The "American Dream" costs far more than most people will earn over their lifetime
The "American Dream" costs far more than most people will earn over their lifetime
The cost of raising kids, buying a home and achieving other traditional milestones today far exceeds a typical worker's earnings, one analysis finds.
It costs lives too. Exploitation is hard baked into any $ucc€$$fu££
vultureventure or ideologyRetirement: $715,958
And this is why I likely won't be able to retire. At a recent retirement meeting my company gave, they said that people should be putting 15% of their income into retirement. However, I can't afford to do this. Not even close.
I live a pretty frugal life. I don't vacation. I rarely go out to eat or order food in. I plan my meals and only buy what we need. I drive a 14 year old car that's paid off. Still, my expenses, while less than my income, wouldn't let me reduce my pretax income by 15%.
I'm 48 and I doubt if I'll have 20% of the figure above when it comes time to retire.
To put it in perspective... I inherited my mom's house, retirement, life savings, car, etc. And I am still very limited in buying a new home where I actually want to live, bc of how outrageous prices are. Just imagine... almost 70 years of her life, and I can't do what my dad and his first wife easily did at age 20 working as a restaurant manager. Insane.
WE KNOW
Nope, the Big Brain Compassionate People have since informed me that the American Dream™ is ONLY that you have the OPPORTUNITY to maybe afford that life.
So the American Dream™ is that CEOs exist, you can be one. The end. Get fucked Mr.Factory worker, your time passed and even though we still need you we don't care about your quality of life, just be a CEO.
It's amazing, because in that world the American Dream™ is literally impossible to deny. Rich people will always exist and Big Brains will always point to them and say "you can be that" so shut up.
Considering the Earth is dying and society will probably collapse in the next 20 years, there's no "retirement plan". You either die in your work boots at 90, get shot in the water wars, or starve to death once agricultural zones turn to sand.
Buy the game you want. Tell that hot person you're into them. See as much as the world right now as you can.
Sure, there's a COL crisis right now in North American, but in 20 years we'll look back at right now as "the good times".
Some costs might be lower or higher, depending on a family's goals. For instance, some might pay for more than one-year of college for their children, while others might buy fewer cars.
Wedding and engagement ring: $35,800
One year of college for two kids: $42,080
Pets: $67,935
Average cost to buy a home, including lifetime mortgage payments: $796,998
Are you really buying a house if you never finish paying for it?
Save up a million in 401k, investments and equity just to spend it all in a couple of years for senior care.
This explains alot, a life without love has made my checking account stable.
"They call it the American dream, because you have to be fucking asleep to believe it." / George Carlin
Most of the.math here makes total sense but what the fuck is this shit
Wedding and engagement ring: $35,800
If anyone here spends $35k on a fuckin ring when you can't afford hospital stays and shit, let me know so I can come slap some sense into you.
Like why is this even on the list? It doesn't even materially change the final outcome.
Massively under calling the total costs, from my quick read on the Investopedia article. No surprise there given the quality of that source.
I don’t see Food, Utilities, Vacation, Fuel/Maintenance, Clothes, or quite a few other major household expenses listed out.
So… that cost (relative to life one interval) would be much more out of reach.
Green Day came out with "The American Dream is Killing Me" . Perfect timing.