re: IMO life in this country doesn’t pencil unless you really make an effort to buy equities.

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When I was a teen, you were lucky to get a shitty S-10 or your grandpa’s old farm truck that didn’t like to start.

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LMAO, when my oldest daughter turned 16, I offered her my 1992 Jeep that I used for hunting. She said if she had to drive that, she wouldn’t get her license. Fine by me, but her mom blinked and bought her a 2000 Accord by taking money out of her 401K. I didn’t know until I got the tax penalty the next year. Now daughter drives a Yukon XL, but her hubs pays for it.

Am not OT rich nor poor. Typically purchase whatever I want when grocery shopping ---- Typically non-essentials as my wife tends to the serious grocery shopping

Had a few extra minutes yesterday, grabbed a buggy/cart and thought to myself after a few aisles, 'aw heck, no' not about to spend my pennies/nickels/dimes on this stuff....prices are absurdly stupid....need to shed a few pounds, look for the pony amid the foolishness

P S. We have some nice holdings as suggested but they aren't for grocery shopping

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by taking money out of her 401K. I didn’t know until I got the tax penalty the next year.

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how long did your wife end up wearing Irish sunglasses?

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her mom blinked and bought her a 2000 Accord by taking money out of her 401K. I didn’t know until I got the tax penalty the next year.

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Yikes! Incredible to hear how other families function. I can't even imagine such a big purchase and more importantly parenting decision being taken unilaterally. Not to mention being ignorant of tax and penalty on early 401k withdrawal. She really just did it with zero discussion or consult despite being uninformed about how retirement accounts work? Good on you if you managed to make that dynamic work. Wonder if daughter brought that approach into her marriage too.

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What is an ETF, and how do I invest?

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Man you’re kind of making OP’s point for him

Did Chicken shut the Money Board?

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avoid consumer debt and sacrifice everything you can to buy low cost ETFs tied to the big indexes.

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Your context narcissism aside…

This is sound financial advice. Plus make it automatic. Stay disciplined even (especially) in market downturns. If you don’t need the money in 3yrs or less, no panic / mania allowed. Always.

Exception: live a little too. Enjoy this short life.

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TL/DR although some things have become more expensive, our definition of “middle class” has changed dramatically over the years.

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This plus ad in vacations, weddings, destination bachelor parties, hunting camps, outdoor kitchens, boats, etc.

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This reminds of a thread a while back where some dumbfrick tried to act like a trip to disney world was straight up unheard of back in the 80s.

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Two things can be true at the same time. Yes, expenditures for the “average” american family have increased in the last 50 years. For instance, the average new home in 1970 was 1500 sq. ft. Now it is around 2500 sq. ft.

In 1970, around 28% of families owned two vehicles. Now it is 38%.

All that said, we have experienced above average inflation in the last two decades. That isn’t the fault of big bad corporations; it’s because the federal reserve makes retarded decisions at the behest of the retarded politicians in office.