FatZilla said:

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Its Texas Aggies, dammit said:

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FatZilla said:

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infinity ag said:

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For me it's not a matter of a wealth gap it's a matter of people in the middle class being able to spend on discretionary items while also being able to save responsibly. Right now a lot of people are struggling to make ends meet. I don't care if rich people get richer. Good for them. I want the middle class to simultaneously thrive. And I want people in the lower class to have good opportunities to advance into the middle class.

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The issue is the rich are getting richer at the cost of middle class. So while Steve Moneybags goes from $100M to $200M, you see Steve Middleclass go from $50k to $52k.

Now if we could get Mr Middleclass to go from $50k to $100k AND Mr Moneybags go from $100M to whatever Million, I am all for it. But middle class and poor in America remain where they are.

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Nothing stops middle from going 50k to 100k other than incompetence and unwillingness to learn investing and the discipline to actually save money instead of blowing everything as you earn it.

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Wow. That is a simplistic take if I have ever heard one. Yes, success is possible. At the same time, younger people have the deck stacked against them in so many ways. The wealth divide is worse than ever. The broken money has a lot to do with it. And I predict that there will be a bloodbath in the mid-term elections as a result. Money printing has far-reaching consequences. www.wtfhppenedin1971.com tells the story.

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Except its not. Wealth gap between middle and upper class has zero bearing on personal fiscal discipline at every level. Elon Musk having billions has no impact on my ability or anyone elses to save and invest what i can. This generation doesn't save. They blow money on credit like interest doesn't exist and then wonder why they are broke. Inflation and spending power is a whole different ballgame but that wasn't the topic, wealth gap was.

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I agree that discipline is necessary in order to generate wealth. That does not change the fact that debasement of the currency disproportionally affects people in the middle class and below, effectively making it harder for them to improve their situation financially. When, for example, 40% of the dollars to ever exist were printed during Covid, wage earners who had few assets suffered disproportionately, while those at the top of the food chain got even richer because of the appreciation of their assets. If our money could not be printed out of thin air, the benefits of technological progress would not flow so disproportionately to those in the top percentiles of wealth. Compare median income to median home price in the past versus now. People use their homes as piggy banks to try to escape debasement of the currency. As a result, it is a lot harder for young people to get into their first home than it was in the past.

Tony Franklins Other Shoe said:

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BBRex said:

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techno-ag said:

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https://www.newsnationnow.com/business/slop-bowl-sales-warning-restaurant-chains/

Bidenflation really did a number on restaurants. Hardly a week goes by we don't hear about another one shutting down here in C-Stat.

Quote:

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Several restaurant chains are sounding the alarm about their customers' attitudes as the country's economy worsens due to inflation and slow hiring numbers.

Chipotle, Sweetgreen and Cava all purveyors of "slop bowls" have seen their stocks drop dramatically in 2025. Chipotle's stock is down about 50% for the year, while Cava has seen a 60% decline. Sweetgreen last week revealed in its earnings that same-store sales slid 9.5% and visits fell nearly 12%.

"The 25-to-35 (year old) consumer is the most under pressure, and they make up about 30% of our consumer base," Sweetgreen's CFO Jamie McConnell said.

Chipotle's CEO Scott Boatwright added the chain is not losing its consumer base to competition, but instead to grocery stores and people eating at home.

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Maybe it's a good thing young people learn how to cook for themselves. It's way cheaper. Maybe they'll learn to brew their own coffee too.

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If you're living alone or are just a couple, I'm not so sure it's that much cheaper to cook at home than dine out. It is healthier, and good practice for when you do have a family, but I don't think you're saving much money.

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A LOT cheaper. Since we are empty nesters, a couple of loaded baked potatoes are maybe 6 bucks all in. A ceaser salad with a some bacon or chicken is the same range for 2. There are about a dozen soups you can make and have extra. Chicken noodle, vegetable, vegetable beef, etc. Some roasted vegetables alone is great. It's all about "want to" and a hell of a lot healthier than most other options and you don't have to drive anywhere. They should put their phones down and get at it, pretty easy to plan 5 meals during the week and save that $150-200.

Oh yeah, RIP Tanya.

