Layout:
Home > So much for expensive food!

So much for expensive food!

June 24th, 2006 at 06:33 pm

interesting article from another blog here

Text is Middle class and Link is http://www.harvard-magazine.com/on-line/010682.html
Middle class

"What about food? Surely, families are eating out more and buying shopping carts full of designer water and exotic fruit? In fact, today’s family of four actually spends 23 percent less on food (at-home and restaurant eating combined) than its counterpart of a generation ago. The slimmed-down profit margins in discount supermarkets have combined with new efficiencies in farming to cut more costs for the American family.

Hmm so I am spending less than my grandma did to feed my kids? And the article goes on to note other areas are cheaper now, appliances ect...

so why am I able to be a SAHM?

"What happens to the family that tries to get by on a single income today? Their expenses would be a little lower because they can save on childcare and taxes, and, if they are lucky enough to live close to shopping and other services, perhaps they can get by without a second car. But if they tried to live a normal, middle-class life in other ways—buy an average home, send their younger child to preschool, purchase health insurance, and so forth—they would be left with only $5,500 a year to cover all their other expenses. ..."

That is the secret, I do not live a 'normal' middle class life (BTW I livein middleclass suburbia, but our wages are 'poor' - partly because it is just him working) I have the middle class house, and one middle class car...thats it...the rest is all frugal..even the homeschooling, it is way cheaper to homeschool thant to have to get a second car and pay for all the other 'stuff' that coems with school..especially at the younger ages. I could never afford to send my kids to public school!

Another question I now have...why is loan sharking legal nowadays? I mean even in the dark ages it was at least labeled as such..you borrowed off the mafia, you were asking for trouble or the dirty grungy guy in a back alley.....but those nice people in suits don't really look like the mafia...they just loan like it....not that the libertarian in me needs any more regulation...just I dunno....I hate to see people taken advantage off with pages of legalese..and such.

0 Responses to “So much for expensive food!”

Leave a Reply

(Note: If you were logged in, we could automatically fill in these fields for you.)
*
Will not be published.
   

* Please spell out the number 4.  [ Why? ]

vB Code: You can use these tags: [b] [i] [u] [url] [email]