2 ms·

Are larger houses materially improving anyone’s lives? Over a certain amount of space, increases experience diminishing returns. Meanwhile, the important thing

Are larger houses materially improving anyone’s lives? Over a certain amount of space, increases experience diminishing returns. Meanwhile, the important things, such as percentage of income directed toward expenses and debt payment, and amount of leisure, may not have improved. More households are composed of both prime-age adults working than 30 years ago. Are expenses simply rising to match this rate of increased employment? Either way, it’s sketchy until those factors are quantified.

lotharbot 9y ago
> "Over a certain amount of space, increases experience diminishing returns" Indeed. And yet, that's what we buy. Or, that's what's being built and therefore that's what we can buy. I don't know whether buyers or builders/zoning are to blame, I just know that when we try to measure inflation, it's really hard to divide monetary inflation from lifestyle inflation -- how much is "money is worth less", and how much of it is "you're buying something better"?