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Its Texas Aggies, dammit said:

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FatZilla said:

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Its Texas Aggies, dammit said:

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FatZilla said:

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infinity ag said:

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Quote:

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For me it's not a matter of a wealth gap it's a matter of people in the middle class being able to spend on discretionary items while also being able to save responsibly. Right now a lot of people are struggling to make ends meet. I don't care if rich people get richer. Good for them. I want the middle class to simultaneously thrive. And I want people in the lower class to have good opportunities to advance into the middle class.

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The issue is the rich are getting richer at the cost of middle class. So while Steve Moneybags goes from $100M to $200M, you see Steve Middleclass go from $50k to $52k.

Now if we could get Mr Middleclass to go from $50k to $100k AND Mr Moneybags go from $100M to whatever Million, I am all for it. But middle class and poor in America remain where they are.

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Nothing stops middle from going 50k to 100k other than incompetence and unwillingness to learn investing and the discipline to actually save money instead of blowing everything as you earn it.

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Wow. That is a simplistic take if I have ever heard one. Yes, success is possible. At the same time, younger people have the deck stacked against them in so many ways. The wealth divide is worse than ever. The broken money has a lot to do with it. And I predict that there will be a bloodbath in the mid-term elections as a result. Money printing has far-reaching consequences. www.wtfhppenedin1971.com tells the story.

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Except its not. Wealth gap between middle and upper class has zero bearing on personal fiscal discipline at every level. Elon Musk having billions has no impact on my ability or anyone elses to save and invest what i can. This generation doesn't save. They blow money on credit like interest doesn't exist and then wonder why they are broke. Inflation and spending power is a whole different ballgame but that wasn't the topic, wealth gap was.

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I agree that discipline is necessary in order to generate wealth. That does not change the fact that debasement of the currency disproportionally affects people in the middle class and below, effectively making it harder for them to improve their situation financially. When, for example, 40% of the dollars to ever exist were printed during Covid, wage earners who had few assets suffered disproportionately, while those at the top of the food chain got even richer because of the appreciation of their assets. If our money could not be printed out of thin air, the benefits of technological progress would not flow so disproportionately to those in the top percentiles of wealth. Compare median income to median home price in the past versus now. People use their homes as piggy banks to try to escape debasement of the currency. As a result, it is a lot harder for young people to get into their first home than it was in the past.

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Great post.

Advocating against money printing that obviously causes massive inflation and disallows the ability to save money and invest due to now having to put more money towards basic every day goods is not socialism or making excuses for people.

TheMasterplan said:

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Its Texas Aggies, dammit said:

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FatZilla said:

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Its Texas Aggies, dammit said:

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FatZilla said:

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infinity ag said:

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Quote:

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For me it's not a matter of a wealth gap it's a matter of people in the middle class being able to spend on discretionary items while also being able to save responsibly. Right now a lot of people are struggling to make ends meet. I don't care if rich people get richer. Good for them. I want the middle class to simultaneously thrive. And I want people in the lower class to have good opportunities to advance into the middle class.

---

The issue is the rich are getting richer at the cost of middle class. So while Steve Moneybags goes from $100M to $200M, you see Steve Middleclass go from $50k to $52k.

Now if we could get Mr Middleclass to go from $50k to $100k AND Mr Moneybags go from $100M to whatever Million, I am all for it. But middle class and poor in America remain where they are.

---

Nothing stops middle from going 50k to 100k other than incompetence and unwillingness to learn investing and the discipline to actually save money instead of blowing everything as you earn it.

---

Wow. That is a simplistic take if I have ever heard one. Yes, success is possible. At the same time, younger people have the deck stacked against them in so many ways. The wealth divide is worse than ever. The broken money has a lot to do with it. And I predict that there will be a bloodbath in the mid-term elections as a result. Money printing has far-reaching consequences. www.wtfhppenedin1971.com tells the story.

---

Except its not. Wealth gap between middle and upper class has zero bearing on personal fiscal discipline at every level. Elon Musk having billions has no impact on my ability or anyone elses to save and invest what i can. This generation doesn't save. They blow money on credit like interest doesn't exist and then wonder why they are broke. Inflation and spending power is a whole different ballgame but that wasn't the topic, wealth gap was.

