Feels like it. I'm getting the most pay in my life and 5 years ago it would have been comfortable. Now with the cost of everything I'm just eeking by. Hell I drive a 30 year old car still as I can't afford a new one or even a newer used one
Motorcycles are much cheaper, easier to maintain, and convenient if you don't live in a place with snow. If I ever go back to America, I am selling my 20 year old toyota and buying a sensible Honda Motorcycle.
The bigger danger is people not looking or their brain not working and pulling out directly infront of you.
Unless you live in America, then the biggest dangers by far, accounting for >3/4 accidents are drinking and riding or going into a turn too fast for conditions and eating shit.
Here in vietnam, its probably people with a phone in their hand riding into the back of stuff, then alcohol.
In Cambodia its probably people with shit tires and no helmet lowsiding and getting squished by an oncoming truck or banging their heads.
I've been bumped by people doing the no-look-lane change once hard enough to deform my foot peg, as long as you have grip, there is a lot of force trying to keep a moving bike upright.
I actually used to ride believe it or not. But with starting a family and the insane amount of distracted driving here in the US I quit. It's disturbing to see people with their phone in their hands while driving. Plus I didnt want to leave my family without a father. I loved riding and still miss it
I used to ride, but even bikes are getting quite more expensive, and it's much dangerous to ride on at least in the US as everyone is driving bigger and bigger vehicles and more distracted as well.
I know Harleys are overpriced, but you can get a brand new cb750 for 7-8K, cheaper most of the world.
What is weird is that much cheaper bikes the third world gets are way more expensive in the US, a XR150L is 3.4K in the US, a CB150 verza has the exact same engine, it's less than half the price in Indonesia.
Same with the Honda Wave in asia vs Grom in the US, they switch the functional frame/clutch for something "sporty" and just double the price.
issue i see with people is they seem to want 50K cars. at least going by the average price of new car purchases, but most car buyers buy like 2x the car they actually need.
Something like 65% of people can't afford a $1k emergency. NO thry can't afford a payment on a 25k civic. We are all people scraping couch cusions to get a used car lot $4500 Toyota.
Don't know about you, but a $4,500 used Toyota in my neck of the woods would be an early 2000's Toyota with 200k+ miles and in serious need of expensive repairs. And those living paycheck to paycheck wouldn't have a way to put down the cash to buy even that car.
Nope not with kids and a lack of child care. One parent stays at home as their paycheck got devoured by child care and I work. Both of us with degrees in tech too. Once both kids are in school maybe she'll be able to work part time but obviously someone still has to go pick up the kids. I have zero family support. My parents died of cancer and meth.
I'd love a hybrid civic or corolla. Hybrid mostly to save on gas. I absolutely don't need a F150 or something
childcare is about 3K a month max in a HCOL. even with 2 kids that's 6K a month.
if you both have degrees in tech in your 30s, you should both be making like way more than 6k a month. neither parent should stay home, unless it's a lifestyle choice. i have known a few people who did this. a dual income tech couple should be pulling in well over 200K/yr
and yeah if you are poor because of lifestyle choices... that's not struggling. that's you choosing to make less money than you could. or i suppose you could be 24 or something and both be making 60K, but why you had kids so early is against a lifestyle choice and your struggle would again be self-imposed.
and by the sounds of it you very much could afford a cheap least or car payment. a lease on basic hybrid civic is 250/mo or so. sounds you aren't open to leasing a car though and think you have to purchase it outright.
Got to love when people say 24 is young to have a child and it's a choice. Not every state allows abortion, and even with birth control and contraception, children occur.
At least in the US the average new car price is now close to $50k. That's the reason car loans now are going upwards of 7 years. A lot of the car price is more and more expensive safety features being added on cars. Add in, you are quite a lot safer in a modern new car compared to even a 20 year old car.
To put things in perspective, imagine it being way, way worse in 5 years and the point you are at right now is the least struggling you've been through that you can remember. You might look fondly at these days, before shit hit the fan.
More than that, we have to be a worldwide community, because those who are receiving the benefits of our hard work act at that level. Left, right, democrat, republican, none matter, the strings are pulled by the same people. We are in this together, we have to see through the bullshit and help each other.
One thing I've noticed is that movies and TV shows don't use exact amounts of money anymore.
'The Rockford Files' always talked about Jim's $200.00 a day fee, and characters would say things like 'Hey, this is a fifty dollar jacket' or 'That house must have cost $100,000.'
The $5.00 milkshake was a big plot point in 'Pulp Fiction.'
Prices are going up so fast that what was unreasonably expensive when the script was written will be the norm by the time the show gets aired.
I noticed that when watching How I Met Your Mother as a teenager, they almost always avoid naming specific amounts of money. The narrator might replace an amount of money with "crapload" or the characters might show eachother a money offer on a piece of paper. Older shows like All In The Family, made in the 70s, frequently mention specific amounts of money but now, with inflation, those amounts of money sound laughably low. Bread for 11 cents? I always figured modern shows avoid mentioning specific amounts of money to try and keep it timeless so in the future people won't laugh at what was considered a high or low amount of money at the time
To be fair, they're trying to make "evergreen" content, meaning it stays funny/meaningful/believable/etc. no matter how far into the future that you watch it.
That wasn't really a thing until the 90s though. Probably started with The Simpsons
I’m good. Though, I feel like I don’t really have the life I expected for my current level of income. Like my parents made a lot less, but had it better.
