Exclusive: most renters surveyed by Harris Poll say the areas they live in have become so unaffordable they are ‘barely livable’
The poll, conducted by the Harris Poll Thought Leadership and Future Practice, asked survey takers to identify themselves as renters or homeowners, along with other demographic information. Those polled were asked their opinion on home ownership in the United States. For many, especially renters, the outlook is bleak.
Though the vast majority of renters polled said they want to own a home in the future, 61% said they are worried they will never be able to. A similar percentage believe no matter how hard they work, they’ll never be able to afford a home.
“When you think about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and housing is right at that foundational level of security, the implications on consumer psyche when things feel so unaffordable is something that will impact everyone,” said Libby Rodney, chief strategy officer at Harris Poll. The American dream of owning a home “is looking more like a daydream for renters”.
When I was in my late teens/early twenties I truly thought that in ten years I’d own a home for sure, with some hard work and dedication.
Ten years later, I don’t even get to buy groceries every week or eat every day. I’ve lost 30 pounds in the last year just from skipping so many meals.
I can’t wait to see what the next ten years holds.
And if one more person tells me I should make sure to invest for retirement… I can’t even feed myself, what you want me to invest? My retirement plan is work until I’m too old/sick/injured and then off myself.
Have you tried having rich parents? That helps…
/s
I wasn’t smart enough to make that choice this time around, but next life being born into a rich family is my number one criteria :)
Yeah, maybe if someone told me I should have specced my character for wealth or charisma, instead of creativity or wisdom, I might be enjoying this game more…
It’s really quite easy. Just cut out the avocado toast, stop buying those expensive coffees, and invest that cool $69,000,000 your parents left you from their work on the board of an orphan crushing factory.
The funny thing is that I’ve never had avocado toast and I tried coffee once, hated it, and never tried it again. I can’t drink energy drinks either. Take that, financial columnists!
I posted in another thread that I have nothing to save for retirement but people chastise me for getting the occasional chai latte or buy Taco Bell for my kid once in a while and I got the response, “what are you going to do about your child’s future?”
Hope we can afford to feed her until (if ever) she can make it on her own?
As if I could put the $20 or so a month on “luxuries” like those into a savings account and become a millionaire by the time I’m 65.
You should at least put in as much as your organization matches because that’s income you’re missing out on otherwise.
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Sorry, I definitely might come off as rude in this comment, but this line of thought really annoys me. Do you think people are poor simply because they’re too dumb to think “I should spend less money on groceries?” Don’t you think they’ve already considered finding a better-paying job, if such a possibility exists for them? If moving is even an option for them (which is a big if), where do you suggest they get the money to rent a moving truck, as well as the money for a security deposit on a new apartment?
Your comment is about as helpful as asking “Have you tried not being poor?”
It’s usually spending money poorly, yes. But I don’t blame them, I blame the lack of education on these topics.
If you aren’t even using freely available budgeting options, then I recommend to start there and assess spending.
I very rarely encounter people who complain about money but also have real concrete budget. If I ask it’s usually met with excuses and changing the topic.
If you truly have a genuine budget and still can’t figure out where the money is going, then it’s a more serious chat.
But the absurd frequency you see people posting about how they can’t afford groceries and lo and behold, they’re buying a bunch of overpriced garbage and paying extra for non necessities, it’s bananas.
If you complain about food costs and I find out you don’t know how to break down a whole chicken, I feel a little less bad for you.
If I find out your buying dumb shit, my empathy starts to go down.
I lived with and worked in a poverty stricken industry for many many years, and the constant frequency I saw people complain about money one day, then waste money the next, has gradually over time led me to just assume most people are completely inept when it comes to budgeting.
And I mean, it’s not exactly a required course in high school, so I am not that surprised.
And it’s mostly food, drugs, and alcohol when it comes to wasting money.
That and the “buying little things you dont need thatll end up in the trash” I see often. Fast fashion and all that jazz.
It’s a serious problem honestly.
and your view is still grossly ignorant to the point you should be ashamed of yourself.
Nobody can budget 0$ dollars in to more dollars.
$0 implies you don’t have a job.
My entire post is about someone who has a job but complains about being unable to afford things.
Also, I missed another group, the “complains about money but never takes shifts” person.
Always saying they don’t make enough, can’t afford stuff, need more shifts, don’t get enough hours, abd yet always are also the person first to ask to be cut early, always trying to get other people to take their shifts, never picking up other people’s shifts, etc
There’s always a few of em at every job. They don’t seem to understand you have to actually work hours to get money, lol.
Over hundreds of folks I’ve worked with at dozens of gigs, I’d say about half of folks have both serious work ethic and responsible spending.
The other half either has shit work ethic, or, shit spending. Or both.
And I worked in a very much revolving door industry so I’ve seen a lot of faces in my time at this point.
The other half that had their shit together, every single one of them that I stayed in touch with over the years later, is now living comfortable in their 30s.
And when the topic comes up about so-and-so who was in the “doesn’t have their shit together” group, it’s either:
I also largely attribute this issue to undiagnosed mental disorders, and the west’s total lack of caretaking of them.
I’d sat the vast majority of those “doesn’t gave their shit together” folks struck me as having undiagnosed disorders and a total lack of support for it.
Which sucks, unfortunately, and I say that as someone who was in that group for a bit. You have to fight tooth and nail to get help in western capitalism.
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I dont smoke, I’ve never done drugs, and I drink a few times a year. Have I been guilty of a few frivolous purchases in the past? Sure, but now I literally do not have the money, so I can’t. I just make lists of things I’d like to buy “someday.”
I’ve gone out and bought a $7 rotisserie chicken, a $3 bag of noodles and a $3 bag of carrots, thrown them in a pot with a bunch of garlic, spices and water, slow cooked them for an entire day, then pulled out the chicken, ripped off all the meat, discarded the carcass, and lived for an entire month off that soup. I was sooo sick of chicken noodle soup.
But I shouldn’t have to. Why should I work my ass off for companies who make more and more profits while my rent goes up, food costs more and more, and every other fucking bill goes up, yet if I ask for a raise I’m a lazy millenial?
Have some fucking empathy.
Oh dear, thought I recognized that name and vibe. You’re not here to repeat this kind of thing again, are you?
https://lemmy.world/post/11830662