’m not sure it is a problem with impulse control. Many people have physiological reasons for being overweight and bad food/chemicals, etc can affect weight.””
It’s a matter of what to choose to eat, isn’t it? You can choose not to eat food with “chemicals” in it. So yes, it is a matter of choice vs. lack of impulse control. If you have “physiological reasons” for being overweight, your doctor surely put you on a special diet. It’s your choice whether you follow that diet or not, right?
For sure—HUD has and always will be evil.
Your posts are so good:
Americans aren’t allowed to do low paying jobs . STOP ALL IMMIGRATION UNTIL WAGES DOUBLE ACROSS THE BOARD.
Except it is not blather.
bttt
And stop ALL immigration.
Yes, food is a luxury.
That’s before taxes and deductions.
Forgive me but I don’t read private messages anymore. So I won’t read yours..I get too many condemning me and telling me how horrible I am. I’m too close to suicide to be insulted and humiliated today.
Patriot mobile will be what I get when I can afford it .
It’s difficult to know who the enemy is.
https://towncriernews.blogspot.com/2020/08/who-pulls-democrat-strings-who-is.html?m=1
https://towncriernews.blogspot.com/2022/03/hunter-bidens-laptop-and-carlos-slim.html?m=1
“Folks” are a number of rungs down the ladder from the Obama RAT Royalty.
“Folks” aka “the little people.”
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