Even before my unemployment I felt this way. I mean by felt that its just a fact. My father never went to high school. Im not saying did not graduate. Im saying never went. Mom only worked a few part time jobs and never for a need for money. Grew up in a massive 5 bedroom house and we always had 2 or more cars. Dad was a janitor. I have a BS and masters and had changed to IT due to my first career not paying enough and have no kids (I had 6 siblings). One car and two bedroom condo is my max achievement and im running through savings in my 50's. Oh my dad had multiple pensions and a good amount of retirement savings.
Nah, I'm doing just fine. I have a steady job, frugal lifestyle and quite substantial savings/investments for someone my age. I could live for years without income.
We don’t generally have to worry where our next meal is coming from, but there is little to no wiggle room after that. Savings? Lol. Investments? See savings. No vacations. No subscriptions. Just rent, food, and bills. We’re one unexpected large expense away from homelessness at any given time. But we do have the essentials covered.
Same. Im at the point fortunately where by pocketbook can still stretch farther than my ability to deal with this bullshittery. I will live. But I'm pissed about it. And my heart goes out to those that can't. I don't have a solution but I hope we fix it soon.
I have moved back in with parents, who are struggling to pay their own bills. It's mutually beneficial, but goddamn does it make transitioning hard. I doubt they would kick me out since they'd lose the house when they can't pay bills, but in the meantime I would need to find somewhere to put up a tent and hope I can store my stuff somewhere cheap.
Since my spouse got fired over a medical issue, and their health has since spiraled, we have been eating through our savings. "Luckily" I just started a second job today.
Sure would be great if you could survive on a single income as a family like people used to be able to do. We'd have to make billionaires extinct first(and even then it'd be a long road getting from here to there) and unless society does a 180, that's not happening.
We're by no means struggling relative to what many are going through right now, but we definitely already lost multiple safety-nets in a very brief amount of time under Trump's 2nd term.
Financially? No, I’m doing pretty well, having made a lot of boring but good long term decisions, gotten a few lucky breaks, and had the sort of career where I’ve always been able to find a new job when I needed to. Though with the rise of LLMs that may not be true in a few years.
Health wise though? Fuck. And the mental fallout from that sucks.
Yeah, the burnout is real. I keep trying to do everything I can to keep it from being ever present, but I feel without a career change and a massive risk to my financial stability that I am utterly stuck and will just keep getting fried out at the cost of keeping dinner on the table.
Not really. I'm not rich, and don't have any particular savings, but I have plenty of everything.
More importantly, it's not at risk.
If I should lose my job, I have an income insurance that is pretty damn good, so I could go unemployed for about 2 years before having to lower my expenses. If it should go that far that I run out of insurance, I would still get like 80% of my salary as social security. This would be manageable, so there's no risk at all that I ever become homeless.
So sure, things are expensive and I don't have any chances of suddenly becoming rich or buying everything out of the blue, but I'm not concerned about the next paycheck.
I've ramped up my garden from a hobby to being more productive for food this year.
Engaging in more rain catchment as well, though I need to get bigger tanks -- at least some IBC totes, but ideally a 500 gal cistern. My pool is admittedly also my emergency water ration. Solar, I have panels and am amassing pieces, but I haven't quite figured out how I want to integrate it. I have what is needed for a primitive off-grid setup, should it be necessary, but would love to go a couple steps further.
My biggest objective is getting proper acreage somewhere with water that I can transition into a more sustainable homestead.
You mention Xmas and last year was the first one all adults in my extended family agreed not to exchange any gifts, both to save money for rainy days ahead, and to also pinch this economy further to prove a point and bring people to wake up and vote Democrat (most sadly only learn by how it impacts their bottom-line, or the big numbers at the gas pump). We plan to do the same this year as well. Sorry you're caught up in that.
I am well off, but not well off enough to lift other people out of their misery. I contribute what I easily can, but every day I wish for the world to change, even if that means having less income as a result.
I often think that if I won the lotter or such while my personal situation would change it would still be depressing because of the world situation. Its like even with excess what charity to focus on. Unfortunately I think anything excess would need to be used for politics nationally to try and change things which would be so much less personally satisfying than working with charities locally.
I have some friends that are doing okay but they were able to buy houses before everything went to shit. Those of us that didn't are all pretty fucked.
Gliding on old savings, but hopefully the new job (39% raise!) will get us back afloat.... for now. It's like I have to keep changing jobs so I can get raises that even begin to match the cost of living increases from corporate greed.
It's pretty standard to have to choose between paying rent and eating, now. My electric bill is three months overdue. I'd not even be online if I wasn't pointing a cantenna at the store down the hill. I think the only bills I'm current on are my email, which I'm not sure I'll be able to swing $50 a year when it is due, but for now it's current... And my VPN.
do they charge fees for overdue utilities, they dont over here, and people i know have overdue charges for utilities they dont charge extra fee, they just shut off the power after a certain amount of time, due to him being a pushover unable to stop a hoarding wife that also shops, plus not able to rent because he wont fix the house.
They do, but it's much less likely to be cut off than being evicted or starving, so if you have to not pay something the power company is the first to be skipped.
I have about $60 in late fees on it, now, which is actually pretty low for late fees compared to most places.
Perhaps because we're all hydro, here, and don;t have a datacenter explosion... Yet.