---

I agree that discipline is necessary in order to generate wealth. That does not change the fact that debasement of the currency disproportionally affects people in the middle class and below, effectively making it harder for them to improve their situation financially. When, for example, 40% of the dollars to ever exist were printed during Covid, wage earners who had few assets suffered disproportionately, while those at the top of the food chain got even richer because of the appreciation of their assets. If our money could not be printed out of thin air, the benefits of technological progress would not flow so disproportionately to those in the top percentiles of wealth. Compare median income to median home price in the past versus now. People use their homes as piggy banks to try to escape debasement of the currency. As a result, it is a lot harder for young people to get into their first home than it was in the past.

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Great post.

Advocating against money printing that obviously causes massive inflation and disallows the ability to save money and invest due to now having to put more money towards basic every day goods is not socialism or making excuses for people.

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Ditto.

Judging by the size of the average person, over eating is still the national pastime and will continue thru the holidays.

5Amp said:

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Judging by the size of the average person, over eating is still the national pastime and will continue thru the holidays.

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Hopefully all the leftovers from a nice family meal and not fast food or convenience store packaged foods bought on a SNAP card.

techno-ag said:

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5Amp said:

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Judging by the size of the average person, over eating is still the national pastime and will continue thru the holidays.

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Hopefully all the leftovers from a nice family meal and not fast food or convenience store packaged foods bought on a SNAP card.

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The meal was cheaper this year other than peanut oil. Holy cow! That stuff is worth more than gold.

They're talking airfyers for turkeys on the OB. Folks there swear by it.

BBRex said:

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techno-ag said:

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https://www.newsnationnow.com/business/slop-bowl-sales-warning-restaurant-chains/

Bidenflation really did a number on restaurants. Hardly a week goes by we don't hear about another one shutting down here in C-Stat.

Quote:

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Several restaurant chains are sounding the alarm about their customers' attitudes as the country's economy worsens due to inflation and slow hiring numbers.

Chipotle, Sweetgreen and Cava all purveyors of "slop bowls" have seen their stocks drop dramatically in 2025. Chipotle's stock is down about 50% for the year, while Cava has seen a 60% decline. Sweetgreen last week revealed in its earnings that same-store sales slid 9.5% and visits fell nearly 12%.

"The 25-to-35 (year old) consumer is the most under pressure, and they make up about 30% of our consumer base," Sweetgreen's CFO Jamie McConnell said.

Chipotle's CEO Scott Boatwright added the chain is not losing its consumer base to competition, but instead to grocery stores and people eating at home.

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Maybe it's a good thing young people learn how to cook for themselves. It's way cheaper. Maybe they'll learn to brew their own coffee too.

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If you're living alone or are just a couple, I'm not so sure it's that much cheaper to cook at home than dine out. It is healthier, and good practice for when you do have a family, but I don't think you're saving much money.

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Tell us you eat out once a year, lol. Or, when you're "sure", report back.

5Amp said:

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Judging by the size of the average person, over eating is still the national pastime and will continue thru the holidays.

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I just got a GF Electric Grill. Cheap one, can make burgers/chicken indoors as it is too cold outside.

PS: I am not a fatty.

5Amp said:

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Judging by the size of the average person, over eating is still the national pastime and will continue thru the holidays.

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I feel attacked...

I took my family of 4 on vacation to NOLA for thanksgiving. I managed to get off for one meal right at $40, everything else was $80+ and most were $130+. I haven't looked at the total bills yet but for 3 days and 3 nights I bet I spent $800-1000 just on food and I don't eat much. We haven't gone anywhere as a family in a few years so it's not that big of a deal but holy smokes.

Was it cheaper than groceries?

We ended up finding some door dash options with $0.50 delivery so we dashed groceries and made a charcuterie board and pizza for dinner last night. Still expensive but cheaper than going somewhere while we watched the Aggies choke

G. hirsutum Ag said:

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I took my family of 4 on vacation to NOLA for thanksgiving. I managed to get off for one meal right at $40, everything else was $80+ and most were $130+. I haven't looked at the total bills yet but for 3 days and 3 nights I bet I spent $800-1000 just on food and I don't eat much. We haven't gone anywhere as a family in a few years so it's not that big of a deal but holy smokes.

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It's just crazy right now. Been making plans to go to Telluride this summer and the expenses are off the charts. Not sure how a lot of people can afford vacation anymore. Maybe I'm doing it wrong and there are some tricks I'm missing but it's brutal right now.

