this post was submitted on 11 Jul 2023
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Just over half of Canadians say they are $200 away or less from not being able to pay all of their bills at the end of the month amid higher interest rates and inflation.

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[–] OminousOrange 2 points 2 years ago (16 children)

That doesn't mean consumerism can't take hold and pressure people to make unnecessary purchases.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (15 children)

Nah, even people living within their means arent doing well. My partner and I have very good, stable jobs, with a combined household income of nearly~$100,000 after taxes and deductions (union dues, pension deductions, etc).

We drive a 12 year old car, we don't take vacations, we don't have kids, we don't carry debt, and we don't spend beyond our means.

Granted, we had the unmitigated audacity to rent a house instead of an apartment because I like to play music with my friends, so thats an extra $200 a month over the cheapest apartment we could find that we're "wasting" on our comfort.

But factor in the rising cost of *gestures broadly* everyfuckingthing, we have been able to save less than 10% of just the down payment required to begin sniffing at houses in the last 3 years.

The system currently is broken and needs a major overhaul, so we can level the playing field and the middle class has a chance of existing again.

[–] EhForumUser 1 points 2 years ago (11 children)

so we can level the playing field and the middle class has a chance of existing again.

Does the middle class want to exist again? Let's face it, a big part of why housing has become so expensive is because people don't want to spend their money on starting businesses. Canadian culture in particular is very much "get a job, buy a home, live happily ever after". But if all you have is a job, you're always going to remain working class.

[–] dexx4d 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

people don’t want to spend their money on starting businesses

I'd love to. Unfortunately if I quit my day job we'll lose the house in six months.

[–] EhForumUser -3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Unfortunately if I quit my day job

No need to quit. Middle class implies that you have both a day job and a business. Those who can ride on the proceeds of business alone are the upper class. While I am sure that is the dream, you have to start somewhere. It seems you are echoing that nobody wants to be middle class anymore.

And, really, I'm not sure middle class was ever much of an ideal. It was the outcome of us moving away from the time when most owned farms, with many of them starting to fail as we moved into the industrialization era, and their owners having to pick up jobs off the farm to stay afloat.

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