Life has never been more stressful. Inflation is at an all-time high and Americans are feeling the pressure. Inflation, coupled with the uncertainty of climate change, the rise in crime, and poor political choices, is increasing everyone’s anxiety.
Overall, the prices that Americans are paying for food, housing, and fuel are reaching a breaking point and there have been discussions about everyone’s options.
“I have never seen it this bad,” one mother said. “Both my husband and I work full-time jobs and we are barely making it. We don’t have a nice house, we drive old cars, and we don’t really go on vacation, but we are literally stretched to the end with our money.”
And it’s bad. The idea that it takes two incomes to still just barely pay for the bare necessities means that those with one income are drowning in the American economy. Inflation is outpacing our ability to survive.
People have taken to TikTok to complain about their circumstances.
“They just announced that aliens are real, and I could care less,” one young lady said, as she gave her feedback. “All I know is, I work almost seven days a week, I go home, sleep, and get up and do it all over again — just to barely be able to pay my bills. Something must give.”
So, what happened to the American dream? How did it get so bad, so fast? The problem has been building for a long time. The American middle class was once the backbone of the country. In the 1970s, a middle-class family could afford their home on one income, pay all the bills, and could afford some extra things like a boat, RV, or vacation.
Today, over 67 percent of all households are two-income families and are struggling to make ends meet. Salaries have not kept pace with inflation, and everything has gotten more expensive at double the rate of income.
This double whammy has a flip side as well. While the prices have increased, the services and products we purchase have decreased. People are noticing the smaller candy bars, fewer cookies in a pack, and thinner bottles of everything. This creates
a scenario where what you used to buy goes far less than it used to. That, coupled with the increase in prices, and consumers are being taken advantage of.
“There is a sense that the only people who are doing well are the crackheads, thieves, and rich people,” one mother said. “Everyone else is scared about their future and struggling to understand how to maintain their lifestyles.”
For millennials, the struggle to become independent is incredible. Housing costs have risen to the point where the national average for rent is close to $2,000. This problem is across the board and getting worse.
“My son just graduated from college and moved back in,” a father said. “He can’t move out, even though he has a great job because a decent place to live costs so much.”
Luxury housing has become popular in all US cities. Downtown living seems fun, but the average rent is close to $3,000 a month for an 800-square-foot apartment. So, you don’t get a lot of space for a lot of money. College graduates who make over $200K a year can afford that lifestyle, but with the average US salary closer to $57,000 a year, most people can’t afford to live downtown.
Food costs are reaching levels where full-time employees are seeking free food when offered. Food banks all over the country are reporting that donations are now going to those who have a home, and a job, and still need help to maintain a decent lifestyle.
So, what happened to the American dream? How did it get to the point where a two-household income is not enough to meet and maintain a quality life? More importantly, with incomes stretched to the end, where do people stand mentally?
The complaints about millennials used to be that they were lazy, and didn’t have the work ethic of their parents. But the truth might be closer to what their parents could afford and what they can afford now are two different things.
In 1975, a family could afford a $35,000 home in the suburbs on one income. Today, that same home might be closer to $300K. Then, include cable, internet, home security, HOA (Homeowners Association) fees, plus the PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance), and most people can’t afford to buy a home.
There are grumblings that something needs to be done by the average person to effect change.
“I suggest that we all quit life. Force them to see that they need us,” one TikToker said.
“We all can’t maintain this level of greed forever.”
People are going to TikTok to complain about being tired and broke. These confessions describe the struggle of working day and night to barely be able to afford a minimal lifestyle. The videos combine the confessions of men, women, families, and college students who are overwhelmed with the thought of how they’re going to make it.
In large cities across the country, homelessness is at an all-time high with scores and scores of people not being able to afford a basic level of living. On the other side of independence are drugs, the street, and despair.
There are no good answers for combatting the problems of increased costs across the board. Financial experts predict that inflation will last long into the future. Only time will tell how this story ends. ●
