Current cost of living compared to 1985.

 
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Post by EarthWindandFire » Fri. Feb. 28, 2020 12:15 pm

Hi,

I read this article at Fox Business and found it interesting enough that it should be shared.

https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/average-male- ... c-expenses

I hope someone finds it as informative and eye-opening as I did.


 
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Post by freetown fred » Fri. Feb. 28, 2020 12:21 pm

I'm thinkin this has a lot to do with "living within your means" problem is--not many
practice that E. Not so much about how much one is making but what they do with it--kinda silly blamin it on the SYSTEM.

 
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Post by EarthWindandFire » Fri. Feb. 28, 2020 12:22 pm

I agree that the majority of people have a spending problem, not a money problem.

 
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Post by Rob R. » Fri. Feb. 28, 2020 12:43 pm

freetown fred wrote:
Fri. Feb. 28, 2020 12:21 pm
I'm thinkin this has a lot to do with "living within your means" problem is--not many
practice that E. Not so much about how much one is making but what they do with it--kinda silly blamin it on the SYSTEM.
That is a different (but related) problem than what the article is discussing. If I understood it correctly, for many people living within their means when is more challenging today than in 1985 due to costs rising faster than wages.

 
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Post by freetown fred » Fri. Feb. 28, 2020 1:08 pm

Rob, it still comes down to living within one's means. I remember when you were house hunting you were very aware of that.

 
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Post by Rob R. » Fri. Feb. 28, 2020 1:17 pm

freetown fred wrote:
Fri. Feb. 28, 2020 1:08 pm
Rob, it still comes down to living within one's means. I remember when you were house hunting you were very aware of that.
Yes, that is a good example. I discovered that the same job bought a lot less house in 2016 than it did in 1985.

 
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Post by gaw » Fri. Feb. 28, 2020 1:34 pm

It would be inhumane to ask people to live in less than a 2,500 square ft house. It would be a sign of poor parenting to make children share a bedroom and you must have at least one bathroom for each female living in the house.


 
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Post by lsayre » Fri. Feb. 28, 2020 2:12 pm

It tells me that if you want to live middle class, both spouses must work. The man of the house alone can no longer be assured to sustain middle class status for his family.

 
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Post by NoSmoke » Fri. Feb. 28, 2020 2:33 pm

I think it is a little of both.

Katie and I live within our means. We are a family of six (4 children) and (2 adults), and yet Katie's $16 an hour job pays for everything. We do not have much left over at the end of the month, but she is the only wage-earner. (Hence me just being a Trophy-Husband)

I do see a lot of bureaucracy today that really makes it difficult to get ahead for families. I admit I am a bit jaded, I was all set to start a new job this week, when government bureaucracy pulled the rug out from under my feet.

Property taxes are our biggest enemy. We own land in (5) towns and (2) states and it is almost unbearable. In one town this year alone the taxes rose from $4800 last year, to $6780 this year. 10 years ago our local school had 1500 kids, now it has 1000, so 1/3 less, but their budget is higher despite 1/3 the kids no longer going there.

But I also agree that spending is an issue. The key thing about spending is, when you get in over your head, with every payment you are paying that is over the interest amount, you are paying down debt no matter how bad it is. So that is NOT the issue. The issue is people today cannot help but buy something else once something is paid off.

It does not have to be like that, but there is a lot of pressure to buy things.

 
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Post by freetown fred » Fri. Feb. 28, 2020 3:52 pm

Problem N, is way to many people don't wait till something is paid off--they just continue to bury themselves in debt--plastic is not your friend. I have one credit card & buy minimally so just pay things off every month--other then that, debit card from bank--I think I keep $50.00 floating on my CC so they don't think I'm weird. LOL You're right, it doesn't have to be like that!!!

 
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Post by NoSmoke » Fri. Feb. 28, 2020 4:09 pm

I understand.

I try and do as much for myself as I can. No to be a prepper or anything silly like that, but just because I want to save money.

I have been doing more and more repairs, and in some ways technology makes it easier. Trust me, if you broke it, there is a YouTube Video telling you how to fix it.

If you do not believe me, just go to you tube and type in a search for "Wipe Your Butt"...there is a video to ensure you know how to do that. Myself, I have been doing okay for like...45 years, but hey my point is made; there is a youtube video for every problem.

 
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Post by gaw » Fri. Feb. 28, 2020 10:41 pm

NoSmoke wrote:
Fri. Feb. 28, 2020 4:09 pm


If you do not believe me, just go to you tube and type in a search for "Wipe Your Butt"...there is a video to ensure you know how to do that. Myself, I have been doing okay for like...45 years, but hey my point is made; there is a youtube video for every problem.
I just assumed that lack of evidence in the underoos was proof enough that I'm wiping right or at the least good enough.

 
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Post by NoSmoke » Sat. Feb. 29, 2020 6:34 am

gaw wrote:
Fri. Feb. 28, 2020 10:41 pm
I just assumed that lack of evidence in the underoos was proof enough that I'm wiping right or at the least good enough.
I have a wife and four daughters, so I am outnumbered here. What that really means is, I would be shamed very quickly if I left food on my plate and put it near the dishwasher to be washed, do not put down the toilet seat, or was to leave skid marks on my underroos when they did the laundry.

I keep saying, it is not easy being a Trophy-Husband, and it is not. :-)

 
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Post by EarthWindandFire » Mon. Mar. 02, 2020 8:23 am

The one financial issue that I have, that makes me the angriest, is that my house is worth the same (or slightly less) than what I paid for it fifteen years ago. I have never missed a mortgage payment. In hindsight, I should have gotten the 15 year mortgage and I even knew at the time that I should. But, historically, real estate prices had gone up, so no reason existed back in 2004. For example, my parents bought a house in 1972 and sold it in 1992 for five times what they originally paid. An extreme example I'll admit, but real estate shouldn't be a depreciating asset over the course of fifteen or twenty years.

 
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Post by freetown fred » Mon. Mar. 02, 2020 8:35 am

When I bought the old homestead--there were 2 parcels--house & 8 acres (with out buildings) on one side of the road--107 acres with barn on other side--107 acres went for $500.00 per acre--house & 8 acres went for $39,000.00--that was 25 yrs ago--when I got divorced,(10 yrs back) X decided we needed to sell the house with 8 acres & had realtor's come in to do an evaluation--they unanimously were going to list the house with out bldgs. & 8 acres for $140,000--I luckily bought the old lady out for $30,000.00 Soooo, I'm not seeing how property values decrease???????????????
Last edited by freetown fred on Mon. Mar. 02, 2020 9:43 am, edited 1 time in total.


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