People like my family when I was growing up. We weren’t filthy capitalist rich, but with my parents both being in medical we were well off enough that I didn’t have a great grasp of cost vs spending power. Always had a well-stocked pantry of name-brand shit. Functionally we were aware when there was a price hike in X good, and might even comment on it, but it absolutely never affected what we bought. The bill was just higher. We would probably be excited about something like gas prices coming down but it ultimately didn’t actually mean anything to us.
I couldn’t possibly keep that lifestyle now (nor do I want to). I do reasonably well enough, but not to the extent that I can ignore the cost of things like food, and am always trying to save where I can, especially on food costs.
We would probably be excited about something like gas prices coming down but it ultimately didn’t actually mean anything to us.
I definitely get that at some level, but the idea that you’d actively be celebrating a strong economy really implies that it does mean something to you.
Like, I can get landing a big salary bump or year end bonus at the end of a year and feeling celebratory. If it’s 1999 and my earning for the year shot up 20% from the year before? Fucking awesome. Break out the fireworks.
But is that happening right now? I’m not seeing it.
People like my family when I was growing up. We weren’t filthy capitalist rich, but with my parents both being in medical we were well off enough that I didn’t have a great grasp of cost vs spending power. Always had a well-stocked pantry of name-brand shit. Functionally we were aware when there was a price hike in X good, and might even comment on it, but it absolutely never affected what we bought. The bill was just higher. We would probably be excited about something like gas prices coming down but it ultimately didn’t actually mean anything to us.
I couldn’t possibly keep that lifestyle now (nor do I want to). I do reasonably well enough, but not to the extent that I can ignore the cost of things like food, and am always trying to save where I can, especially on food costs.
I definitely get that at some level, but the idea that you’d actively be celebrating a strong economy really implies that it does mean something to you.
Like, I can get landing a big salary bump or year end bonus at the end of a year and feeling celebratory. If it’s 1999 and my earning for the year shot up 20% from the year before? Fucking awesome. Break out the fireworks.
But is that happening right now? I’m not seeing it.