The biggest strain on my finances is healthcare at 58% of my income. Then food at 28%. I'm fortunate enough to not have to pay rent, but if I did it would cost me about 35% for 1 bedroom apt 30 minutes out of the city. 80% if I wanted to be able to walk to work.
My monthly grocery bill doubled between 2020 and 2024. As you're all aware, wages haven't changed much at all for most of the country, so the massive increases in rent and grocery bills are going to be a huge problem for the incumbents this election season.
According to these comments there exists some fairy lands untouched by inflation and food deserts don't exist, it's just those damn millennials and their avocados again... 🙄🤦♀️
The kind of privilege that enables for that level of detachment (within the working class) is already obscene, but then using it to literally claim other peoples' reality simply doesn't exist is just so fucking gross..
Maybe people should just be thankful they've magically managed to escape the global inflation and all the rest of the bullshit companies are pulling to charge more for less, instead of calling people less fortunate than them, liars.
some of them are just idiots who can't budget. when my friend who makes 50% of what I do, and spends twice what I do on groceries, complains about groceries prices and COL. he's just kind of a cunt. his habit of 20/lb cheese that is now 30/lb is nobody's problem but his own.
Being an idiot in that situation is true, but in your example is also true that the item he was buying has gone up 50% in price. It doesn't matter that the item is extravagant, it still has gone up significantly. That's pretty much across the board with food.
My food is only about $150-200 a month, and thats when i'm eating 3600 calories a day, instead of my current 2400. I live in chicago land, so it's not like my cost of living is cheap, and i buy good ingredients (ie San Marzano tomatoes and De Cecco pasta). Is there something i'm missing?
This article's source material was focused on where inflation has been the worst, but outside of bread and tortillas, i don't think any of my staple foods have gone up in price in years? I guess tofu has gone up $1 a pound, actually.
But broccoli is still $1 a pound here, beans are still $1 a pound dry, which is 50¢ a pound cooked. Rice is $1.50 dry, which is 33¢ a pound cooked. I guess fresh fruit prices have gone up a bit? But the sale prices are just as cheap as ever, and frozen fruit has only gone up $1 for 4lb since 2020, from $8.99 for strawberries to $9.99.
All of this is to say inflation has barely affected my grocery shopping at all in the last 4-5 years, and that is with me specifically looking for it since my dad promised me it would
I'm in Canada, we grow beef locally and I'm paying that price for good steak. The other week I was grabbing protein for dinner, and beef was not much more than chicken which blew my mind.
I don't eat meat as a part of my diet, so I don't bother keeping track of those prices, nor is it relevant to my food budget per month. My comment was just to detail my experience.
I live in the chicago area and prices have doubled at least. Even on the cheapest stuff. Many things are 3-5 times higher. I don't know where you are shopping?
Most of my shopping is at Meijer, though the $5 5lb bag of beans and $15 15 lb bag of brown rice are at smaller, local store I go to. I also get my spices there, though i replenish them so little i haven't been able to keep track of their prices.
I don't even know of any in the chicago area anymore. our meijer closed up before the pandemic hit. I actually have sorta the same issue. I am pretty aware of the increase in most items but rice and beans keep for long and so I don't buy them often. Im not sure of the price of them back when I was not fretting over my grocery bill. I only really buy lentils though as they are easy to make in the rice cooker.
The things you listed are not only staples, but also pretty basic and essentially the foods when trying to eat on a budget. What about beef, chicken, eggs, etc?
This article is lacking a statistic and that's how much a young individual is spending on themselves for food. I've heard though of some people spending upwards of like $150. For food? That's absurd and it can't make me think nothing else that maybe it is just a them issue.
I certainly have never spent more than $35 ~ $50 and it's just me. I'm able to fill my fridge or something else with food. I don't know why these other people just struggle. I think still that it comes down to bad budgeting and maybe some poor lifestyle choices.
Of course they're going to spend more on brand items, of course they're going to spend more when buying bulk, of course you're spending more for buying foods that cater to some dieting trend .etc It's no big surprise. And yes, some stores unreasonably upcharge prices for no reason and call it 'competing'.
