Gotta have a big lunch after skipping breakfast all the time.
It’s giving $10 banana vibes
This is the new avocado toast slur that boomers are gonna use to describe the younger generations lack of not being able to afford anything.
Yeah how much does lunch cost when you include the cost of a private jet flight to a pedo island?
i want to jam his face into a waffle iron
I will pay $30,000 for this plan for a 25% stake in his pain.
That’s a business plan I can get behind
Its $28 because you rich assholes ruin everything
So we are not talking about the fact, that he wears two watches???
$70,000 is a lot more than the median individual income. You can probably afford to spend a bit on lunch if you’re single and making that amount.
Yeah if he thinks 70k is poor… Woah buddy
I’m not quite sure how to interpret this. Unless you’re single in a low COL area, 70k in 2026 IS poor. Or, more accurately, it does not give someone everything that defined the post war “middle class” leaving you working poor or just old fashioned poor. The decision in the 90s to tell a technical-truth-lie about inflation to underreport it by 1-2% per year did wonders for juicing the economy, but now it’s time to pay the piper so to speak. Median personal income in 2024 was $45k, but after 30 years (Rule of 70) of underreported inflation it should be almost twice that.
I’m curious: what do you mean by under reported inflation, and do you have any resources to read further?
TLDR version: In the 90s the owners realized that if you lie about inflation you could keep COLA down and pocket the difference. 1-2% a year seems like they’re just skimming the top, but do that over decades and you’ve stolen HALF of incomes, which we are close to reaching. Poor numeracy skills, specifically not understanding exponential growth and the Rule of 69/70/72, has allowed this long con to be run on workers.
Further reading: The BLS uses a host of ‘sounds reasonable’ tools to adjust inflation that were introduced or reworked in the 90s. Hedonic adjustments, OER, substitutions, outlet substitutions, and chained CPI all seem reasonable from a certain angle (which of course is the one BLS presents you), but each one breaks down when confronted with the real world, how human being experience the economy, and time. They’re tools that measure utility in a vacuum, not lifestyle or ripple effect or material reality. Hedonic adjustments is an extra special lie, because it’s a microcosm of the current big economic lie- “yeah, everything is worse now than a few years ago, but look how big your TV/LLM is!”
Also read up on Labor Force Participation Rate, a seemingly reasonable measure which is used to keep unemployment numbers looking better.
“Lies, damn lies, and statistics” - Twain
Also the BLS just isn’t even using actual data for something like 1/3 of the components of the CPI.
Budget cuts, DOGE, no staff to do the actual price surveys.
So, those hedonic adjustments?
At least 1/3 of the data points that go into those hedonic adjustments… well they are just generated by models that say ‘what they should be’.
Look into ‘imputation’ in the actual reports if you want.
It just keeps getting worse, the more onion layers you peel back.
The other one that to me is just laughably stupid is how housing prices are estimated for the purposes of the CPI.
They basically just survey homeowners and ask them ‘how much do you think your home fetch on the rental market?’
This is completely fucking insane imo.
Why not just actually ask people what the monthly total cost of owning their home is?
Oh its because well housing is an investment.
Except that if the monthly total cost of ‘owning’ the home exceeds the amount you think you could rent it out for, well, then you’re basically underwater on a cost flow basis, because, you know, the cost of homeownership is… higher than its equivalent rent.
And if that condition persists… you will likely not be a homeowner for too much longer.
Yep, totally an ‘investment’.
And if you counted actual ongoing homeownership costs, well, then you’d, you know, actually track ongoing homeownership costs, in the price index, that is ostensibly meant to measure … ongoing costs.
It makes no fucking sense, other than as a way of depressing the housing component of the CPI when a housing market implosion is occuring, it assumes things we know are not historically true about the home and rental markets, when a bubble is popping.
Yes! Someone who gets it. It’s worth pointing out that my “1-2% a year” is a highly conservative estimate based on the aspects of CPI that are objectively questioned by respected economists. If we broaden it to more subjective analysis by a wider range of academics it’s 3-4% per year. Finally, if we really step back and ask some big questions, 5% is not outside the realm of possible.
I am guessing that the both of us share in common something like a data anaylst or accountant background, degrees relevant to something like that…
You have to actually understand statistics, math, the relevant background concepts and terms.
