Standard of living is tanking

Tourism dominates the economy here, and right now, everyone seems obsessed with chasing that same quick buck. It’s easy to feel smug when you inherit a property or a slice of the pie, allowing you to casually charge $150 a night just to let someone sleep in a tiny studio.

But looking at the broader trends over the last couple of years—and I haven't even bothered to dig through the data because frankly, I lack the motivation—it makes me wonder: how much more miserable are we going to get?

Here is a snapshot of what I see happening in my own city and across the country.

1.) Real estate. In the decent neighborhoods, in those solid, older buildings, rent used to top out around $1,100. We’re talking about a mid-sized American city, not some rural outpost in the Midwest or somewhere near Lake.

Today? You might find a mediocre apartment for $1,400 if you're lucky. A better one? That'll run you $1,600. New construction? You're looking at $2,000 minimum. And this isn't even a tourist hub where prices are artificially inflated.

2.) Cars. I was looking at the car I bought over seven years ago. Back then, I paid a realistic market price for a small, sensible vehicle.

Fast forward to now. That same car is now 15 to 20 years old, yet it’s selling for essentially the same price, or maybe even 10% less than what I paid back then.

3.) Equipment. I’ve been checking the market for small mini-excavators lately for some side work. A year or two ago, you could pick up a decent entry-level machine for maybe $12,000 or $15,000.

Now? Those exact same machines are 50% to 100% more expensive.

4.) Utilities and groceries.

The absolute essentials—bread, flour, oil, milk, dairy, toilet paper, basic hygiene products.

On top of all that, looking at the average net salaries for private sector workers compared to 2022 levels, they are lagging behind the public sector by nearly $1,000.$500

https://tinypic.host/i/prosjek-privatnik.nzhMd

What kind of future is that?🙄
I don't even need to spell it out; we all see it.

And once everything fully transitions to the new currency standard, I dread to think what happens next.

Then there's the income distribution: roughly 1 million out of 1.6 million people are scraping by on $1,100.

https://tinypic.host/i/place1.nzWfq

It’s an absolute disaster, isn't it?

Things seem to be spiraling even faster than when the old union fell apart after the Great Leader passed away.

Dana Robinson4 said:

It’s an absolute disaster, isn't it?

Things seem to be spiraling even faster than when the old union fell apart after the Great Leader passed away.

Who cares about Ukraine anyway. We get our food supplies from there too.

Samuel Sanders6 said:Tourism dominates the economy here, and right now, everyone seems obsessed with chasing that same quick buck. It’s easy to feel smug when you inherit a property or a slice of the pie, allowing you to casually charge $150 a night just to let someone sleep in a tiny studio.

But looking at the broader trends over the last couple of years—and I haven't even bothered to dig through the data because frankly, I lack the motivation—it makes me wonder: how much more miserable are we going to get?

Here is a snapshot of what I see happening in my own city and across the country.

1.) Real estate. In the decent neighborhoods, in those solid, older buildings, rent used to top out around $1,100. We’re talking about a mid-sized American city, not some rural outpost in the Midwest or somewhere near Lake.

Today? You might find a mediocre apartment for $1,400 if you're lucky. A better one? That'll run you $1,600. New construction? You're looking at $2,000 minimum. And this isn't even a tourist hub where prices are artificially inflated.

2.) Cars. I was looking at the car I bought over seven years ago. Back then, I paid a realistic market price for a small, sensible vehicle.

Fast forward to now. That same car is now 15 to 20 years old, yet it’s selling for essentially the same price, or maybe even 10% less than what I paid back then.

3.) Equipment. I’ve been checking the market for small mini-excavators lately for some side work. A year or two ago, you could pick up a decent entry-level machine for maybe $12,000 or $15,000.

Now? Those exact same machines are 50% to 100% more expensive.

4.) Utilities and groceries.

The absolute essentials—bread, flour, oil, milk, dairy, toilet paper, basic hygiene products.

On top of all that, looking at the average net salaries for private sector workers compared to 2022 levels, they are lagging behind the public sector by nearly $1,000.$500

https://tinypic.host/i/prosjek-privatnik.nzhMd

What kind of future is that?🙄
I don't even need to spell it out; we all see it.

And once everything fully transitions to the new currency standard, I dread to think what happens next.

Then there's the income distribution: roughly 1 million out of 1.6 million people are scraping by on $1,100.

https://tinypic.host/i/place1.nzWfq

I honestly don't understand why those of you working for private companies aren't asking for raises. I assume you're valued employees, especially given the labor shortage we're seeing across America right now—so why not demand higher pay? If an employer isn't proactively offering more, you really ought to be the one bringing it up.

Sam Martinez9 said:I honestly don't understand why those of you working for private companies aren't asking for raises. I assume you're valued employees, especially given the labor shortage we're seeing across America right now—so why not demand higher pay? If an employer isn't proactively offering more, you really ought to be the one bringing it up.

