How Are Americans Surviving? The Unfair Double Whammy of Price Surges and Poor Quality

I remember back in 2019 when life was good. You could get two bags of groceries for under $50. And the movies didn’t cost $60 for two people. And there was money left over for savings or emergency car repairs.

According to CNBC, over half of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck.

For many Americans, payday can’t come soon enough. As of June, 61% of adults are living paycheck to paycheck, according to a LendingClub report. In other words, they rely on those regular paychecks to meet essential living expenses, with little to no money left over.

Almost three-quarters, 72%, of Americans say they aren’t financially secure given their current financial standing, and more than a quarter said they will likely never be financially secure, according to a survey by Bankrate.

“There are actually millions of people struggling,” said Ida Rademacher, vice president at the Aspen Institute. “It’s not something that people want to talk about, but if you were in a place where your financial security feels superprecarious, you’re not alone.”

Here is what I have noticed has gotten worse.

Going Out to Eat