The Accelerating Decay of the Middle Class

[Crow BarKeymaster]

http://charleshughsmith.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-accelerating-decay-of-middle-class.html

How many do you know who could (or could not) meet his definition of Middle Class?

[Crow BarKeymaster]

How I rated:

1. Not quite a $5k deductible, but it is up there. We say we cannot afford to use our healthcare.
2. Not sure if it is 25% or not, but we do have some equity.
3. Check.
4. Check.
5. Check.
6. Check.
7. No government assistance.
8. Not sure.
9. Daughter is out of college, did fund her higher ed with a 529 savings plan, so yes.
10. Check.
11. I think so. A lot of learn by book kinda skills.
12. That would be a nope.

[OldMt WomanParticipant]

Interesting.

1.  Meaningful healthcare but not Medicaid.  Medicare has evolved in the past 20+ yrs and ….I’m skeered of bills coming in for my recent health issues.  These days you pay a large percentage of those bills and often, not always, Medicare pays less.  Then you pay for back-up coverage ..MediGap.
2. nope
3. uh…we get some money early in year and dole it out as needed thru the year.
4. nope
5. Already BTDT.  Really, we dropped out of the “Middle Class” when one of us dropped out of the workforce.  Unemployable medical reasons.  We’ve both aged-out by now, of course.  But….we are paying bills.  We just keep them slim.
6. yep  Reliable transportation of some type for working folks is absolutely imperative!  Nothing will ruin Plans A-E faster than an old vehicle and no alternate way of getting to a job.
7. Ya THINK?
8. Kids are fine….made sure they had attitude/skills.  If they hit health issues, we’ll all try to work it out.
9. N/A  That era has passed already.
10. Leisure ….?  We get by.  We enjoy what we chose in life….but not necessarily ‘recreation’.
11. New skills and knowledge – yes.  But not for profit…..unless world goes sideways and values new things.
12. nope  well, ….do chickens count?  Might someday be a whole new meaning to “nest egg”.

No gym memberships …hauling hay/water around is enough. No sports games ..yuk!  No dry cleaning, DH cuts his own hair.  No fancy whatever.  BUT….I’m not sure I’d agree that my life is qualitatively worse because of those things.  We’re fine.  Would like to see kids/grkids more.  Other than that… {shrug}

I agree with the writer on corporations producing [electronic] goods that don’t last and you have to buy and buy again.  We do without most of that.  But do enjoy my new Kindle.  Easier on the hands and eyes.

Perhaps the levels of low, middle, and high…..and super-superior-to-us-all  😉  ….are no longer valid.  Perhaps quality of life is in how you set your expectations.  Granted, some folks are massively struggling to stay in housing…pay medical bills [that one killed us] …and feed themselves a decent diet.  That’s stressful.  So maybe the categories need to be changed?

–High or SuperSuperior …..eh, no worries

–Middle…..no worries unless they MUST climb higher

–Less than Middle but have basics covered [for now]….if they’ve got the basics with lowered expectations, it can be fine.

–Stressed to keep the basics for family….they’re in trouble.

One thing to note:  There is always economic/social mobility….either up or down.

OldMtWoman  …life’s easier if you can pretty much be satisfied with basics.

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