Maybe there are no raises because sales took a hit?

Dennis Hall41 said:Maybe there are no raises because sales took a hit?

It’s a simple matter of supply and demand. If wages remain stagnant—and we have to remember that employees are also consumers—while inflation climbs, a drop in sales is almost inevitable. If employers actually stepped up and increased pay, people would have more disposable income, which would naturally drive sales back up.

My baseline was set back in 2016 when my paycheck got slashed by 40% overnight. Now, my actual take-home pay feels like it's stuck in 2007, except everything costs two or three times more than it did back then.

Honestly, who cares? Just adapt and go build something for yourself. Complaining isn't going to change a thing.

Sam Martinez9 said:I honestly don't understand why those of you working for private companies aren't asking for raises. I assume you're valued employees, especially given the labor shortage we're seeing across America right now—so why not demand higher pay? If an employer isn't proactively offering more, you really ought to be the one bringing it up.

So, let me guess—you asked for a huge raise and actually got one?

mellowraven8 said:My baseline was set back in 2016 when my paycheck got slashed by 40% overnight. Now, my actual take-home pay feels like it's stuck in 2007, except everything costs two or three times more than it did back then.

Honestly, who cares? Just adapt and go build something for yourself. Complaining isn't going to change a thing.

From what I've seen on other threads, you're tossing around some pretty high numbers, so I fail to see where the struggle is.

Samuel Sanders6 said:So, let me guess—you asked for a huge raise and actually got one?

From what I've seen on other threads, you're tossing around some pretty high numbers, so I fail to see where the struggle is.

Fair point. I manage. I do what I have to do and I'm not about to sit here and whine about it.

And I'm being straight with you. My current income in dollars feels like what I was making back in 2007; in terms of actual purchasing power, it’s basically a third of what it used to be.

mellowraven8 said:Fair point. I manage. I do what I have to do and I'm not about to sit here and whine about it.

And I'm being straight with you. My current income in dollars feels like what I was making back in 2007; in terms of actual purchasing power, it’s basically a third of what it used to be.

Well, you must be quite the strategist if we're talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars.

It’s either organized crime or high-end tourism. Pick one.

Because if that's the case, those margins must have been damn good.

Pure crime 👍

So, tomorrow I’m heading out to where the action is—Taiwan. Would you go? First, they drag you through a full medical exam, then force a chickenpox booster on you; you don't want it, but you can't go anywhere without it. After that, you spend seven days basically in lockup before you even start working. I'll be a deckhand on some RAM vessel commanded by a guy from a Norwegian firm (honestly, I only landed this gig because of pure luck and being an expat).

While I'm on vacation, my neighbors assume I'm just some laborer instead of an investor and business owner. Who am I supposed to vent to? Nobody takes me seriously. They all say, "Must be nice being you..." Yeah, right. A seaman. They think we're all sitting on piles of cash just for existing. Is that how it works?

And honestly, it irritates me when people complain expecting some nameless stranger to fix their problems for them.

Whether I'm working the sea or making an honest living in the tourism industry—everything is above board. 😁

And yeah, I know how to hustle. I work 16 to 18 hours a day. Even on vacation. And yet, my lifestyle stays pretty much the same as everyone else's. So, what's the point?

Samuel Sanders6 said:So, let me guess—you asked for a huge raise and actually got one?

From what I've seen on other threads, you're tossing around some pretty high numbers, so I fail to see where the struggle is.

I run my own business. And yes, I’ve hiked my rates significantly, even though my overhead hasn't actually gone up that much. I’ve been flying solo for a little over a year now, but if I actually had employees on payroll, I could easily afford to give them a substantial raise. Instead, I'm doing what most small business owners do—taking that extra margin and tucking it straight into my own pocket.

Sam Martinez9 said:I honestly don't understand why those of you working for private companies aren't asking for raises. I assume you're valued employees, especially given the labor shortage we're seeing across America right now—so why not demand higher pay? If an employer isn't proactively offering more, you really ought to be the one bringing it up.

We’ve been asking for years. And look what we finally got: 😬 https://www.nytimes.com/article/company-layoffs-bankruptcy-news.html

GE is laying off 71 redundant employees, leaving basically nothing behind but the CEO and a handful of managers. This was once a legendary powerhouse, but for years now, they've been bleeding money, and now they're staring down the barrel of bankruptcy.

Sam Martinez9 said:It’s a simple matter of supply and demand. If wages remain stagnant—and we have to remember that employees are also consumers—while inflation climbs, a drop in sales is almost inevitable. If employers actually stepped up and increased pay, people would have more disposable income, which would naturally drive sales back up.

The goal is basically to be the first one to hike prices and the last one to give out raises...

