0% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck
12-30-2018, 05:14 PM
Quote: (12-30-2018 03:59 PM)n0000 Wrote:
In part the opportunities are not there anymore, but a large part is that Americans are horrible with money. Square footage per person has more than doubled in the last 50 years which leads to higher housing prices. I see plenty of people driving brand new, feature rich cars that they can't really afford and talking on brand new iphones. You can buy a reliable car for $4000 and a used cell phone on ebay for $60 and $15 per month for the service. There is so much wealth in this country it is unbelievable. All you have to do is get a reasonable job and control the spend side of the equation by being smart.
This is a very good point. I would also add to "Things I would tell myself"
If/when you buy your own house, don't be tempted with all the extra space. That's space you need to fill with furniture and shit. It's extra square footage that costs money on taxes, heating, and cooling. My current house is more than I need, only benefit is that when it comes time to sell it will go very quickly due to the demand for single family homes in my area. But for a first time homebuyer I'd say strongly consider a condo or townhouse and be honest with how much space you really need. And only buy if you plan on being in that spot for at least 3 years, preferably 5.