A post submitted by CGI member Morgan.

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29% of Low-Income American Households Live Paycheck-to-Paycheck

https://citizenwatchreport.com/29-of-low-income-american-households-live-paycheck-to-paycheck/

Around 29% of low-income American households are currently living paycheck to paycheck, according to a new study by the Bank of America Institute, up from 23.5% in 2024. Spending on necessities such as groceries, utilities, housing, autos, and credit cards now exceeds over 95% of household income for over a quarter of Americans.

The poor are getting poorer; low-income households are naturally more inclined to report a rise in financial hardship, while high and middle-income earners have not seen a notable increase in paycheck-to-paycheck financial situations.

Inflation remains beneath the 2022 high of 9.1% but has not met the Fed’s 2% target. Again, I do not have faith in the figures provided by government agencies. Prices simply have not notably declined since the pandemic and this is the new normal. The essentials that a household cannot survive without are likely to never retreat to 2019 levels. Shelter alone accounted for 36% of CPI in 2024, rising 5.2% throughout the year. Baseline shelter costs were around 30%–yes 30%–lower in 2019.

Grocery items have been highly volatile, and government data suggests they have increased 12% since the pandemic, but anyone with access to a grocery store can dispute this claim.

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What percent of Americans are in debt?

https://www.google.com/ (Link to search it if you are so inclined)

Approximately 77% to 80% of American households have some form of debt. This includes various types of debt, with mortgages being the most common, followed by credit cards and auto loans.
Overall Debt: Roughly 77% to 80% of U.S. households hold some type of debt.

Common Debt Types:

Mortgages: The most significant form of debt for households, representing a large portion of total household debt.

Credit Cards: Around 45% of households have credit card debt.

Auto Loans: Approximately 46% of households have mortgage or HELOC debt.

Student Loans: About 22% of households carry student loan debt.

Debt-Free Status: Conversely, around 20% to 23% of Americans are debt-free.

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Yes, I was born in a better time. I made some 'statistically' good money in the past, but I was NEVER a high roller. I made enough to support a college student in the past, and a starving musician later who is still with me, and a few cats who are now in the next world. In that time way back, I also helped a handful of individuals out for a while who were down on their luck, though a couple of them ended up being kicked out due to the degree of liabilities they ended up being.

I never fell into these stupid traps, though. I never lived beyond my means. The only time I was ever in debt was a student loan for a technical trade school, and I only paid $18.00 interest on that due to paying it off early. I never bought a new car, designer garbage, and I didn't buy into all the vanity crap that some individuals are programmed into. I'm a jeans and t-shirts or work shirts kinda person.

Oh, I suppose I had my vices in the past. When I was working insane hours, I went to restaurants most days of the week, of course also paying for my partner. But I could afford it with plenty left over.

Never had a credit card in my life. For those who do have 'em, how do you like your interest payments? You might as well set your paycheck on fire. What's the difference? Why are you in the state you are in? Oh yeah. The IMAGE IS EVERYTHING programming. They take that seriously in China, Japan, the European aristocracy, and Hell knows where else. Probably most of the world. I could care less. Why should the opinions of society (which I hold in contempt) matter to me? I don't live for them. I don't even live for this world. In fact, I'm in the nice state of being no one anyone has their sites on, with nothing anyone would really want. I'm in a perpetual state of: HEY! LOOK WHAT THE CAT DRAGGED IN! That's a very good place to be right now. General obscurity rocks, really.

What about 'BE IN THE WORLD AND NOT OF IT', don't you understand?

Not always my perspective, but the young tend to be kinda stupid due to social programming. So few get over it, but I'm glad I did. . .some time in my early 30s.