The ONLY way I can justify it is I cashed in all my card points for the hotel so I didn't have to pay for the rooms. We ate cheap too. Sandwiches, burgers, chicken, no alcohol at the restaurants and there was only one thing that we planned to do for entertainment. Probably ran $450/day. Insanity.

i think a very large number of people are depleting their savings cause they simply dont know how else to live. Nobody goes backwards until they have to.

ts5641 said:

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G. hirsutum Ag said:

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I took my family of 4 on vacation to NOLA for thanksgiving. I managed to get off for one meal right at $40, everything else was $80+ and most were $130+. I haven't looked at the total bills yet but for 3 days and 3 nights I bet I spent $800-1000 just on food and I don't eat much. We haven't gone anywhere as a family in a few years so it's not that big of a deal but holy smokes.

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It's just crazy right now. Been making plans to go to Telluride this summer and the expenses are off the charts. Not sure how a lot of people can afford vacation anymore. Maybe I'm doing it wrong and there are some tricks I'm missing but it's brutal right now.

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Its proven pretty prohibitive. A combination of driving and using the hotel points accumulated allows some limited excursions.

techno-ag said:

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https://www.newsnationnow.com/business/slop-bowl-sales-warning-restaurant-chains/

Bidenflation really did a number on restaurants. Hardly a week goes by we don't hear about another one shutting down here in C-Stat.

Quote:

---

Several restaurant chains are sounding the alarm about their customers' attitudes as the country's economy worsens due to inflation and slow hiring numbers.

Chipotle, Sweetgreen and Cava all purveyors of "slop bowls" have seen their stocks drop dramatically in 2025. Chipotle's stock is down about 50% for the year, while Cava has seen a 60% decline. Sweetgreen last week revealed in its earnings that same-store sales slid 9.5% and visits fell nearly 12%.

"The 25-to-35 (year old) consumer is the most under pressure, and they make up about 30% of our consumer base," Sweetgreen's CFO Jamie McConnell said.

Chipotle's CEO Scott Boatwright added the chain is not losing its consumer base to competition, but instead to grocery stores and people eating at home.

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Maybe it's a good thing young people learn how to cook for themselves. It's way cheaper. Maybe they'll learn to brew their own coffee too.

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Why would I spend $18 on a chipotle burrito with a thimble of meat, when I can go to a street stand and pay $10 for one loaded with meat? Chipotle's business model is trash.

I don't mind going to restaurants, if there's VALUE.

M4 Benelli said:

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techno-ag said:

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https://www.newsnationnow.com/business/slop-bowl-sales-warning-restaurant-chains/

Bidenflation really did a number on restaurants. Hardly a week goes by we don't hear about another one shutting down here in C-Stat.

Quote:

---

Several restaurant chains are sounding the alarm about their customers' attitudes as the country's economy worsens due to inflation and slow hiring numbers.

Chipotle, Sweetgreen and Cava all purveyors of "slop bowls" have seen their stocks drop dramatically in 2025. Chipotle's stock is down about 50% for the year, while Cava has seen a 60% decline. Sweetgreen last week revealed in its earnings that same-store sales slid 9.5% and visits fell nearly 12%.

"The 25-to-35 (year old) consumer is the most under pressure, and they make up about 30% of our consumer base," Sweetgreen's CFO Jamie McConnell said.

Chipotle's CEO Scott Boatwright added the chain is not losing its consumer base to competition, but instead to grocery stores and people eating at home.

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Maybe it's a good thing young people learn how to cook for themselves. It's way cheaper. Maybe they'll learn to brew their own coffee too.

---

Why would I spend $18 on a chipotle burrito with a thimble of meat, when I can go to a street stand and pay $10 for one loaded with meat? Chipotle's business model is trash.

I don't mind going to restaurants, if there's VALUE.

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Chipotle doesn't hire illegals, like it or not that leads to higher prices. Because of stupid regulations and other factors (like taxes) hiring Americans is expensive.

infinity ag said:

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PS: I am not a fatty.

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Exactly what a fatty would say.

And minimum wage.

Only going to get worse. Globalism running out of balloon to squeeze for cheaper cost inputs. And as we near shore and re-shore that just increases costs as well.

Throw in demands and expectations for us to maintain compensation on par with cost increases and you got no way out.