I just went to Costco for a monthly-ish grocery trip. This month was 700, whereas in previous months it has been 4-500. I'm not even buying beef. I'm in a privileged position to still afford my groceries, but honestly I'm dancing on a knife's edge right now.
3, we are all home full time and no eating out ever. Its about 45 days worth of food for us. I definitely see my privilege when it pertains to food, but after a 9% pay cut in March and significant price increases the budget is basically maxed at this point.
I started my own company a few years ago. Even whilst the company is doing better each year, the cost of everything increases as well. Like most, I'm 3 months away from homelessness.
Everyone around me claims they are struggling, but they objectively are not.
FWIW, the income of people I'm talking about typically around 150-300K a year. They are simple angry their money doesn't go as far as it did and they can't take multiple vacations per year anymore. or they aren't getting the massive returns on their stock portfolios they were a few years ago.
I make the low end of that, but I live a low-cost lifestyle and I don't have expensive 'needs' like travel, luxury items, etc. what baffles me is I often meet people make less than I do... spending way more and basically loading up on debt and being angry about it.
We live pretty frugally in comparison to our peers. Less than $30 a month in subscriptions, our utility bills are low, we eat out maybe once a month and every other meal is made at home. We thrift and get just about everything we can second hand from yard sales or friends. It used to be that we were putting aside money, now there's less extra. We're getting ready for worse, and planting fruit trees, learning gardening and canning, and reaching out to our neighbors.
I know a lot of people have it rough right now. But I am lucky enough to own my own house at 31, have a stable job and is awaiting my first child. So no, I am personally in an ok spot, but I will vote in solidarity for those that isn't.
I've been aggressively cutting my food bill and making do with the cheapest staple foods. Not ramen, but like the cheap vegetables, bulk rice and legumes, not much meat, no dairy. Making my own sweets, bread, ECT. Lots of soups, stews, vegetarian curries. Getting free fruit from neighbours trees. That's the biggest expense I can cut right now. I'm increasingly frugal on just about everything else, and doing side gigs wherever I can. I even stopped buying books and started going to the library once a week.
I wouldn't say I'm struggling, but I'm all out of things to cut.
No, and as far as I know all my friends in real life and family is doing fine as well.
Yet my feeds are full of memes about barely surviving. I’m guessing that this is mostly due to feeds ending up very US centric, and the situation there is probably a lot worse than Sweden.
Well, when you think about memes in general like much of the information around social media, rage gets clicks. People aren't sitting reading happy news about firefighters saving kittens everyday, it's unfortunately not how most people's brains are wired.
So...there are some things that aren't ideal about that graph. For one, it's not inflation-adjusted; a dollar in 2000 is just under $2 in 2026. So it's got an upwards-trending line, but a very substantial portion of that is actually just the result of inflation. And I'd kinda prefer to have a median value, though since I'm just comparing relative numbers rather than getting an absolute value, it's probably not a huge deal.
But based on that, credit card debt has increased. And for most age groups, it's higher in inflation-adjusted terms than it was 25 years ago. The 18-29 group is about the same, in inflation-adjusted terms --- they had an average of about $500 25 years back, and about $1000 today. That's an increase of about 2x in nominal terms, so no movement in real terms.
But people in their 40s have about 3x the amount of credit card debt in nominal terms as did the same age group in 2000. So that's a real increase; it's about 1.5x in real terms. Ditto for people in their 50s.
People in their 70s have something like 6x as much in nominal terms, or about 3x in real terms, as the people who were in their 70s in 2000, which is a pretty meaningful increase. For them, it's not a COVID-19 surge, but just a long, sustained drift.
Note that if you're asking about, say, just the last few months, OP, this only runs to late 2025.
Yes. Just got a raise and an unexpected large one. Wont do jack diddly to my overall situation. Still haven't had a good steak in better than a year and there's only so much ramen you can eat.
We should be doing well. But over the last 5-6 years we’ve been stagnating. Inflation, increasing costs overall thanks to factors like tariffs and stupid wars, artificial scarcity in the tech world…all of it has eaten huge chunks out of our buying power. We’re at the age where we should have “made it”, but it’s just the feeling of “where did it all go? Why aren’t we getting ahead?”
I had to sell my helicopter, too. The babes I've pulled and flew around in it are starting to suspect I don't have. I just keep saying it has a computer issue going on.
I can spend (within reason) without looking at my account first. I can make one large purchase (within reason) every other month or so. I'm doing fine, finally.
No. I managed to tur things around pre-covid, and now I'm doing reasonably well. Sure, inflation as of late is noticeable, but I don't have to try hard to make ends meet.
No, I'm fine and all my closer friends are doing even better. I could try to make more money but right now I don't feel like it. I like my job and the flexibility it gives me.
Not in the US, and I myself am doing fine. I earn about 30k after taxes, job is quite chill and for the moment it is safe, rent is about 12k a year, and I have some savings to not worry about the immediate future. But I can feel it coming, one way or the other.
Myself and my wife. Yes. Most other people we know. Somewhat. My area has all sorts of million plus condos and homes and even 10 mil plus. So someones not struggling.
