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This whole thread is interesting. I'm not sure which part to reply to so I"ll just pop this here. I'm calling it. American dream's heart stopped beating. 04/09

This whole thread is interesting. I'm not sure which part to reply to so I"ll just pop this here. I'm calling it. American dream's heart stopped beating. 04/09/2015. Dead.

sp332 11y ago
I don't recall the American Dream involving a billion-dollar company. Affording a nice house and raising kids on a single income though - that's definitely dead.
- JoeAltmaier 11y ago
  Hm. Maybe if you live in the right place? I have 80 acres in Iowa, a house free and clear, 2 in college and one working in Silicon Valley. All on one income.
  - bennyg 11y ago
    Exactly. Try anywhere not directly in the highest rent-inflated area in the US, or in any moderately rural suburb. Not that difficult to afford a house. Could get a decent 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath starter home where I'm at right now for about $750 a month in mortgage.
  - Retra 11y ago
    *for every American. The "American Dream" isn't that stuff for the ones who already have it. It's that for everybody.
    - refurb 11y ago
      If that's your definition of the "American Dream" it never existed. You think folks back in the 1920s could live in the most expensive cities in the US, own a home, send their kids to college, all on one income. I don't think so.
      - sp332 11y ago
        Not that they could do it. But that was the dream. That dream is dead.
        OJFord 11y ago
        So what are you calling 'dream'? Your seem to be saying people don't even want that any more. If so, what's the problem?
    - JoeAltmaier 11y ago
      Its supposed to be a dream. Not everybody achieves the dream. But its possible.
- silverbax88 11y ago
  Technically, that's been dead since the 70s.
- cookiecaper 11y ago
  Nice house Raising kids (4) Single income American Seems to be working out here. EDIT: I guess HN doesn't support Unicode, my cute little checkmarks are getting eaten. Maybe the dream isn't real after all...
  - deleted 11y ago
    [deleted]
  - copperx 11y ago
    Could you kindly reveal your position? or at least your occupation?
    - cookiecaper 11y ago
      There's nothing special about it. I'm a software developer, like a lot of people on HN. My dad did the same thing, and he was a salesman. I know a lot of people who are able to make it work. Yes, it's expensive, and it's getting harder as prices begin to reflect the dual-income status of a lot of middle class families, but it's not that difficult if you're willing to make some basic compromises. Consider that it's all relative. I think my life is pretty nice as-is, and that's what matters. I would say that it's a lot easier if you don't live in SF or another city with an atrocious cost of living, but really in SF and NY you need a sextuple income to afford a liveable place, so the point is kind of moot anyway.

This whole thread is interesting. I'm not sure which part to reply to so I"ll just pop this here. I'm calling it. American dream's heart stopped beating. 04/09/2015. Dead.

sp332 11y ago

I don't recall the American Dream involving a billion-dollar company. Affording a nice house and raising kids on a single income though - that's definitely dead.

JoeAltmaier 11y ago
Hm. Maybe if you live in the right place? I have 80 acres in Iowa, a house free and clear, 2 in college and one working in Silicon Valley. All on one income.
- bennyg 11y ago
  Exactly. Try anywhere not directly in the highest rent-inflated area in the US, or in any moderately rural suburb. Not that difficult to afford a house. Could get a decent 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath starter home where I'm at right now for about $750 a month in mortgage.
- Retra 11y ago
  *for every American. The "American Dream" isn't that stuff for the ones who already have it. It's that for everybody.
  - refurb 11y ago
    If that's your definition of the "American Dream" it never existed. You think folks back in the 1920s could live in the most expensive cities in the US, own a home, send their kids to college, all on one income. I don't think so.
    - sp332 11y ago
      Not that they could do it. But that was the dream. That dream is dead.
      - OJFord 11y ago
        So what are you calling 'dream'? Your seem to be saying people don't even want that any more. If so, what's the problem?
  - JoeAltmaier 11y ago
    Its supposed to be a dream. Not everybody achieves the dream. But its possible.
silverbax88 11y ago
Technically, that's been dead since the 70s.
cookiecaper 11y ago
Nice house Raising kids (4) Single income American Seems to be working out here. EDIT: I guess HN doesn't support Unicode, my cute little checkmarks are getting eaten. Maybe the dream isn't real after all...
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
- copperx 11y ago
  Could you kindly reveal your position? or at least your occupation?
  - cookiecaper 11y ago
    There's nothing special about it. I'm a software developer, like a lot of people on HN. My dad did the same thing, and he was a salesman. I know a lot of people who are able to make it work. Yes, it's expensive, and it's getting harder as prices begin to reflect the dual-income status of a lot of middle class families, but it's not that difficult if you're willing to make some basic compromises. Consider that it's all relative. I think my life is pretty nice as-is, and that's what matters. I would say that it's a lot easier if you don't live in SF or another city with an atrocious cost of living, but really in SF and NY you need a sextuple income to afford a liveable place, so the point is kind of moot anyway.