Life is getting easier with less money.

Shawn

There's some kind of strange situation ongoing recently regarding money and this is in part due to technology in my opinion.

People are seemingly, getting used to less money to live with. I don't really know how to specify this; but, if you have not made the mistake of getting too many kids at an early age, and seemingly found a moderate amount of work at your twenties, you can still enjoy the same goods as the plutocrat in some faraway mansion. Specifically, this is the role of the economy, to try and coerce a person to want to want the same goods as a rich millionaire.

Yet, if you look at the deflation occurring around digital goods like a 4k TV with Netflix or a Play Station 5, with a VR headset, you're pretty much satisfied with this. Further, you have companies like Amazon bringing down the cost of essential goods for the average Joe or Bob.

I find this interesting in how hedonic goods are being satisfied at the cost of a cup of cappuccino a day per month.

Recently, Cannabis got legalized in California for recreational use, and there's a lot of wants and needs being satisfied by decreasing costs by digital costs.

Apartments are a go-to for most singles in their 20's to 30's, and the above mentioned goods are appealing to the many.

I don't entirely know if this is a trend or whether Americans are rather tech-savvy in finding their hedonic wants satisfied by the world wide web. It's interesting from the perspective of an economist to note that stocks continue to rise and buoy up, while nobody in the bottom segment of the economy really cares as much, perhaps only over the minimum wage which never considered the inflation rate flying up since it was last raised. It's beneficial for the consumer also that the market is becoming more cost efficient for consumers without cars, with home delivery of groceries even through Amazon, or a digital library of edifying goods provided by a Kindle. It's interesting that the recent inadvertent arrival of Universal Basic Income, was a success all round, especially with a combined deflationary spiral.

Are things looking better than the 2010's? I think so...

What are your thoughts?

Pfhorrest

If you have housing already taken care of, life is earlier with less money these days.

But affording housing is getting more and more impossible over time.

All of the "cherries on top" are super affordable now compared to a generation or two ago, so to those who already have their staple needs met, it looks like high times are cheap now.

But it's increasingly difficult to get those staples met -- to just own a place to sit and starve to death in the cold if you wanted, without being kicked out because you didn't pay thousands of dollars to someone who treats your shelter as their "investment".

javi2541997

, if you have not made the mistake of getting too many kids at an early age, and seemingly found a moderate amount of work at your twenties, you can still enjoy the same goods as the plutocrat in some faraway mansion. — Shawn

Agree. This is the main point to light up here. I guess as you explained, that taking advantage of your 20's working or studying will pay off when you get older because you have won time for your own interest so money couldn't be a huge problem. All of those who prefer focus in themselves instead of acting we are still in 1800's having kids at 17 or 20 years old will be more "peaceful" with his own life.
Do he will be happy with less money than a milloniare because it looks like the life is easier for those which works (true probably not all the citizens but the majority)
I guess the important house here is afford a house or an affordable loan to buy to. Because house in of the most important goals in human development. The rest is secondary and you can even buy it too with less money if you are patient and clever

MikeListeral

Life is getting easier with less money. — Shawn

yes technology has been improving life

but also been concentrating the wealth into the hands of a few

eventually pollution will start to lower the quality of life

Lil

No.

You're describing distractions. Video games. Weed.
Why would these things become more accessible to the working class if not to quell dissent?

This is not an improvement of life. This is a distraction.

MAYAEL

What planet called silver spoon do you live on?

RolandTyme

The way to investigate this would be to look at a retail price index for different kinds of goods. Certainly electronic goods appear to be getting cheaper, but food prices still fluctuate, utility bills and rent are increasing, and it is much more difficult to buy property. Wages are also stagnant. Plus out economic system is not sustainable, so things will get worse, absent any changes.

If you look into world trends in poverty, absolute poverty at the bottom of the income brackets decreased for some time but is now increasing, from memory, while those just above the poorest people - but still poor, have largely seen little change. The wealthiest, and those comfortably well off, increase their wealth year by year - can't remember if they increase income as well, but it hardly matters as the wealth is staggering. These are the people in control, of course, so it is on their watch that the world is heading for catastrophe as well.

Trey

I have faith in young people! They are figuring out that keeping up with the Jones was just a carrot on a stick that the extreme capitalists dangled in front of you. The only way common people can beat the game is to participate in the game as LITTLE as Possible! And some of them are beating the game completely (living off grid).

Heracloitus

Depends where you are on the planet. Having less money in Europe may be fine, but Africa.. then it's a tough and shitty life. And by shitty, I mean slaving away on a rubbish dump to earn a few pence a week kinda shitty

hope

oderate amount of work at your twenties, you can still enjoy the same goods as the plutocrat — Shawn

A guy on welfare today not only lives better than a king did 5000 years ago, but he also has things the king would consider magic.

"Any sufficiently advanced technology would be indistinguishable from magic." -Clarke

Life is getting easier with less money.

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