re: Necessities that weren't necessary 40 years ago

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Cell phone and internet access are the only two things on that list that are really "necessities"

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Meh, they kinda are.

Cell phones have basically replaced landlines as a necessity. Now you don't need a smartphone.

And yes internet access is pretty much required to be a functional adult. Just think about finding and applying for jobs without internet access. That would be a nightmare.

Cable, on the other hand, is not.

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Given that we have folks on welfare with big screen HDTVs

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Of course a big screen HDTV now is almost free compared to what they used to cost

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I'm saying that these so-called "necessities" are why people think they are poor these days. Too many people think they have to have all this shite. Then they wake up one day and it's time to retire and they don't have any money.

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I understand that you're tired of the complaining Jax. It really is a matter of perspective relative to the people involved.

Yes, you can live without all of those things. You can also live without a car, washing machine, electricity and even shelter outside of a tent.

People's needs change based on the environment they live in and what's expected of them. Because technology exist, our society expects us to use that technology.

A modern post 2005 student needs to have internet to some degree even if it's through the school. Phones are the primary means of communication because people are usually not in one place all the time. And it's faster than delivering mail just to send a basic message.

Again, we can live without these things, but then societal expectation created by these technologies would disappear. And that's even considering the jobs that have been created SOLELY because of these technologies.

Edit: people aren't poor because of their cellphones. They are poor because they mismanage their money. Also, inflation is always a factor when discussing past vs present finances. Cells added new bills, but other things got cheaper (electricity) or are practically free (water).

2 Parents working is by far the biggest difference


You can pretty easily live with 1 car if you live in a bigger metro

Just look at home sizes. People cry about not being able to make it as middle class but if they bought the same size homes their grandparents did they'd be fine.

People raised 3 kids in 1400 - 1500 square foot homes now idiots with one Braxxton need a 3200 square foot mcmansion.

I run an online retail store. I can help him.

Give me his email address.

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Necessities that weren't necessary 40 years ago

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1980:

When I was a 16-year-old Sophmore in HS.

Cokes were .25c
Pin joint $1.00 (P.E.)
1/4 lude $5
Bottle of Rush $1.75
Gas .90C gallon
Eight pack of Miller ponies $2.30
Abortion $250.00


I think I had a $45 dollar a week allowance at the time seems like a lot in hindsight. Well, except for that last one knocked a dent in my funding that year.

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Cell phones
Cell phone plans
Internet

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Hard to do without these things. They are information and now a necessity.

Were landlines a necessity in your day. I'm going to say yes.

Amazon Prime

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Food, shelter, and clothing. Everything else is a luxury.

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and there you have it