If there’s a “cost of living crisis,” why are roads packed, gas guzzlers everywhere, and restaurants and bars still full?

[Anonymous]

[lightbulb27]

credit cards!

I heard from a realtor how so many in our nearby rich area... people are one paycheck from losing it all.

Bars fill up more when there are problems, humans don't evolve very fast and are addicted. That's why recessions/depressions are good... they flush out the problems/addictions and open opportunity for what's good and next. a lot of companies are formed during such times.

Problem of course is it's very harsh and bad so govt avoids these... they've been printing their way out of these, so the "fraud/addictions" are pent up to higher levels than ever before. Thus, the ensuing crash and consequence can be so much greater.

[lightbulb27]

by consequence I mean fraud.

[DrPepper12]

As far as the gas guzzlers, Americans continue to demand fuel and efficient vehicles and the Republican Party continues to deny climate change and given the tariff situation nobody's going to be selling these gas guzzlers because there's going to be no buyer so they're stuck with them.

As far as bars and restaurants being packed, it's an affordable diversion and alcohol can help cloud the mind to forget the current dystopia we're living in.

[Agape93]

Because people have no concept of budget that's why so many bitch about being poor whilst making bad choices.

[alice55]

Becuase everyone is not poor don't mean there's not poor people...

[Syntosi]

How would those things be contrary to a cost of living crisis? Many people needs cars to work and if they are struggling financially then they need to work more to keep up. "Gas guzzlers" are cheaper to buy and if people are working all the time to keep up with the cost of living then they might choose to eat at restaurants to save time. As for bars, its a simple way to get a few hours of entertainment squeezed into your busy work schedule and forget your shitty life.

All these things can co-exist with a cost of living crisis.

[NaultD]

Supply and demand. Luxuries are dirt cheap today. A one hour long distance phone call back in the 90s is more expensive then a monthly smart phone bill with unlimited internet, that can video call 100 different people from all over the globe every day of the month.

So that's what happened to Luxury goods the Supply is so massive that it's cheap.

Housing is on the other hand is purposely scarce to increase home value.

[exitseven]

everyone has 3 or 4 credit cards. Americans have run up a record 1.2 trillion in credit card debt since 2020. If nobody pays their credit cards, what are they gonna do?

[Spencer10]

Because too many people fund their lives with debt. Many live beyond their means.

[jahaims]

Poor people can't be picky with vehicles and plenty of people make bad financial choices.