There’s been much ballyhoo lately about cost of living and affordability in media lately (deservedly so, imo) but I’m curious how hard it is for those of us who are a little more capable than normies (we like to think).
Feel free to be somewhat vague. Not asking anyone to doxx themselves. I’ll start.
In my mid-thirties. Married, two kids. Combined income is just under 100k. We live in a low cost of living area which has helped us a lot. We were able to buy a house in ‘21 with a 15 year mortgage and it feels like we got on the last lifeboat off the Titanic. We’ve been able to build about a 200k net worth, about half of which is home equity.
Day to day expenses are getting tougher, however. We’ve never had a car payment but our older kid has started school and that has put a strain on us since he goes to a private Christian school. I’ve worked in education and I consider sending a kid to public school to be akin to child abuse.
It feels harder and harder to save and invest. Just making ends meet with two kids in this red state feels like a Herculean task. Wondering if anyone else feels the same way.
To keep things as vague as possible, doing alright, but don't feel like I have options.
I'm surviving, and not uncomfortably, so not here to whine about that...but a lot of basic - and important - things that Americans used to be able to afford pretty easily are out of my reach.
I do feel somewhat trapped and betrayed by the current economic situation, and how our alleged representatives are handling things. A lot of incredibly crucial things have been taken from all of us; even more than most realize, I think.
I know what you mean about not having options. My family is starting to outgrow our house but we're kind of stuck here. We couldn't afford our own house if we sold it and turned around and tried to buy it back. Our monthly payment would probably triple.
Make a list of these things being taken away, then find ways to secure them. Stay quiet about it, though.