120 Comments
Prairie_Madness@lemmy.world · 67 pts · 17h
Feels like it. I'm getting the most pay in my life and 5 years ago it would have been comfortable. Now with the cost of everything I'm just eeking by. Hell I drive a 30 year old car still as I can't afford a new one or even a newer used one
Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz · 7 pts · 15h
Motorcycles are much cheaper, easier to maintain, and convenient if you don't live in a place with snow. If I ever go back to America, I am selling my 20 year old toyota and buying a sensible Honda Motorcycle.
snooggums@piefed.world · 34 pts · 15h
I would totally ride a motorcycle if I wasn't surrounded by people on their cell phones not staying in their lane.
Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz · 12 pts · 14h
The bigger danger is people not looking or their brain not working and pulling out directly infront of you.
Unless you live in America, then the biggest dangers by far, accounting for >3/4 accidents are drinking and riding or going into a turn too fast for conditions and eating shit.
Here in vietnam, its probably people with a phone in their hand riding into the back of stuff, then alcohol.
In Cambodia its probably people with shit tires and no helmet lowsiding and getting squished by an oncoming truck or banging their heads.
Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz · 5 pts · 15h
I've been bumped by people doing the no-look-lane change once hard enough to deform my foot peg, as long as you have grip, there is a lot of force trying to keep a moving bike upright.
Prairie_Madness@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 7h
I actually used to ride believe it or not. But with starting a family and the insane amount of distracted driving here in the US I quit. It's disturbing to see people with their phone in their hands while driving. Plus I didnt want to leave my family without a father. I loved riding and still miss it
GalacticRobot@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 4h
I used to ride, but even bikes are getting quite more expensive, and it's much dangerous to ride on at least in the US as everyone is driving bigger and bigger vehicles and more distracted as well.
Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz · 1 pts · 1h
I know Harleys are overpriced, but you can get a brand new cb750 for 7-8K, cheaper most of the world.
What is weird is that much cheaper bikes the third world gets are way more expensive in the US, a XR150L is 3.4K in the US, a CB150 verza has the exact same engine, it's less than half the price in Indonesia.
Same with the Honda Wave in asia vs Grom in the US, they switch the functional frame/clutch for something "sporty" and just double the price.
AskewLord@piefed.social · -22 pts · 15h
you can't afford a 25K civic or similar?
issue i see with people is they seem to want 50K cars. at least going by the average price of new car purchases, but most car buyers buy like 2x the car they actually need.
empireOfLove2@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 19 pts · 14h
Something like 65% of people can't afford a $1k emergency. NO thry can't afford a payment on a 25k civic. We are all people scraping couch cusions to get a used car lot $4500 Toyota.
GalacticRobot@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 4h
Don't know about you, but a $4,500 used Toyota in my neck of the woods would be an early 2000's Toyota with 200k+ miles and in serious need of expensive repairs. And those living paycheck to paycheck wouldn't have a way to put down the cash to buy even that car.
HuudaHarkiten@piefed.social · 4 pts · 10h
Prairie_Madness@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 6h
Nope not with kids and a lack of child care. One parent stays at home as their paycheck got devoured by child care and I work. Both of us with degrees in tech too. Once both kids are in school maybe she'll be able to work part time but obviously someone still has to go pick up the kids. I have zero family support. My parents died of cancer and meth.
I'd love a hybrid civic or corolla. Hybrid mostly to save on gas. I absolutely don't need a F150 or something
AskewLord@piefed.social · -2 pts · 5h
childcare is about 3K a month max in a HCOL. even with 2 kids that's 6K a month.
if you both have degrees in tech in your 30s, you should both be making like way more than 6k a month. neither parent should stay home, unless it's a lifestyle choice. i have known a few people who did this. a dual income tech couple should be pulling in well over 200K/yr
and yeah if you are poor because of lifestyle choices... that's not struggling. that's you choosing to make less money than you could. or i suppose you could be 24 or something and both be making 60K, but why you had kids so early is against a lifestyle choice and your struggle would again be self-imposed.
and by the sounds of it you very much could afford a cheap least or car payment. a lease on basic hybrid civic is 250/mo or so. sounds you aren't open to leasing a car though and think you have to purchase it outright.
GalacticRobot@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 4h
Got to love when people say 24 is young to have a child and it's a choice. Not every state allows abortion, and even with birth control and contraception, children occur.
GalacticRobot@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 4h
At least in the US the average new car price is now close to $50k. That's the reason car loans now are going upwards of 7 years. A lot of the car price is more and more expensive safety features being added on cars. Add in, you are quite a lot safer in a modern new car compared to even a 20 year old car.
mycodesucks@lemmy.world · 50 pts · 16h
Not everybody.
All of the worst people you know of or can imagine are doing GREAT.
EnsignWashout@startrek.website · 6 pts · 15h
I heard one of their private rape islands got shut down. That had to be inconvenient.
AskewLord@piefed.social · 2 pts · 15h
I'm doing great.
if I claim I'm doing awful, does that make me a good person all the sudden?
mycodesucks@lemmy.world · 20 pts · 15h
B-> !A != !B -> A
Edit: Don't post logic equations tired, folks.
Octavio@piefed.social · 5 pts · 15h
It’s just basic logic.
FrowingFostek@lemmy.world · 39 pts · 17h
Yeah, shits tight and every institution is in decay. On the other hand it's only gonna get worse until it gets better, so theres that.
terranoid@lemmy.cafe · 30 pts · 16h
...and it's probably going to get a LOT worse.