Almost no ‘normal’ person bothers with all this, unless they’re getting paid to.
But yeah… actual academic economists have been pulling their hair out over this kind of shit for decades, they have actually complex stances on this stuff and do novel research and such.
But the pop culture version of an economist is basically either A) some kind of corpo sell out who just justifies things for the company B) highly connected old money goober type that ends up at the Fed or a major bank C) fucking larry kudlow or jim cramer D) insane political ideologue who somehow happened to get an econ degree and then entirely use that to be a political ideologue.
Anyway, what I remember of game theory with imperfect information strongly suggests to me that we are all compketely fucked for the forseeable medium term, lol.
I make if I am lucky 35k this year. Fucker if I made double that then I could afford this. But fuck that asshole. Billionaires should never tell us how to live.
He’s not a billionaire. He’s a millionaire trying to suck up to billionaires.
It depends where you live. 70k in a big city area barely covers rent on a studio apartment.
First if you want to spend $28 on lunch do it just to spite big Kev.
I’m single and make about twice that figure and there is zero chance I would spend $28 on lunch let alone on any kind of recurring basis. People just need to do the little things that make them happy, if thats eating out do it.
$28 is like two sushi rolls or two of anything really… hell soda costs $3+ and a burger $15ish
It’s not that hard to spend a lot eating out even for lunch, it’s crazy. Prices have at least doubled in the last few years since covid. Companies are making up for their lost months of profits from shutdown and terrible republican admins fucking up everything and killing regulations and any safeguards or anything consumer friendly. 80% beef costs twice what 95% used to years ago and it’s not stocked anymore
For me the issue is for a five day work week it’s $540 a month, and that’s say a downpipe for my car, for me thats more important.
We’re all grown ups so spend your money where you think it will improve your life. When I was Gen Z’s age I spent more than I should on car stuff because cars are my thing.
Oh for sure and wouldn’t eat like that daily. Just doing is very easy to spend that much eating out even for lunch or breakfast not even dinner
I also think paying over 300/ month on a car is crazy and people getting 8 year loans right now is insane
Obviously, if you’re poor, you don’t deserve any scrap of comfort because it’s a moral failing on your part and definitely not a top down systemic problem that caused it /s
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I’m single and make about twice that figure and there is zero chance I would spend $28 on lunch let alone on any kind of recurring basis.
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People just need to do the little things that make them happy, if thats eating out do it.
How can you suggest 2. If you believe 1.? It’s twice as unreasonable if somebody makes $70,000 and even more for the majority who makes less.
Eating out once in a while is a little thing. Spending $28 on lunch every day is not a little thing anymore.
Because eating out isn’t my thing especially lunch. For me the money spent on eating out is money I’d rather spend on a performance part for my car.
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Per day, that’d be 1/7th of the annual pretax income.
Is it usual in america for people to eat seven meals per day? Explains much if true.
Just world fallacy
If I’ve read all the past posts from people in the USA correctly, it’s not lunch that’s expensive but the healthcare to stay alive.
This. I’m paying nearly $500 a month for shitty insurance that I literally can’t afford the co-pays to actually use. I would literally just go uninsured if my employer weren’t reimbursing me for the premium. It’s functionally the same thing.
I haven’t seen a doctor in over 20 years. I didn’t have insurance for most of that time. I’ve finally had insurance in the last five years or so, but now I can’t find a doctor my insurance covers that is taking new patients.
I work at a hospital that provides hospital based insurance for their employees. I paid more in copays to use their Physical Therapy staffed by PT students than it was to go to a local out of network PT place.
They still couldn’t determine exactly how I injured my knee not how to help. This, in addition to all the steps it took to get to the Rehab referral aspect wiped out 2 years of my FSA
Is there a place near where y’all work that lunch is still reasonably priced?
My whole foods near me does take away warm chicken for super cheap. You get a bunch of wings for like 3.50, or a few chicken legs, or a leg and a thigh. It’s a decent enough deal I eat it a few times a week.
Oh shit nice
Check yours it’s pretty clutch for a quick cheap meal!
