incrediBILL - 1:42 am on Mar 7, 2012 (gmt 0)

What you describe is standard inflation. When I was 20 I lived in a $200/mo. apt, prices increased, so did my wages to match, what's your point?

The average family shops at the average stores, pays the average rent and earns the average wages

And instead of saving money so they can retire in their 70s the average family throws away money, literally burning it up in the case of idiot smokers, drinkers, people driving those big fat SUVs burning 2x-3x more gas, tossing it out the window on expensive smart phone calling plans and the thousand channel cable bills.

Yeah yeah, spend it all, don't save nothing, blame it on the economy.

Don't finish school, don't even self-educate, don't try to get promoted, but complain about the low wages.

Pay into social security for 40 years? Most of the elderly I know that did successfully retire also saved money, lots of it, they didn't squander every penny being house and car poor and most of them also shopped at Sears :)

There is no personal accountability.

That's the real problem with America is everyone wants what they can't afford and buy beyond their means. You can't retire at 70 with max'd out credit card bills and if you even carry a balance, even on your Sears card, you know you're spending more than you earn and you need to cut costs.

That's what the average American family needs to do, the same thing they did before everyone had credit for things they couldn't afford, personal accountability to only buy within your means, only what you need, not every little trinket you want.

When I was a kid if you couldn't afford it, you simply didn't have it, and you certainly didn't owe anyone else when you got it, except the mortgage on the house.

And we were happy that way, the whole family sitting around the table playing games at night, not out whining and protesting like a bunch of idiots because they can't afford the latest iPad.