To put things in perspective, imagine it being way, way worse in 5 years and the point you are at right now is the least struggling you've been through that you can remember. You might look fondly at these days, before shit hit the fan.
Try to save whatever you can.
FrowingFostek@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 16h
Yeah that's why I think its important to be a part of a community, if you can.
TheFrogThatFlies@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 7h
More than that, we have to be a worldwide community, because those who are receiving the benefits of our hard work act at that level. Left, right, democrat, republican, none matter, the strings are pulled by the same people. We are in this together, we have to see through the bullshit and help each other.
DagwoodIII@piefed.social · 33 pts · 7h
One thing I've noticed is that movies and TV shows don't use exact amounts of money anymore.
'The Rockford Files' always talked about Jim's $200.00 a day fee, and characters would say things like 'Hey, this is a fifty dollar jacket' or 'That house must have cost $100,000.'
The $5.00 milkshake was a big plot point in 'Pulp Fiction.'
Prices are going up so fast that what was unreasonably expensive when the script was written will be the norm by the time the show gets aired.
FreshParsnip@lemmy.ca · 8 pts · 5h
I noticed that when watching How I Met Your Mother as a teenager, they almost always avoid naming specific amounts of money. The narrator might replace an amount of money with "crapload" or the characters might show eachother a money offer on a piece of paper. Older shows like All In The Family, made in the 70s, frequently mention specific amounts of money but now, with inflation, those amounts of money sound laughably low. Bread for 11 cents? I always figured modern shows avoid mentioning specific amounts of money to try and keep it timeless so in the future people won't laugh at what was considered a high or low amount of money at the time
prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 5 pts · 5h
To be fair, they're trying to make "evergreen" content, meaning it stays funny/meaningful/believable/etc. no matter how far into the future that you watch it.
That wasn't really a thing until the 90s though. Probably started with The Simpsons
HotsauceHurricane@lemmy.world · 32 pts · 15h
I'm not struggling but damnit i want some fucking slack.
teelin134@programming.dev · 30 pts · 14h
I’m good. Though, I feel like I don’t really have the life I expected for my current level of income. Like my parents made a lot less, but had it better.
HubertManne@piefed.social · 1 pts · 3h
Even before my unemployment I felt this way. I mean by felt that its just a fact. My father never went to high school. Im not saying did not graduate. Im saying never went. Mom only worked a few part time jobs and never for a need for money. Grew up in a massive 5 bedroom house and we always had 2 or more cars. Dad was a janitor. I have a BS and masters and had changed to IT due to my first career not paying enough and have no kids (I had 6 siblings). One car and two bedroom condo is my max achievement and im running through savings in my 50's. Oh my dad had multiple pensions and a good amount of retirement savings.
Iconoclast@feddit.uk · 21 pts · 15h
Nah, I'm doing just fine. I have a steady job, frugal lifestyle and quite substantial savings/investments for someone my age. I could live for years without income.
blah3166@piefed.social · 8 pts · 15h
what field are you in, if you don't mind me asking?
Iconoclast@feddit.uk · 9 pts · 14h
Self-employed general contractor.
essell@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 11h
Same.
Also self employed. Got plenty of work lined up, savings, pension, cheap mortgage.
Each year looks a little better than the last one.
I think part of the reason it seems everyone is struggling is because of two reasons.
One, lots of people are struggling. Two, no one wants to hear from the few who aren't.
maccentric@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 8h
How does one get a pension when self employed?
essell@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 7h
Sign up with a pension company and pay money into it like any other monthly bill.
I'm in the UK so might be different elsewhere.
OctopusNemeses@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 7h
How is that making everyone struggle?
essell@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 6h
It doesn't.
It makes it seem like everyone is struggling coz you don't hear from anyone else.
Skyline969@piefed.ca · 18 pts · 13h
We don’t generally have to worry where our next meal is coming from, but there is little to no wiggle room after that. Savings? Lol. Investments? See savings. No vacations. No subscriptions. Just rent, food, and bills. We’re one unexpected large expense away from homelessness at any given time. But we do have the essentials covered.
BrianTheeBiscuiteer@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 14h
Financially, no. Emotionally, fuck yeah.
JustAnotherPodunk@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 13h
Same. Im at the point fortunately where by pocketbook can still stretch farther than my ability to deal with this bullshittery. I will live. But I'm pissed about it. And my heart goes out to those that can't. I don't have a solution but I hope we fix it soon.
disregardable@lemmy.zip · 17 pts · 17h
As lower income households struggle to afford Walmart, Walmart is growing in popularity with higher income households seeking out sales.
"Walmart posts worst comparable sales performance in six years"
The US consumer is flashing red flags all over the place
K shaped Economy Hits Walmart
P13@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 14 pts · 12h
It’s pretty bad at the moment.
Had to sell the helicopter after last quarter’s revenues tanked and fuel prices are out of control. Kinda awkward since the yacht still has a helipad.
Really just hoping people are too into their own yacht to notice..
Pika@hikki.team · 14 pts · 11h
Well, might go hungry for a while if I need any clothes or whatnot. Trying to juggle side jobs to make it livable, and treat credit card with caution.
Microbiologist, Russia
betelplouf@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 9h
Good luck, take care
Pika@hikki.team · 4 pts · 7h
We'll see brighter days indeed!
cheers_queers@lemmy.zip · 13 pts · 11h
i'm fucked.
MisterNeon@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 15h
I am.