Nearest whole foods is over an hour lol
Ahh nevermind then! 🤣
We didn’t have lunch today
If you eat 28 lunch 3 times a day every day it will be $30660 per year. $30660 a year will not make you not poor in most of America, so might as well eat well.
$30k extra would make a huge difference, though. I get the point you’re trying to make, but your example is flawed. People shouldn’t have to choose between eating well and not having to work until they die. A more effective way to re-frame this would be “Why does lunch cost $28?”
would make a huge difference
would make jack fuck. If there is no inflation (lol) and you want to scrounge enough money to have something to just about survive, you can start saving 30k per year right now, and in 53 years you will meet your goal.
The realistic question is “will I be alive in 53 years” and realistic answer for most of us is “what the fuck of course no”. But if you’re a toddler and have some stupid ideas about the existance of the future still, then yeah, you could start asking why does lunch costs $28, or why do you need to not eat now to eat later, shouldn’t be there some smarter system about it.Sounds like you know fuck all about finance. “If there’s no inflation.” Uh, yeah. That 30k a year is beating inflation by a LOT in any sort of investment.
I didn’t want to calculate compound interests and whatever the fuck else. It doesn’t matter, if it’s 53 years, 60 years or 40 years. If you stop eating now so you can start eating in 40 years, your life wasn’t worth living anyway.
That is your retirement right there. Plug those numbers into a retirement calculator.
Was it worth it?
If you don’t afford yourself good things, and don’t spend any money, you can remove it from the economy so when you’re old and can’t work anymore, you can fight with billionaires to get a portion of that money back so you can afford one instance of medical help.
Who am I kidding, there will be no medical care by the time you retire.
JFC. Are people really this bad at home economics?
It’s insulting that this guy says 70k like it’s a low salary (for “kids” as he says). I make a quarter of that. I also know a lot more retired old people who never made close to that in their lifetime than ones who did make that much
And if I did make that much it would still feel insulting because I’m pretty sure most people making 70k can easily afford weekly $28 lunches…
Edit: Just saw that this motherfucker is wearing two expensive watches on the photo… absolutely repulsive person
Adjusted for inflation the average worker in the 80’s and 90’s made way more than 70k a yr. I made 60k in 2000, that’s $120k today.
Yeah the fact that the wages are stagnating is another thing, I’m just saying from where me and most of the people of all ages in my life are standing, 70k is a lot.
Depends on the city you live in and your situation. Single in a small town 70k good. Family of 4 in the city and you wouldn’t even qualify for a home loan and are probably in assistance.
70k is 3,5k/mo after taxes in my country. Doesnt really matter where you live with that you could be paying 2500 in rent and still be loaded for the month. Look all I’m saying is this O’Leary guy is a fucking prick and most people never see 70k in their lifetime
You say “loaded” but you wouldn’t be able to pay for college without debt, wouldn’t be able to buy a house, wouldn’t be able to afford to retire, or save much, couldn’t afford vacations, and couldn’t even afford a new economy car.
That isn’t loaded, that’s being poor.
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This is exactly what is expected to happen. People complaining/arguing but not complaining/arguing about the correct issue.
70k by everyone’s standards other than the top 1% is a lot of money, because we have always had to focus on surviving and can make that amount work. Life isnt going to be roses, but it will be life. It really does come down to buying power, but also priority. Back in the 70/80s buying tech (tvs, computers) was insanely expensive. Now you can pick up a 65in for like 200usd. Back in the 90s a new car was under 10k. Now a decent car bought new is 35/40k. Housing…I am not even going to touch it. I bought a 5 bedroom 2400sq ft for 89k in PA in the early 2000s, now that house on zillow is 350k. I only had it a year and I sold it for 85k after closing and everything. Prices for things have flipped for a lot of items that used to be luxury compared to necessity. That’s how we can afford avocado toast because we can only afford eggs/bread/ and a single avocado.
I dont want to start a 2nd argument, and I am not confident I am getting my point across. I just feel all that are here arguing should not be arguing amongst ourselves since we are essentially in the same boat amd should be putting our efforts at the real issue.
A lot of older folks made more than 70k by a fair margin when you account for buying power and quality of life.
You have to adjust numbers for more then just inflation if you want a remotely accurate comparison.
Oh no! Another asshole billionaire who is out of touch with reality. Whatever will we do?
