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Everyone has to be rich now??

#61
MDBass said:
In many metropolitan areas a 2 bedroom 1100 square foot rental now costs in excess of $3000 a month: that means to stay above the poverty line (ie spending 1/3 or less of our income on housing) a single income family needs to make in excess of $100,000 a year.

A single $100,000 income family when I was a child in the 90’s meant being able to afford a mortgage on a nice home, vacations, a college fund for your children, and retirement savings.

It’s not an excess of pleasure spending that has made life significantly less affordable for the majority of people: basic living necessities become significantly less affordable.

A $8 daily latte habit isn’t why so many people are struggling financially…AND if everyone stops buying non-essentials like $8 latte’s the economy collapses.

Rock, meet hard place.
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Thank you for summarizing so eloquently the main point I spread out over a couple of different replies. I get tired of people demonizing folks for spending on things that really don't make a huge difference long term, advocating the cessation of ALL items of pleasure while beating a drum of 'LIVE BELOW YOUR MEANS!' Those are distractions and deflections. When wages stay stagnant, raises don't account for cost of living or inflation, and costs for even essentials (and utilities) continue to rise, everyone essentially is on a fixed income, and that delta point of 'living below your means' soon becomes 'living AT your means', and then surviving becomes 'living above your means' even though you're just doing the essentials.
 
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#62
BassBrass said:
You are ignoring the generational transfer of Real wealth, to a degree never seen since Kings ruled countries, highly accelerated since 1980. (have you seen the latest budget?) Making a bunch of failed psychologists take the blame is similar to other lies being perpetuated these days. "Flood the zone" with lies...

But Someone is going to need A LOT of capital to build the survival silos so some of the human race stays around at 3- 5- 8 degree temp rise. And "we've" known about this since the mid 70s. What Survivalist billionaires are concerned with above all: how to keep their staff loyal.
Late Stage Capitalism is a perfect term. Like a disease process.
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I was only referring to the job thing the other poster was talking about, not the whole topic.

Your second part, well, do t know about all that. They said we had an ice age coming in the 70s. With the crazy climate stuff, it’s always free beer tomorrow.
 
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#63
JazznFunk said:
I get tired of people demonizing folks for spending on things that really don't make a huge difference long term, advocating the cessation of ALL items of pleasure while beating a drum of 'LIVE BELOW YOUR MEANS!'
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That demonization generally comes from folks who don't wanna admit that they benefited from generational wealth, affordable mortgages, cheap tuition, union benefits, living wages. Everyone wants to come off like a self-made man.
 
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#64
Cadillac_Mike said:
It took my father decades starting at the bottom to have a six figure salary. So that's the new starting point in America or else you're a loser? Was just watching Rocky 2 where he worked at the meat plant and still cold have a wife and family from 1979. I've worked hard at Sears and several factories temping but no white picket fence for me.....
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If you care about comparing yourself to others, sure. Also, if you can avoid getting married and/or having kids, those can help a ton (obviously). I don't make much, but live comfortably, because I'm only taking care of myself, while also having learned the lesson of overspending numerous times. I'm almost debt-free, and couldn't be happier.

It's all choices and your overall perspective.
 
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#66
Smooth_bass88 said:
I wasn’t gigging in the 70s, but I can tell you- if you’re a really good player, you will get more calls, and those calls are for good paying work.
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Even if you’re making $1000 a week gigging, that’s only 44K yearly before taxes. If that’s on top of a decently paying day job, great. But by itself, you’re going to have a tough time surviving unless you have a partner with a good job.
 
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#67
friskinator said:
Even if you’re making $1000 a week gigging, that’s only 44K yearly before taxes. If that’s on top of a decently paying day job, great. But by itself, you’re going to have a tough time surviving unless you have a partner with a good job.
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This. Given that most gigs average $100/musician for club work (if you're lucky), you'd have to play 10 gigs a week to get that. And that's gross income before taxes. Hence the issue. Gig pay hasn't improved in 40-50 years for the average club/restaurant deal (non-union) in terms of inflation and cost of living. There will be exceptions to that, but the bulk of the higher paying gig work is in weddings and private/corporate events, not in most public gig settings that the average player will encounter.
 
#68
Peteyboy said:
That demonization generally comes from folks who don't wanna admit that they benefited from generational wealth, affordable mortgages, cheap tuition, union benefits, living wages. Everyone wants to come off like a self-made man.
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It’s always someone else fault isn’t it. One of the largest problems in this country is lack of self responsibility.

Always someone else fault. Always.
 
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#69
Smooth_bass88 said:
I wasn’t gigging in the 70s, but I can tell you- if you’re a really good player, you will get more calls, and those calls are for good paying work.
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What is “good paying” my day job was 6 figures.
In the 70’s and 80’s I was playing average 3 times a week for 100-500 per gig. Session work could run up to the thousands.

An adequate income for the time even in so cal.

That’s minimum wage now.
 
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#76
Cadillac_Mike said:
It took my father decades starting at the bottom to have a six figure salary. So that's the new starting point in America or else you're a loser? Was just watching Rocky 2 where he worked at the meat plant and still cold have a wife and family from 1979. I've worked hard at Sears and several factories temping but no white picket fence for me.....
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The most unrealistic part of Rocky 2 isn't all that - it's the fact that he was fired and finish out his shift. If I got fired my @ss it out there in the car and blasting Johnny Paycheck...
 
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#78
friskinator said:
The thing about housing that blows my mind is the size of the new houses being built. Not McMansions, but houses intended for middle class families. My wife and I watch House Hunters a lot, and whenever a couple is looking at a house built in the last century, the immediate reaction is "oh no, this is WAY too small." Families were fine with those houses back then. I grew up in a house like that. Now it seems that every middle class family requires 6 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, an office, a craft room, a game room, a guest room, and a 3 car garage.
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It's the same with cars. I have people tell me to my face that a three row SUV is too small for their family of fking 4, and a minivan isn't "cool". Two kids, a couple no pets, like one user said people just wants to show off. I don't want to even get into more examples. As one user said, social media toxicity is real. Everyone is fake, anyone with the time to post a mean comment, brag about something, act like something smart, or answer a bias poll has no life... sorry that's my vent. I miss the days of the small sedan or Fit... at 24 I'm saying that.
 
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