I'm so god damn hungry.
Almacca@aussie.zone · 12 pts · 8h
Not struggling, but not living the high life, either. No retirement savings, so I'll be working until I die, probably, but at least I like my job.
blunderworld@lemmy.ca · 7 pts · 6h
This is me, except I don't like my job either. Still, when I compare my situation to others in my city, it could be much worse.
And while I don't have any retirement savings yet, I'm 35...if I can get that ball rolling soon, I'm hoping I'm not completely fucked.
FistingEnthusiast@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 13h
I'm very lucky
I live in a civilised country (not 'Murica)
A few years ago I worked my arse off doing something very niche and managed to save a lot of money
I live a fairly simple life, but I do drink a lot, so that's an expense I could cut
I travel a lot at the moment, and when I stop doing that I'll be able to save quite a lot of money
I know how fortunate I am, and how difficult it is for some people, especially in the US
SnoopSqueak@lemmy.today · 3 pts · 13h
This is probably not an appropriate question, but... are you hiring?
FistingEnthusiast@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 12h
There are many ways to immigrate here
Especially if you are willing to live in one of the smaller places
I'm an immigrant myself, and moving here absolutely changed my life
plaztek@piefed.ca · 3 pts · 12h
Where is 'here'?
FistingEnthusiast@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 12h
"Straya, cunt
MrOtingocni@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 9h
What was your niche specialty?
FistingEnthusiast@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 9h
I'm not going to say that, because it's a very small world sometimes
I hope you understand
MrOtingocni@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 6h
Of course. Glad you found something that worked out for you
EggInDisguise@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 11 pts · 14h
I have moved back in with parents, who are struggling to pay their own bills. It's mutually beneficial, but goddamn does it make transitioning hard. I doubt they would kick me out since they'd lose the house when they can't pay bills, but in the meantime I would need to find somewhere to put up a tent and hope I can store my stuff somewhere cheap.
Since my spouse got fired over a medical issue, and their health has since spiraled, we have been eating through our savings. "Luckily" I just started a second job today.
Sure would be great if you could survive on a single income as a family like people used to be able to do. We'd have to make billionaires extinct first(and even then it'd be a long road getting from here to there) and unless society does a 180, that's not happening.
SmoothOperator@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 11h
My economy is incredibly solid, and I'm not the most frugal. Could live off savings for more than a year.
Living in Scandinavia, background in physics.
lennybird@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 4h
We're by no means struggling relative to what many are going through right now, but we definitely already lost multiple safety-nets in a very brief amount of time under Trump's 2nd term.
aesthelete@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 11h
No. But I do feel slightly bad about it.
Don't have kids I guess? 🤷
BartyDeCanter@piefed.social · 10 pts · 13h
Financially? No, I’m doing pretty well, having made a lot of boring but good long term decisions, gotten a few lucky breaks, and had the sort of career where I’ve always been able to find a new job when I needed to. Though with the rise of LLMs that may not be true in a few years.
Health wise though? Fuck. And the mental fallout from that sucks.
GalacticRobot@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 4h
Yeah, the burnout is real. I keep trying to do everything I can to keep it from being ever present, but I feel without a career change and a massive risk to my financial stability that I am utterly stuck and will just keep getting fried out at the cost of keeping dinner on the table.
terranoid@lemmy.cafe · 10 pts · 16h
Struggling a bit more financially but I prepared for this tbh. I expected shit to get bad, and still think it will get worse.
To put things in perspective I'm learning stuff in case the next depression happens soon, like planting potatoes, food preservation...
Save whatever money you can now. This might be the least you struggle financially for years.
bstix@feddit.dk · 9 pts · 10h
Not really. I'm not rich, and don't have any particular savings, but I have plenty of everything.
More importantly, it's not at risk.
If I should lose my job, I have an income insurance that is pretty damn good, so I could go unemployed for about 2 years before having to lower my expenses. If it should go that far that I run out of insurance, I would still get like 80% of my salary as social security. This would be manageable, so there's no risk at all that I ever become homeless.
So sure, things are expensive and I don't have any chances of suddenly becoming rich or buying everything out of the blue, but I'm not concerned about the next paycheck.
Retro_unlimited@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 5h
My sales had a significant drop the past several months, it's now just barely over my bills. And my bills are really small compared to most.
Quite freaked out about it. Keep thinking sales are coming... Xmas is soon... Where are the sales?
I setup rain water catchment and solar power, so at least I have free water and power.
Counted my stash of canned foods yesterday and checked all the experation dates.
Just making sure I have: food, water, shelter. No matter what happens, hopefully I can ride it out here.
lennybird@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 3h
I've ramped up my garden from a hobby to being more productive for food this year.
Engaging in more rain catchment as well, though I need to get bigger tanks -- at least some IBC totes, but ideally a 500 gal cistern. My pool is admittedly also my emergency water ration. Solar, I have panels and am amassing pieces, but I haven't quite figured out how I want to integrate it. I have what is needed for a primitive off-grid setup, should it be necessary, but would love to go a couple steps further.
My biggest objective is getting proper acreage somewhere with water that I can transition into a more sustainable homestead.
