Ed Pawlowski wrote:

> On 11/23/2018 8:58 AM, Taxed and Spent wrote:
> > On 11/23/2018 5:50 AM, Nancy Young wrote:
> >> On 11/22/2018 11:44 AM, Nancy2 wrote:
> >>> But Cindy, those low wages you speak of were plenty enough to support
> >>> a family of four with a
> >>> stay-at-home mom.Â* That is rarely possible any more unless the
> >>> primary wage earner is in a
> >>> profession such as being a lawyer or a doctor or a dentist, etc.Â* it
> >>> isn't possible for the typical
> >>> office worker.
> >>
> >> Not sure which came first, the chicken or the egg.Â* I believe that
> >> once two wage earning couples became the norm that housing costs
> >> started to rise.Â* If no one could afford the higher prices the
> >> prices would be forced to stay low.
> >>
> >> nancy
> >>
> >
> >
> > I think tax increasesÂ* of all sorts was one of the major factors
> > mandating a two income household.
>
> It would be interesting to see some of the reasoning. There was a long
> and impressive list of things that are much cheaper today than in the
> past. I spite of that, many two income families complain they just get
> by.
>
> I wonder how much is because what was once a luxury is now a necessity.
> Does it matter if the price of electronics is high or low if you don't
> buy them? But if a family had five cell phones there is still added
> expense that did not exist on the past.
>
> I know some people that do struggle on modest income and have modest
> lives. I also know people that complain but Dad has a BMW and Mom a big
> SUV parked outside a 5 bedroom house. .


"Needs" are often driven by advertising, peer pressure, etc...but that is nothing new, read what Vance Packard wrote in the 1950's...

Also, per my post above housing costs, the "average" household of today would consider a c. 1960 - 1970 average home virtually cramped and "low - rent"...in 1965 a relative in Atlanta built a new home, it was a typical three - bed brick ranch, but only one bath, and no central A/C (one window unit sufficed for the living/dining area, then a bit later he *installed* a central A/C unit, something pretty unimaginable today), no dishwasher, etc....today a new home to those specs would not even be built.

Even lower - income folks that I see have nice cell phones, decent cars, clothing, food, seemingly money to spend on "leisure" stuff...

There is MUCH luxury rental housing being built in Chicago...new glossy towers rising everywhere, in fact I just looked out my window and a few blocks away there is now a huge construction crane, poised to build *another* luxury rental high - rise. Who rents in these buildings? Primarly millenials, who demand luxury rental buildings with many amenities. And they *rent* because for the time being they have huge student debt loans to pay down...

--
Best
Greg