Show Notes
The affordability crisis isn’t improving. Gas is above $4 per gallon, inflation just hit 3.7%, and paychecks aren’t keeping pace. This is a tough spot for the American economy, but why does it feel like we’re getting hit on all sides of the affordability spectrum? Today, I’m breaking down the American household’s affordability crisis, and whether it’s a modern spending problem or something much, much deeper.
We’re going into each lever that’s curbing affordability in the United States: wages, prices, savings rates, which generations are being hit hardest (not much of a surprise), overconsumption, and subscriptions that used to be one-time charges. I’ll also track the progress from the past three decades (2019, 2009, and 1999) to see where we went so wrong.
If you make more money than ever but are still shocked by how little you can save or how much necessities cost, you’re not alone. We’re breaking down why Americans feel so squeezed, which prices are hitting hardest, and why a pay raise (unless it’s colossal) may not be enough to solve this.
In This Episode We Cover
The affordability crisis broken down and why rising wages aren’t solving the problem
The biggest price jumps on products and services that are outpacing wages
America’s biggest failure when it comes to economically setting up the next generation
Why even the higher-income earners still feel broke in 2026’s economy
Generations that are hit the hardest by a myriad of expenses
The overconsumption and subscription traps that are keeping Americans spending
What real estate investors must do to prepare now for the affordability crisis among renters
And So Much More!
Links from the Show
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Property Manager Finder
Dave's BiggerPockets Profile
On the Market 469 - A Housing Market “Recovery” Is Further Away Than We Thought
Grab the Book, Recession-Proof Real Estate Investing
Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/on-the-market-471.
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