You mention Xmas and last year was the first one all adults in my extended family agreed not to exchange any gifts, both to save money for rainy days ahead, and to also pinch this economy further to prove a point and bring people to wake up and vote Democrat (most sadly only learn by how it impacts their bottom-line, or the big numbers at the gas pump). We plan to do the same this year as well. Sorry you're caught up in that.
itsBlorpinTime@feddit.online · 9 pts · 4h
We're living in the worst K shaped economy in recent history. yeah. We are.
the_q@piefed.social · 9 pts · 16h
3428 people are doing quite well and the rest of us are allowing it.
Katana314@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 8h
I am well off, but not well off enough to lift other people out of their misery. I contribute what I easily can, but every day I wish for the world to change, even if that means having less income as a result.
HubertManne@piefed.social · 1 pts · 3h
I often think that if I won the lotter or such while my personal situation would change it would still be depressing because of the world situation. Its like even with excess what charity to focus on. Unfortunately I think anything excess would need to be used for politics nationally to try and change things which would be so much less personally satisfying than working with charities locally.
lightnsfw@reddthat.com · 8 pts · 3h
I have some friends that are doing okay but they were able to buy houses before everything went to shit. Those of us that didn't are all pretty fucked.
DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 17h
Yep. They're boiling frogs.
Eggyhead@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 16h
We’ll be the ones eating the pets.
azimir@lemmy.ml · 7 pts · 8h
Gliding on old savings, but hopefully the new job (39% raise!) will get us back afloat.... for now. It's like I have to keep changing jobs so I can get raises that even begin to match the cost of living increases from corporate greed.
freddo@lemmy.zip · 6 pts · 7h
Congratulations on the new job!
azimir@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 3h
Thank you! It's tough out there. We try to celebrate the wins, though.
huquad@lemmy.ml · 7 pts · 5h
Not struggling, but I'm in a very fortunate position with my career
Hakuso@scribe.disroot.org · 6 pts · 15h
It's pretty standard to have to choose between paying rent and eating, now. My electric bill is three months overdue. I'd not even be online if I wasn't pointing a cantenna at the store down the hill. I think the only bills I'm current on are my email, which I'm not sure I'll be able to swing $50 a year when it is due, but for now it's current... And my VPN.
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today · 1 pts · 12h
do they charge fees for overdue utilities, they dont over here, and people i know have overdue charges for utilities they dont charge extra fee, they just shut off the power after a certain amount of time, due to him being a pushover unable to stop a hoarding wife that also shops, plus not able to rent because he wont fix the house.
Hakuso@scribe.disroot.org · 2 pts · 12h
They do, but it's much less likely to be cut off than being evicted or starving, so if you have to not pay something the power company is the first to be skipped.
I have about $60 in late fees on it, now, which is actually pretty low for late fees compared to most places.
Perhaps because we're all hydro, here, and don;t have a datacenter explosion... Yet.
PlzGibHugs@piefed.ca · 6 pts · 15h
Pretty much, yep. The only people I know who aren't are old, and even they're feeling the pinch.
SmokedBillionaire@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 13h
I just went to Costco for a monthly-ish grocery trip. This month was 700, whereas in previous months it has been 4-500. I'm not even buying beef. I'm in a privileged position to still afford my groceries, but honestly I'm dancing on a knife's edge right now.
vlad76@lemmy.sdf.org · 3 pts · 12h
How many people are you feeding?
SmokedBillionaire@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 11h
3, we are all home full time and no eating out ever. Its about 45 days worth of food for us. I definitely see my privilege when it pertains to food, but after a 9% pay cut in March and significant price increases the budget is basically maxed at this point.
betelplouf@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 9h
First time in my life me and my gf earn more than 1000€ for two, so I can't complain (I still earn 460€ myself, but sh" has a real salary yippee)
lazynooblet@lazysoci.al · 5 pts · 7h
I started my own company a few years ago. Even whilst the company is doing better each year, the cost of everything increases as well. Like most, I'm 3 months away from homelessness.
AskewLord@piefed.social · 5 pts · 16h
Everyone around me claims they are struggling, but they objectively are not.
FWIW, the income of people I'm talking about typically around 150-300K a year. They are simple angry their money doesn't go as far as it did and they can't take multiple vacations per year anymore. or they aren't getting the massive returns on their stock portfolios they were a few years ago.
I make the low end of that, but I live a low-cost lifestyle and I don't have expensive 'needs' like travel, luxury items, etc. what baffles me is I often meet people make less than I do... spending way more and basically loading up on debt and being angry about it.
trxxruraxvr@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 13h
Of course not. Nothing is ever the same for everybody
melsaskca@lemmy.ca · 5 pts · 6h
Not everyone. Only about 90% of the world's population.
Nefara@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 15h
We live pretty frugally in comparison to our peers. Less than $30 a month in subscriptions, our utility bills are low, we eat out maybe once a month and every other meal is made at home. We thrift and get just about everything we can second hand from yard sales or friends. It used to be that we were putting aside money, now there's less extra. We're getting ready for worse, and planting fruit trees, learning gardening and canning, and reaching out to our neighbors.
lambipapp@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 10h
I know a lot of people have it rough right now. But I am lucky enough to own my own house at 31, have a stable job and is awaiting my first child. So no, I am personally in an ok spot, but I will vote in solidarity for those that isn't.
lithiumground@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 9h
My Survivor mode has been activated 2 years ago
GreenKnight23@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 10h
just won $6 million in the lottery. I plan on, snorting, shooting, and fucking my way to Thailand to retire.
