>I do agree COL outpacing earnings is most of the problem, but at the same time, so many people are peer pressured into unnecessary overspending when they could

>I do agree COL outpacing earnings is most of the problem, but at the same time, so many people are peer pressured into unnecessary overspending when they could've done just as well spending a fraction Nothing about companies being peer-pressured into underpaying their employees? That is, it's not the COL outpacing earnings, it's pay being kept below COL. It's held below by individual people repeatedly making discrete decisions to do so, i.e. with full intent.