this post was submitted on 11 Nov 2023
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Work Reform

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[–] Kalkaline@leminal.space 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/02/middle-class-income-in-major-us-cities.html maybe you're defining the middle class differently than I am. $300/month is 10% of the low end of that income level. 10% of total income is a generally considered a good target for retirement savings.

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Again- how many 20-year-olds have $300 a month to invest? How many middle class people in 2023 have 10% of their income to spare? It may be a good target. That doesn't make it achievable when 62% of Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck. They don't have 10%. They don't have 1%.

As far as any spare income I have? It goes to paying down medical debt.

[–] agent_flounder@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Yeah it's unlikely. Saving 1-10% assumes you're making a livable amount of money with a bit extra, versus living paycheck to paycheck even after cutting all but the most vital expenses. (Ed- and not in significant debt)

Things were a lot different when I was in my 20s compared to now. A single job at an hourly wage used to actually be almost doable.