A rant about the cost of living

[CrazyTrader55]

This is a rant! The younger generation is really screwed these days with high costs for rent, housing, insurance, new and used cars, not to mention everything else.

She even has roommates, and still can't pay the bills.

I have a lot to say about this, and she's not completely out of line, but want to hear some other opinions.

 

[Mac1958]

From what I can see, there's only two things that can turn around this insane real estate / home buying / apartment rent nightmare:

Either (a) a full-on real estate market crash of at least 30% to 40% that would snowball into a goddamn catastrophe that would make the 2008 Meltdown look like a walk in the park, or (b) a restructuring of law that doesn't allow private equity to swallow up half the ******* homes and apartment buildings in the country for rental investments.

This is a perfect example of how we've misapplied capitalism, the greatest force for prosperity ever. It needs smart controls to work properly, and we absolutely refuse to do that. Regulations are evil!

Not too many moving parts on this one, gang.

 

[DGS49]

I am at a point in my life where I don't have to worry about my spending, but some things have gotten outrageously expensive, and I find myself just bypassing things because I don't want to get screwed. I just bought a "new" six-year-old car because I refuse to pay fifty grand for some mediocre piece of new shit.

I stopped into Panera Bread yesterday to get a bowl of soup - their food is excellent - and I noticed that their SOFT DRINKS are $3.59! Are you shitting me? Three dollars and fifty nine cents for a Coke? Just one example. I got a cup of tap water, and survived to talk about it.

 

[SweetSue92]

This is a rant! The younger generation is really screwed these days with high costs for rent, housing, insurance, new and used cars, not to mention everything else.

She even has roommates, and still can't pay the bills.

I have a lot to say about this, and she's not completely out of line, but want to hear some other opinions.

She is correct for the most part, and we're not talking about it enough

 

[1srelluc]

At this point I just worry about me and mine. I'm pretty much done concerning myself about the plight of others.

Pardon me all to hell for doing well for myself.

 

[CrazyTrader55]

From what I can see, there's only two things that can turn around this insane real estate / home buying / apartment rent nightmare:

Either (a) a full-on real estate market crash of at least 30% to 40% that would snowball into a goddamn catastrophe that would make the 2008 Meltdown look like a walk in the park, or (b) a restructuring of law that doesn't allow private equity to swallow up half the ******* homes and apartment buildings in the country for rental investments.

This is a perfect example of how we've misapplied capitalism, the greatest force for prosperity ever. It needs smart controls to work properly, and we absolutely refuse to do that. Regulations are evil!

Not too many moving parts on this one, gang.

I see we have some agreement here among the left and right. You may be onto something.

 

[Dogmaphobe]

In California, the PG&E rates are outrageous. It is a case of price gouging by a monopoly.

 

[EvilCat Breath]

I stopped in a fast food hamburger place yesterday and the burgers were $10.99,

 

[gipper]

At this point I just worry about me and mine. I'm pretty much done concerning myself about the plight of others.

Pardon me all to hell for doing well for myself.

Nobody is criticizing you for your success but not caring about others, makes you an asshole.

That’s your opinion and your entitled to it.

 

[odanny]

So she is angry that things are expensive? I could only understand a small portion of that.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Under Biden, the housing/rent market rose at the fastest rate in U.S. history.
Believe it or not, home prices have actually been lowering since 2023.
But the highs were so insane by Q4 2022 - that there is a loooong way to lower before they can get back to trends.
One thing I can say - I pity the people who were dumb enough to buy a home between mid 2021 - 2023. You are now underwater in your loan. You likely owe as much or more than you can sell it for.
Hello 2008.

 

[CrazyTrader55]

In California, the PG&E rates are outrageous. It is a case of price gouging by a monopoly.

Nope. It's not. Electric prices are up mainly because of Biden's war on fossil fuels, the push for green power, and the need to build more power plants due to data center use, AI, and so forth.

Remember that green new deal, from 2021 through 2024? Guess what. The bill has come due.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Nope. It's not. Electric prices are up mainly because of Biden's war on fossil fuels, the push for green power, and the need to build more power plants due to data center use, AI, and so forth.

Everything cost more due to conditions while Biden was President.
He didn't cause all of thos conditions - but he ignored them and made them worse.
Who will ever forget the straight faces of the Democrats flat out lying and denying that inflation was killing everyone. They did nothing. They just sat their and denied it was happening.

 

[CrazyTrader55]

I stopped in a fast food hamburger place yesterday and the burgers were $10.99,

Because you are paying for:

• The wholesale price of the food
• The wages of the McDonalds worker
• The transportation of the food from the farm (that's more labor)
• The utilities used in the McDonalds
• The insurance (that's through the roof also)
• Possibly, the interest on the loan on the property

 

[kyzr]

When Biden and the Fed caused that 9.1% inflation, prices went up, when inflation comes down, prices don't necessarily come down, they just go up more slowly. But we are stuck with Biden's $11,400 hit or almost $1,000 a month to our finances.
Elections have consequences, we need to remember that in 2026 & 2028.

Americans need an extra $11,400 today just to afford the basics, Republican analysis finds

Compared with 2021, the typical household must spend an additional $11,434 annually just to maintain their standard of living, analysis shows.

www.cbsnews.com

Americans need an extra $11,400 today just to afford the basics​

Open borders letting 12,000,000 or so illegals in, and then giving them free food and housing and medical care causes inflation, supply is the same and demand goes up...that is basic economics, the Law of Supply and Demand.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

When Biden and the Fed caused that 9.1% inflation, prices went up, when inflation comes down, prices don't necessarily come down, they just go up more slowly. But we are stuck with Biden's $11,400 hit or almost $1,000 a month to our finances.
Elections have consequences, we need to remember that in 2026 & 2028.

Americans need an extra $11,400 today just to afford the basics, Republican analysis finds

Compared with 2021, the typical household must spend an additional $11,434 annually just to maintain their standard of living, analysis shows.

www.cbsnews.com

Americans need an extra $11,400 today just to afford the basics​

Yet - while this article was written, the Biden administration and the Democrats, and their media were downplaying it and saying it wasn't real.

 

[Dogmaphobe]

Nope. It's not. Electric prices are up mainly because of Biden's war on fossil fuels, the push for green power, and the need to build more power plants due to data center use, AI, and so forth.

Remember that green new deal, from 2021 through 2024? Guess what. The bill has come due.

and here you are three thousand miles away, having absolutely no idea how electricity rates in California compare to neighboring states.........

 

[Thinker101]

This is a rant! The younger generation is really screwed these days with high costs for rent, housing, insurance, new and used cars, not to mention everything else.

She even has roommates, and still can't pay the bills.

I have a lot to say about this, and she's not completely out of line, but want to hear some other opinions.

Yep, life gets a bit pricey. Then you throw in the "necessities" like the latest smartphone, unlimited phone plan, unlimited internet, Starbucks twice a day, a car less than 2 years old, and eating out 3-4 times a week., $300 jeans and $400 tennis shoes.

 

[1srelluc]

and here you are three thousand miles away, having absolutely no idea how electricity rates in California compare to neighboring states.........

TX electric utility rates are cheaper due to the TX .gov running roughshod over everyone with eminent domain to build-out the transmission infrastructure.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Yep, life gets a bit pricey. Then you throw in the "necessities" like the latest smartphone, unlimited phone plan, unlimited internet, Starbucks twice a day, a car less than 2 years old, and eating out 3-4 times a week., $300 jeans and $400 tennis shoes.

Or her newer car, jewelry, fake nails, fake eyelashes - unforgivably ugly glasses...