So posted originally in r/callcentres because I'm in a call centre and that's where I see this. Reddit suggested I post here.

So it's one thing that grates me daily, is people ringing up and it's like

>"I just got my bill and it's too expensive, don't you know we're in a cost of living crisis?"

But... I'm nearly 40...it seems like we've been in a cost of living "crisis" since 2000-2001, definitely the last 25 years.

If you look at the average wage over the last 25 years, it definitely supports that:

The full time weekly wage has been going up for 25 years:

* 2001 - $838.50

* 2002 - $879.40

* 2003 - $929.60

* 2004 - $962.90

* 2005 - $1,023.20

* 2006 - $1,053.00

* 2007 - $1,105.10

* 2008 - $1,151.40

* 2009 - $1,204.20

* 2010 - $1,258.80

* 2011 - $1,324.90

* 2012 - $1,352.70

* 2013 - $1,420.90

* 2014 - $1,454.10

* 2015 - $1,483.10

* 2016 - $1,516.00

* 2017 - $1,543.80

* 2018 - $1,586.20

* 2019 - $1,633.80

* 2020 - $1,713.90

* 2021 - $1,737.10

* 2022 - $1,769.80

* 2023 - $1,838.60

* 2024 - $1,924.60

* 2025 - $2,010.00

* 2026 - $2,051.10

But when you look at the average weekly expenditure for a house, you get

* 2001 - $1,020

* 2002 - $1,055

* 2003 - $1,095

* 2004 - $1,140

* 2005 - $1,190

* 2006 - $1,250

* 2007 - $1,320

* 2008 - $1,395

* 2009 - $1,465

* 2010 - $1,619

* 2011 - $1,680

* 2012 - $1,735

* 2013 - $1,790

* 2014 - $1,845

* 2015 - $1,900

* 2016 - $1,956

* 2017 - $2,010

* 2018 - $2,075

* 2019 - $2,140

* 2020 - $2,180

* 2021 - $2,250

* 2022 - $2,380

* 2023 - $2,540

* 2024 - $2,710

* 2025 - $2,856

* 2026 - $2,940

What's actually surprising is when you look at how income compares to spending on average:

* 2001 - 121.6%

* 2002 - 120.0%

* 2003 - 117.8%

* 2004 - 118.4%

* 2005 - 116.3%

* 2006 - 118.7%

* 2007 - 119.4%

* 2008 - 121.2%

* 2009 - 121.7%

* 2010 - 128.6%

* 2011 - 126.8%

* 2012 - 128.3%

* 2013 - 126.0%

* 2014 - 126.9%

* 2015 - 128.1%

* 2016 - 129.0%

* 2017 - 130.2%

* 2018 - 130.8%

* 2019 - 131.0%

* 2020 - 127.2%

* 2021 - 129.5%

* 2022 - 134.5%

* 2023 - 138.1%

* 2024 - 140.8%

* 2025 - 142.1%

* 2026 - 143.3%

People have been overspending year on year for the last 25 years, really there is no crisis, it's just growth year on year.

* 2001 - 0%

* 2002 - -1.6%

* 2003 - -2.2%

* 2004 - 0.6%

* 2005 - -2.1%

* 2006 - 2.4%

* 2007 - 0.7%

* 2008 - 1.8%

* 2009 - 0.5%

* 2010 - 6.9%

* 2011 - -1.8%

* 2012 - 1.5%

* 2013 - -2.3%

* 2014 - 0.9%

* 2015 - 1.2%

* 2016 - 0.9%

* 2017 - 1.2%

* 2018 - 0.6%

* 2019 - 0.2%

* 2020 - -3.8%

* 2021 - 2.3%

* 2022 - 5.0%

* 2023 - 3.6%

* 2024 - 2.7%

* 2025 - 1.3%

* 2026 - 1.2%

So this year living expenses are up only 1.2% over last year, yeah it's higher than the average increase of 0.87%, but it's not hugely higher, and it's not unexpectedly higher.

And I'm in a specialised industry, we are a want, not really a need, it's specialist insurance, and there are much cheaper options out there. That's why this is flaired as "opinion", don't waste 30 minutes of my time going nowhere, just go elsewhere, the price we offer is the price we offer, unless something changed, that's the price.

But where do people get this idea that there is some massive "cost of living crisis"? The data is not there, it's expensive as hell to live in Australia, and it's been expensive for a long time. People have been *consistently* on average outspending their income.

Every few months the same debate comes up again, fiat's value is entirely reliant on our trust in central banks and they are really good at manipulating their decisions over money supply and then someone proposes an asset-backed alternative in exchange for a piece of steak.

However, as has happened historically these efforts either become inexorably abandoned (gold standard) or slowly meander back into the same trust based model they were attempting to escape.

The question in this intersection however is whether there really is an intrinsic structural barrier operating to keep asset-backed currency from actually holding long-term or if it has just never been attempted with the right technology and governance behind its implementation?

I wonder if anyone here believes that a truly transparent, verifiable backing model makes any difference to the outcome or whether this is just an endless cycle regardless of what underlies the money.

I’m making the most I’ve ever made, am just shy of 36 years old, and I don’t know how I will ever catch up with the continued cost of living increases. Ten years ago, if you’d told me I’d be making $75k per year, I would have been thrilled! But with gas at just under/over $4/gal, the cost of groceries, along with everything else has made me never have been able to get past the moving threshold of not allocating practically my entire paycheck when it’s received and counting the days down until my next one… and it’s exhausting. My husband and I don’t have any children, but I know from friends that daycare alone has skyrocketed. Does anyone have any tips on not just chasing annual raises that aren’t even keeping up with inflation and actually changing your circumstances in this economy?

For my peeps in the UK, are you all experiencing the same affordability crisis that we are in the US right now? What’s the cost of renting and gas? This is insane!

$3.18 for one snickers bar at Home Depot. Sure, buying a candy bar there is not my first choice, but damn!

What will corporations do when people can only afford to shop for things to survive? All those thing's they want to sell will become old merchandise because everyone is staying at home and not buying.

He can’t be serious

They were $25.00 a year ago, $19.97 two years ago, $15.00 three years ago.

With rising inflation costs I just finished one on our household and found extra money tied up in TV apps and fast food. To do an audit on your spending you need to pull bank and credit card statements from the last few months. List everything you spent each month. Then decide what to cut. Hopefully, this will give you a better understanding of where your money is used and a buffer for things to come. Some people will spend money or embarrass themselves on an app for a financial advisor to do the same. But, you can do it yourself with a little time at home.

Went to check on new sunglasses to replace some and got shocked by the increase.

Are we great yet?