From the times people bother to break down their budget and spending. It's always this:
Entertainment (This could mean spending premium on streaming services, game subscriptions, whatever) - Roughly $100+
They're on a bundled plan where they only use the internet (they have cable and phone that they never touch because again, they watch streaming and they have their smartphones) - $150+ or more.
Their rent is $950 ~ $1,200
They regularly go to McDonalds, Starbucks or if they're not going to them, they're heading out to their local joints that upsell. Each visit we'll say is $50+
They spend $100 ~ $200 on weed and alcohol combined.
Their phone plan is $100+
Their grocery spending is $100 ~ $150
Like, nearly everything they spend on, is going to be triple digits or higher double digits. They shout down and argue with others when they're defensive going on about "DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO WITH MY MONEY!!!1"
Bruh, you're the one coming online and bitching about why you're always broke, whining about your wage, crying about your rent, complaining about why things are so costly.
Bottom line is - it's YOU. You're trying to chase a lifestyle that you can't sustain because you make so many bone-headed decisions thinking these are the keys to a comfortable lifestyle. Shut the fuck up and realize where in parts that some of your budgeting is wrong.
Idk where your numbers are coming from. I know my rent is higher than average, but I'd like to know where you think you can find an apartment/house where rent is under $1k. My wife and I (DINK because everything's expensive) have a 2 bed, 1 + 3/4 bath apartment for $3k. Utilities (no cable) add up to about $200. We pay for HBO and Paramount but are cancelling Paramount because it fucking sucks. Groceries are ballpark $50/week because we go to Aldi and don't buy much processed crap. Giant would be easily over $100 for the same shit. We're on Google Fi for about $60/month but we're looking to switch to Mint because it's about the same cost but for unlimited data.
Starbucks and McDonald's are overpriced, but idk why you think it's impossible to step into either without spending $50+. Maybe that was a voice to text mistake and you meant $15+. My wife and I literally the other day went to a pretty nice sit down restaurant right by the mall and had a delicious lunch plus an alcoholic drink apiece and the bill was about $32, $40 after tip. If somebody finds a way to spend $50 for just themselves at Starbucks or McDonald's, then that's obviously an outlier.
We can only really swing this exorbitant rent because our cars are already paid off and I make us over $100k. Rent is only gonna go up, so we're actively looking to move, hopefully to own, but everything in our area under like $400k needs serious renovations. The housing market is fucked because of landlording. We will likely be buying a townhouse in a worse location and still pay like $2500/month.
Wow, you're certainly on the offensive over something that is otherwise just examples and going on such a tirade over it. If you don't fit the example I've just described, why would you have to go out of your way to defend yourself over it?
Get off the internet for a while if you think you have it better than others.
Idk where you get off being so insulting and accusatory and then when I validate others' concerns you think it's fine to be rude and dismissive to me. Take your own advice and chill out. You engaged in a discussion. You don't get to tell others to not participate when you've invited discussion through your own participation.
Generally speaking, people are being objectively correct when we say that costs are high and wages have stagnated. You're right that budgets can be tightened for most people, but I have no reason to believe that people's irresponsible spending habits are anywhere near as extreme as you are claiming, at least not outside of some rare outliers. And if I'm wrong about that, how does that change anything about how you are choosing to live your life? It really doesn't. It kinda just sounds like you're whining about welfare queens or whatever Tucker Carlson's replacement on Fox is disingenuously getting people riled up about this week. If your finances are fine and others' aren't, then good for you. It's possible that you're luckier or better at planning or older than the people complaining. Your status doesn't invalidate the experience of other people.
I've heard though of some people spending upwards of like $150. For food?
I certainly have never spent more than $35 ~ $50
Are you talking about one meal, one grocery store trip, or one month of food expenses, or what?
and it's just me.
OK, so you're not trying to provide food for a family, so your perspective and experience is limited.
I don't know why these other people just struggle.
Perhaps their situation is different from your own? Perhaps they have other concerns in their life that are different from your own? Perhaps the cost of living where they are is different from where you are?
I think still that it comes down to bad budgeting and maybe some poor lifestyle choices.
So you're ignorant of what problems other people might be facing, and to fill in that gap in your understanding you've decided to blame the people who are having problems. Great.
