Unless this was post COVID, you were working with a vastly different economy than the people of today.
I read an article a few months ago that two people out of university into average graduate jobs and renting in my (non capital) city, would not likely be able to afford to rent a flat together and have enough remaining for bills and food, let alone any discretionary spending, based on prices at the time. If they offset that by living away from the city and similarly priced suburbs, the costs just shift to transportation costs (fewer and fewer are offering fully remote jobs now). This is all while allowing for zero expenditure towards hobbies and social life, which are things that are pretty well understood to lead to mental health problems when we can’t prioritise them.
Many people don’t have the luxury of any garden space, let alone some with enough sun to actually grow anything. Those same people might also not have the luxury of a car to be able to drive to the big supermarkets with the best prices and bring back a big shop, so they’re pushed towards the more expensive local supermarkets. IIRC people in that situation typically have to spend something crazy like 20-25% more on food than someone who has the means to go to a big supermarket regularly.
From everything I’m seeing, unless you’re lucky enough to end up in a well paid job, saving money is very much a luxury for people younger than us.
Started living there and working in that job before covid, continued after. Never lived in a city though, that was a mid sized town. At the time I didn’t have a car or garden. Still don’t have a car.
In the United States (which I’m mentioning because that’s the location of the survey we’re discussing), something like 85%–90% of people live in places that are car-dependent. It’s closer to 100% outside of cities. So a vehicle is an expense that can’t be avoided. We’re looking at loan payments (probably), insurance (definitely), gas, and repairs. The lower your income, the better the odds that all four of those expenses go up, as you’re less likely to have a good down payment or buy in cash, and more likely to have your options reduced to older and lower-end vehicles. That typically means lower gas mileage and guarantees more frequent repairs. You’re also likely to live in a lower income area with higher insurance premium rates.
Of course, despite the rate of car dependence, about a third of Americans do not have reliable access to a dependable vehicle. That’s some very unfortunate math.
A lot of people own cars here too and insist its required. Either way I don’t have one. Scooters are pretty cheap to run if you actually need to drive around.
Most of the United States is designed to be so hostile to alternative transportation that scooters and bikes are mainly reserved for trail exercise and suicidal thrill seeking. It’s simply not a practical recommendation, unfortunately; neither is public transit outside of a select few city centers. Many of us wish we had a way to ditch cars, but we don’t.
Unless this was post COVID, you were working with a vastly different economy than the people of today.
I read an article a few months ago that two people out of university into average graduate jobs and renting in my (non capital) city, would not likely be able to afford to rent a flat together and have enough remaining for bills and food, let alone any discretionary spending, based on prices at the time. If they offset that by living away from the city and similarly priced suburbs, the costs just shift to transportation costs (fewer and fewer are offering fully remote jobs now). This is all while allowing for zero expenditure towards hobbies and social life, which are things that are pretty well understood to lead to mental health problems when we can’t prioritise them.
Many people don’t have the luxury of any garden space, let alone some with enough sun to actually grow anything. Those same people might also not have the luxury of a car to be able to drive to the big supermarkets with the best prices and bring back a big shop, so they’re pushed towards the more expensive local supermarkets. IIRC people in that situation typically have to spend something crazy like 20-25% more on food than someone who has the means to go to a big supermarket regularly.
From everything I’m seeing, unless you’re lucky enough to end up in a well paid job, saving money is very much a luxury for people younger than us.
Started living there and working in that job before covid, continued after. Never lived in a city though, that was a mid sized town. At the time I didn’t have a car or garden. Still don’t have a car.
In the United States (which I’m mentioning because that’s the location of the survey we’re discussing), something like 85%–90% of people live in places that are car-dependent. It’s closer to 100% outside of cities. So a vehicle is an expense that can’t be avoided. We’re looking at loan payments (probably), insurance (definitely), gas, and repairs. The lower your income, the better the odds that all four of those expenses go up, as you’re less likely to have a good down payment or buy in cash, and more likely to have your options reduced to older and lower-end vehicles. That typically means lower gas mileage and guarantees more frequent repairs. You’re also likely to live in a lower income area with higher insurance premium rates.
Of course, despite the rate of car dependence, about a third of Americans do not have reliable access to a dependable vehicle. That’s some very unfortunate math.
It’s hard to be poor in the U.S.
A lot of people own cars here too and insist its required. Either way I don’t have one. Scooters are pretty cheap to run if you actually need to drive around.
Most of the United States is designed to be so hostile to alternative transportation that scooters and bikes are mainly reserved for trail exercise and suicidal thrill seeking. It’s simply not a practical recommendation, unfortunately; neither is public transit outside of a select few city centers. Many of us wish we had a way to ditch cars, but we don’t.
125cc scooter, not a kids scooter.
Unfortunately it’s less about the motor and more about the metal cage you aren’t riding in.
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