Agent641@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 3h
I've been aggressively cutting my food bill and making do with the cheapest staple foods. Not ramen, but like the cheap vegetables, bulk rice and legumes, not much meat, no dairy. Making my own sweets, bread, ECT. Lots of soups, stews, vegetarian curries. Getting free fruit from neighbours trees. That's the biggest expense I can cut right now. I'm increasingly frugal on just about everything else, and doing side gigs wherever I can. I even stopped buying books and started going to the library once a week.
I wouldn't say I'm struggling, but I'm all out of things to cut.
SirHaxalot@nord.pub · 4 pts · 6h
No, and as far as I know all my friends in real life and family is doing fine as well.
Yet my feeds are full of memes about barely surviving. I’m guessing that this is mostly due to feeds ending up very US centric, and the situation there is probably a lot worse than Sweden.
GalacticRobot@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 4h
Well, when you think about memes in general like much of the information around social media, rage gets clicks. People aren't sitting reading happy news about firefighters saving kittens everyday, it's unfortunately not how most people's brains are wired.
MousePotatoDoesStuff@piefed.social · 4 pts · 9h
I'm doing well enough, can't complain.
But I can tell more and more people aren't doing well, and I want to do something about it.
So if you know any charities with a good track record, feel free to reply with their names/links.
tal@lemmy.today · 3 pts · 16h
I've sometimes seen credit card debt used as a proxy for financial difficulties. For the US:
https://wallethub.com/edu/cc/credit-card-debt-study/24400
So...there are some things that aren't ideal about that graph. For one, it's not inflation-adjusted; a dollar in 2000 is just under $2 in 2026. So it's got an upwards-trending line, but a very substantial portion of that is actually just the result of inflation. And I'd kinda prefer to have a median value, though since I'm just comparing relative numbers rather than getting an absolute value, it's probably not a huge deal.
But based on that, credit card debt has increased. And for most age groups, it's higher in inflation-adjusted terms than it was 25 years ago. The 18-29 group is about the same, in inflation-adjusted terms --- they had an average of about $500 25 years back, and about $1000 today. That's an increase of about 2x in nominal terms, so no movement in real terms.
But people in their 40s have about 3x the amount of credit card debt in nominal terms as did the same age group in 2000. So that's a real increase; it's about 1.5x in real terms. Ditto for people in their 50s.
People in their 70s have something like 6x as much in nominal terms, or about 3x in real terms, as the people who were in their 70s in 2000, which is a pretty meaningful increase. For them, it's not a COVID-19 surge, but just a long, sustained drift.
Note that if you're asking about, say, just the last few months, OP, this only runs to late 2025.
Zedd_Prophecy@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 4h
Yes. Just got a raise and an unexpected large one. Wont do jack diddly to my overall situation. Still haven't had a good steak in better than a year and there's only so much ramen you can eat.
RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 5h
We should be doing well. But over the last 5-6 years we’ve been stagnating. Inflation, increasing costs overall thanks to factors like tariffs and stupid wars, artificial scarcity in the tech world…all of it has eaten huge chunks out of our buying power. We’re at the age where we should have “made it”, but it’s just the feeling of “where did it all go? Why aren’t we getting ahead?”
777Prawn@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 11h
I had to sell my helicopter, too. The babes I've pulled and flew around in it are starting to suspect I don't have. I just keep saying it has a computer issue going on.
Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 16h
I overdrew my account less than 24 hours before my paycheck cleared.
HerbGrower@slrpnk.net · 3 pts · 6h
Nope, I don't really know what to spend all my money on. Earning £29k a year before tax.
SayJess@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 3 pts · 13h
It’s always something.
— My Life
Malica@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 15h
I'm incredibly fortunate to not be
kindnesskills@literature.cafe · 2 pts · 13h
I can spend (within reason) without looking at my account first. I can make one large purchase (within reason) every other month or so. I'm doing fine, finally.
popekingjoe@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 13h
Financially and every other way one can struggle. Life is tough right now. 😓
remotedev@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 11h
Right there with ya. We'll pull through
Crackhappy@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 11h
No. I brought up four kids by myself. Last left in 2021.
madmantis24@lemmy.wtf · 2 pts · 6h
"Right now," and also for the past ten years but somehow it keeps getting worse
neidu3@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 12h
No. I managed to tur things around pre-covid, and now I'm doing reasonably well. Sure, inflation as of late is noticeable, but I don't have to try hard to make ends meet.
ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net · 2 pts · 12h
No, I'm fine and all my closer friends are doing even better. I could try to make more money but right now I don't feel like it. I like my job and the flexibility it gives me.
LH0ezVT@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 13h
Not in the US, and I myself am doing fine. I earn about 30k after taxes, job is quite chill and for the moment it is safe, rent is about 12k a year, and I have some savings to not worry about the immediate future. But I can feel it coming, one way or the other.
HubertManne@piefed.social · 1 pts · 3h
your situation sounds ok as long as you stay healthy.
redditmodssucks@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 7h
No
HubertManne@piefed.social · 1 pts · 3h
Myself and my wife. Yes. Most other people we know. Somewhat. My area has all sorts of million plus condos and homes and even 10 mil plus. So someones not struggling.
notSys@lemmy.cafe · 0 pts · 7h
No
hanrahan@slrpnk.net · 0 pts · 8h
No, and no one I know is. Luckily for me I haven't for a long time.