The most affluent consumers account for a bigger share of total US spending, reinforcing the lopsided dynamic of unbothered consumption for the wealthy and more cautious shopping for everyone else.
alexa whats a K-shaped economy
Once again, you cannot have a consumerist society where the average consumer cannot afford shit.
I’ve been saying this for years. Seems like nobody listens.
Coincidentally, while walking through the grocery stores I find myself gravitating towards the cheaper lower-quality mass-produced food of my childhood.
Sadly, some of that lower quality stuff has become legit dogwater. The modern Hamburger Helper is disappointment in a box. A storebrand “lasagna skillet meal” is childhood joy these days.
You don’t need that garbage any way. Just buy egg noodles or lasagna.
Only buy from local businesses this holiday season.
And before you spend your money locally, find out if the business supports maga. Not one cent should ever go to a maga business.
Spending blackout against fascism.
Just invest more in advertising, that’ll fix it.
As someone who works in marketing, I support this decision
Sorry folks but im not so keen to spend without an income.
That doesn’t concern them too much.
The Ultra Wealthy basically.
My shoes have holes in them and i use instant coffee and eat rice & beans most days. I havent been to a salon in 4 years. I cant afford the fruits of my own labor and im on medicaid. I work a skilled union job. They told me i should apply for unemployment when it gets slow.
I’ve gotten fairly skilled at mending my own cloths as of late. And fixing my shoes.
By “skilled” I mean I can keep my junk from flapping in the breeze, which IMO is good enough.
It’s getting rough out there, and I can’t afford to buy that shit now. Thread is cheap, sewing needles are cheap, and extra fabric is easy AF to come by.
I guess casual nudity can become the fashion trend. “Food or clothes? Pick one.”
This is why malls either die or become luxury outlets.
I dunno how they expect to keep any kind of economy when the vast majority have no money to spend.
We should remind them that our labor needs to be worth enough for us to spend that value, otherwise they’re in for a loss as well.
Let’s imagine it getting as lopsided as humanly possible. Imagine if 95% of the income is concentrated in 10% of the population. There could be just as much commerce om theory even if the other 90% have no medical care and are literally eating ramen and dying in the streets in the short term just with higher prices. Just virtually entirely in support of the few.
But wouldn’ that make everything more expensive as the economy of scale would fail? So they end up with hyper inflation?
95% of the income is concentrated in 10% of the population
New feudal overloads: “Seems about right!”
I can spend money but I refuse to spend any expendable income on the US economy because I’m boycotting this bullshit. All that money goes to importing trading cards and origami paper from Japan.
Same. I started cutting back on everything I could at the beginning of the year.
Switched from fast food to takeout from local restaurants, canceled all my Amazon subscribe and save orders, and bought everything I possibly could from Costco. I’ve actually saved a lot this year.
Yeah I’ve been digging living more modestly. I’ve noticed how much less stress I have because I don’t always think about consuming and spending. I’m a lot healthier now because of it too cutting out fast food in replacement of local places since now I don’t eat out as much and eat better at the house. Now I just sit around folding origami and avoid all that other bullshit
I spend more of my free time gaming because it’s cheap and there have been fantastic games released lately. Definitely more depressed this year but it’s just the state of the world. Doing what I can to protect my peace. It’s kinda felt kinda like covid all over again.
Gaming has been nice but agreed. I’ve gotten much more reclusive. I’m usually a homebody so it’s okay but the state of the US is pretty fucking miserable. I definitely seek joy in the little things more so I don’t kind of lose my mind with all the cynicism winning all over the world
TFW the parking lot at dollar tree is full of beemers and Benz.
This is one thing that those supporting runaway capitalism don’t seem to understand. Money ultimately flows up. It relies on a bunch of people closer to the bottom to start that flow. The more people taking part, the better. Each consumer can put in a little if the number of consumers is high.
If market prices go up so far that the people at the bottom can’t initiate that flow, then the system fails. Money doesn’t flow at all, and those at the top start taking losses. Dominoes fall. The system needs consumers to be able to afford goods. It’s one reason why prices cannot just go up until the end of time. You can’t squeeze blood from a stone.
But so many of these rich folks now are under the impression that money just flows in without understanding from where. Prices just go up, as if it were an infinite money glitch. These people will eventually have an awakening.
This is one thing that those supporting
runawaycapitalism don’t seem to understand.I feel that it’s been pretty well demonstrated that all capitalism is runaway. It may take decades, but it will run away, get out of control, and eat itself. It’s the nature of the beast.
This is one of my economic reasons for progessive taxes even with corporations and investments. If its progressive the richer you are the better you have to be to keep making the same amount of profit. Rich people have to be smarter, larger corporations have to be more efficient, investments have to be sensible. All our tax cuts have resulted in idiots at the highest levels. Pro baseball should not be playing t-ball. The farther you go the harder it should get. The first million should be the easiest.
That is altogether too damn sensible to be accepted by anyone.
The last 3 years have been spending on basic survival ONLY for us, we are vintage dealers as well so no new clothing etc; our outfits are rad as fuck and our 4 year old dresses like an 80s photo.
The only way to survive this economy is to make yourself indispensable to the billionaire class, something I refuse to do…. Working people have to support each other, cause no one else will
And this is going to suck for the American economy.
A large part of the economy is built on providing goods and services to all members of the economy. The economy is going to suck when half of it can’t afford to spend.
Imagine having to deal with bullshit like this all day as your job.
This is a repeat of ancient Roman history.
The wealthy elite became so wealthy that they could insulate themselves from the rest of the country and economy … they had so much money that they could make, produce and build everything they needed for themselves … while the rest of the world degraded and fell apart.
And as soon as enough of the world and it’s people fell apart and became a lawless land … everyone started attacking one another, especially the insulated wealthy elites.
We’re on our way now folks … if I don’t see you in the future hellscape, my ghost will.
I can’t wait til we start drinking water from lead pipes and slowly got deranged as a community.
I can’t wait til we can strike fear into their shriveled little hearts.
