True, what you said, but also the cost of necessary food and utilities are only increasing, income flat, and cost of health insurance/health care is way out of line as a percentage of take-home pay.
We don’t have a smart phone, have basic cable, haven’t had car payments of any kind in over 3 years... we are not “getting ahead” by any stretch of the imagination.
I didn’t go down the whole laundry list of things that take up income. I agree with you. I see what it’s done to my grocery budget, and for most of the last years, gas budget.