Benjamin Taylor6 said:We’ve been asking for years. And look what we finally got: 😬 https://www.nytimes.com/article/company-layoffs-bankruptcy-news.html

GE is laying off 71 redundant employees, leaving basically nothing behind but the CEO and a handful of managers. This was once a legendary powerhouse, but for years now, they've been bleeding money, and now they're staring down the barrel of bankruptcy.

It feels intentional at this stage. From an economic standpoint, there isn't a single logical reason to handle things this way. Look, if a business isn't performing, you wind it down over a year or two and call it a day. You don't strip it bare like this.

Zachary White19 said:The goal is basically to be the first one to hike prices and the last one to give out raises...

A brilliant strategy, truly.

Benjamin Taylor6 said:We’ve been asking for years. And look what we finally got: 😬 https://www.nytimes.com/article/company-layoffs-bankruptcy-news.html

GE is laying off 71 redundant employees, leaving basically nothing behind but the CEO and a handful of managers. This was once a legendary powerhouse, but for years now, they've been bleeding money, and now they're staring down the barrel of bankruptcy.

I mean, if you have even half a brain, you can see exactly what went down with this outfit 😉

Sam Martinez9 said:It feels intentional at this stage. From an economic standpoint, there isn't a single logical reason to handle things this way. Look, if a business isn't performing, you wind it down over a year or two and call it a day. You don't strip it bare like this.

A brilliant strategy, truly.

A "logical economic reason"?? Give me a break. He picked up that company for pennies on the dollar. We're talking about a facility sitting on nearly 9 acres right in the heart of the city. He managed to lobby his way into getting that land rezoned for residential development. Now, all he has left to do is figure out how to get rid of the employees. And once he sells the whole operation? He doesn't even need to build a new company because all that cash just sits in the corporate account—you can't exactly slip that into your own pocket, right?
But here’s the kicker—he was using his other firm based overseas to contract jobs, funneling everything through the American entity to create these artificial losses. The boss even took out a $10 million mortgage on the property. So, when he sells the American company, the money flows straight to the offshore firm because they're technically the creditor. From there, it's just a matter of using whatever shady accounting tricks he wants to move that cash into his private accounts. Before you know it, he's finishing up his third luxury villa right here in the States. 😬
https://www.nytimes.com/business/investigation/corporate-fraud-scandal/

And then we all sit around wondering why the middle class is struggling and our quality of life is tanking. It's because guys like Al Capone are running the show!

Benjamin Taylor6 said:A "logical economic reason"?? Give me a break. He picked up that company for pennies on the dollar. We're talking about a facility sitting on nearly 9 acres right in the heart of the city. He managed to lobby his way into getting that land rezoned for residential development. Now, all he has left to do is figure out how to get rid of the employees. And once he sells the whole operation? He doesn't even need to build a new company because all that cash just sits in the corporate account—you can't exactly slip that into your own pocket, right?
But here’s the kicker—he was using his other firm based overseas to contract jobs, funneling everything through the American entity to create these artificial losses. The boss even took out a $10 million mortgage on the property. So, when he sells the American company, the money flows straight to the offshore firm because they're technically the creditor. From there, it's just a matter of using whatever shady accounting tricks he wants to move that cash into his private accounts. Before you know it, he's finishing up his third luxury villa right here in the States. 😬
https://www.nytimes.com/business/investigation/corporate-fraud-scandal/

And then we all sit around wondering why the middle class is struggling and our quality of life is tanking. It's because guys like Al Capone are running the show!

Well, Madonna, what can I say? I still have vivid memories of the 90s, back when everyone was trying to convince me that these companies were worthless just because they were socialist-run. The workers were actually happy to see them handed off, thinking—again, mind you—that they had zero value. Or else they were literally in the trenches fighting one another (I’m thinking specifically of those 5,000 employees at Coca-Cola) while their company was being *sold off* to John D. Rockefeller. Those workers who stayed in the US tried to fight the privatization in court, but naturally, they lost.

The big capitalists defend their wealth at any cost—even using other people's lives, of course—whereas the Communists thought the only way to seize property was through revolution. Instead, the workers' assets were stripped away without much of a fight.

And now, I’m sure some forum users will pop up to try and convince me that this property wasn't even owned by the workers, but belonged to the Communist Party.

In the end, I suppose they got exactly what they asked for: bosses who will only raise wages if they are absolutely forced to, all while squeezing out every last cent of profit for themselves.

Why is there this constant narrative that public sector wages outpace the private sector, when 90 percent of those employees are working for $1667 or even less
? Which private company actually pays salaries that low?

darkorca52 said:Why is there this constant narrative that public sector wages outpace the private sector, when 90 percent of those employees are working for $1667 or even less
? Which private company actually pays salaries that low?

That’s the wrong way to look at it. The more accurate question would be: which employer takes a larger cut of my paycheck.