I don't know who you think is living "at their means" in 2026. either they already live just below it to survive or just above it sucking on debt to keep up appearances at the office (so they are not fired as a result!)

groceries, rent, fuel, insurance, everything, has never been more expensive. worse it's not local to you, this is a world wide issue at the moment.

cost of living skyrocketed in mid 2024 and has only gone up since. what you are saying implies that people can "step down" from non-essentials, like we didn't already do that in 2020. I don't know anyone who has been able to live "at their means" since before covid.

I'm married to a engineer, our net income should be making us a nice cushion that makes sure neither of us have to worry. instead, we had to sell all of our cars, stop every hobby, go to leasing electric cars (as buying one is too expensive and cheap petrol cars like we had cost 4x what electric does per month...) and even after all of that...

still have to carefully decide what essential thing we are cutting out of the weekly food budget... I've eaten so much frozen chicken and imported fake honey & pb sandwiches in the last two years for most of my meals to feel nauseated every time I see a KFC... I still wonder how anyone below our income bracket can afford anything without litterally deciding they can never save any money... (and yes before saving 70% of our combined income is going to expenses.)

compared to 2018, when only 40% was going to expenses and we could enjoy life. this is just ridiculous. reality is far worse than people realise right now...