Most people in America live in a house or apartment larger than they need
The only one in a position to determine that are the people that live in those apartments. Additionally, I doubt that most people choose apartment size as a deciding factor. With the cost of rent, price of the apartment is the much bigger factor.
saddled with credit card debt they chose
Most people didn’t choose credit card debt. They were forced into it because they couldn’t afford basic needs.
Most Americans complaining about the cost of living and housing could lower and share their expenses if they were serious about it
That’s total bullshit. Over 60% of Americans can’t afford the cheapest house in the cheapest state to live in. The living wage in this country is at the very least $25/hr and the minimum wage hasn’t increased in over a decade, but we’ll discuss wages much more later.
living here is easier than almost anywhere else in the world
Tell that to homeless people. Did you forget about them, or do they not count?
Even at the bottom incomes, the people complaining about earning $15/hr in the US should learn
Newsflash, suffering elsewhere doesn’t minimize suffering for you. Now let’s talk wages. Everywhere, there’s a cost associated with basic living called a survival wage, and a cost to live a dignified life that can accommodate hardship and enjoyment in equal measure known as a living wage.
The living wage for a given area has a lot of factors, but it’s relatively easy to calculate. Where I live, the living wage is $27/hr. I also happen to live in a state with a minimum wage larger than federal and tied to inflation, putting it at $11.13/hr. That’s an annual difference of $33k dollars between a living wage and the state minimum. I can’t tell you how I managed to conjure $3k to assist a single coworker once, let alone $30k on top of it every year for the foreseeable future.
Don’t forget that there are millions of people working on the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hr. In Memphis TN, the living wage is $20/hr and the minimum wage is federal. There are people working for minimum wage that can’t even afford to rent a broom closet. This all also assumes everyone has a job, so it totally excludes anyone who can’t work or can’t find a job. These people exist too and still deserve a dignified life, even without an income.
The only one in a position to determine that are the people that live in those apartments. Additionally, I doubt that most people choose apartment size as a deciding factor. With the cost of rent, price of the apartment is the much bigger factor.
Most people didn’t choose credit card debt. They were forced into it because they couldn’t afford basic needs.
That’s total bullshit. Over 60% of Americans can’t afford the cheapest house in the cheapest state to live in. The living wage in this country is at the very least $25/hr and the minimum wage hasn’t increased in over a decade, but we’ll discuss wages much more later.
Tell that to homeless people. Did you forget about them, or do they not count?
Newsflash, suffering elsewhere doesn’t minimize suffering for you. Now let’s talk wages. Everywhere, there’s a cost associated with basic living called a survival wage, and a cost to live a dignified life that can accommodate hardship and enjoyment in equal measure known as a living wage.
The living wage for a given area has a lot of factors, but it’s relatively easy to calculate. Where I live, the living wage is $27/hr. I also happen to live in a state with a minimum wage larger than federal and tied to inflation, putting it at $11.13/hr. That’s an annual difference of $33k dollars between a living wage and the state minimum. I can’t tell you how I managed to conjure $3k to assist a single coworker once, let alone $30k on top of it every year for the foreseeable future.
Don’t forget that there are millions of people working on the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hr. In Memphis TN, the living wage is $20/hr and the minimum wage is federal. There are people working for minimum wage that can’t even afford to rent a broom closet. This all also assumes everyone has a job, so it totally excludes anyone who can’t work or can’t find a job. These people exist too and still deserve a dignified life, even without an income.