You may be quite shocked by the numbers that I am going to reveal in this article. So many people are bitterly complaining about the rising cost of living, and so I decided to do some investigating. What does it really cost for a family of four to live the “American Dream” today? As I was doing my research, what I discovered deeply alarmed me.
Obviously a family of four is going to need to eat, and grocery prices have been going through the roof.
According to the USDA, a realistic food budget for a family of four for one month ranges between $996 and $1,603…
The USDA estimates $297–558 for a monthly food budget for one person, $614–963 for a couple, and $996–1,603 for a family of four.
For the purposes of this article, let’s assume that we are being frugal and so we will go with the lowest number in that spectrum.
Health insurance is another major expense that U.S. households face on a monthly basis.
In 2023, an unsubsidized plan for a family of four through the ACA marketplace averaged $1,437 a month…
Family plan premium rates will vary based on family size. But, a family of four paid an average of $1,437 a month for an unsubsidized plan.
That figure is two years old, and premiums have continued to rise since that time, but for the purposes of this article we will go with it.
In order to pay the monthly bills, parents must go to work, and in order to go to work they will need at least one vehicle.
According to Experian, the average monthly payment for a new vehicle during the first quarter of 2025 was $745…
In Q1 2025, the average car payment for a new car was $745, and the average payment for a used car was $521. However, monthly payments can vary significantly based on many factors, including the loan amount, loan term, borrower credit history and more.
Most households have more than one vehicle, but for the purposes of this article we will include just one vehicle payment in the monthly budget.
Needless to say, a family of four also needs a place to live, and the median monthly mortgage payment in the United States has now risen to $2,259…
The median monthly mortgage payment for U.S. homebuyers is currently $2,259. This assumes a buyer making a 20 percent down payment on a $435,300 home — the median sale price for an existing home in June, according to the National Association of Realtors — at 6.75 percent interest, the current average for a 30-year loan based on Bankrate data.
Okay, now that we have our raw data let’s do some math.
If you add all four of our monthly expenses together, you get a grand total of $5,437 a month.
That is only for food, health insurance, one vehicle payment and a mortgage payment.
Of course there are many other things that a family of four must pay for as well.
Are you starting to understand why it seems like most people are just barely scraping by these days?
Most of us are stressed out about our bills, and the cost of living just keeps going up and up.
Many Americans are trying to cut corners any way that they can.
For example, it is being reported that 44 percent of U.S. adults admit that they have ordered a kiddie meal…
Apparently, grown-ups love a good kiddie meal, too.
That’s one of the takeaways from a new survey conducted by Lightspeed Commerce, a company that provides payment systems to the hospitality industry. The survey found that 44% of U.S. diners say they’ve ordered children’s meals for themselves at restaurants.
I suppose that is one way to save a little bit of money.
We are being told that the number of kiddie meals being ordered by adults is up 28 percent compared to 2019…
According to industry research firm Circana, the number of children’s meals placed by adults was up 28% in 2024 compared with 2019. Another data point, as the Wall Street Journal reports, is that Yelp reviews for kids’ meals were higher in December 2024 than any month since 2019.
“It’s satisfying, cheaper, less calories, and sometimes there’s a little prize or treat,” C.J. Person, a retired teacher in North Carolina, told the Journal.
Are adults technically allowed to order kids’ meals? Probably not. Most restaurants have an age limit policy, but they are rarely enforced.
This isn’t what “prosperity” looks like.
In fact, this is the opposite of “prosperity”.
And now mass layoffs are happening day after day.
Earlier today, I was saddened to learn that John Deere has decided to conduct mass layoffs at three facilities in the Midwest…
Legacy tractor maker John Deere has announced layoffs at three Midwestern facilities as the company grapples with declining sales and the effects of tariffs on its bottom line.
“The struggling ag economy continues to impact orders for John Deere equipment,” the company said in a media statement regarding the layoffs. “This is a challenging time for many farmers, growers and producers, and directly impacts our business in the near term.”
Farming is normally fairly recession-proof, and so the fact that demand for John Deere equipment is faltering is not a good sign at all.
The housing market is really struggling right now too.
According to Redfin, the average time that a house is spending on the market has now reached the highest level in 10 years…
The typical home that went under contract in July spent 43 days on the market — up from 35 days a year earlier and the longest span for any July since 2015, according to new Redfin data.
It’s another sign that buyers are gaining leverage after years of tight inventory, though the extent of that advantage varies by region.
In Florida, homes are taking much longer to sell, over 90 days in some cities. West Palm Beach (95 days), Fort Lauderdale (92 days) and Miami (86 days) were the slowest major markets in the country last month.
This feels so much like 2008 all over again.
And just like in 2008, the economy of Las Vegas is an early indicator of what is coming for the economy as a whole…
A retail expert has warned Las Vegas is in freefall with consumer spending slumping, with one recent visitor raising concerns over an outrageous tip demand.
The Nevada city, known for its lavish shows and around-the-clock gambling, has recorded a large drop in tourism and spending in recent months.
According to the Nevada Department of Taxation, sales at food and beverage outlets, clothing, shoes and jewelry retailers have all fallen in the last 11 months.
A lot of people out there still don’t seem to get it.
We really are moving into extremely difficult times.
The vast majority of the population is living paycheck to paycheck right now.
And so when a sudden job loss or some sort of an emergency happens, they have nothing to fall back on.
We are far more vulnerable than most people realize, and the months ahead will demonstrate that fact very clearly.
Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.
About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com. He has also written nine other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”, “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing. You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter. Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites. These are such troubled times, and people need hope. John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.