AntiTrumpAlliance

I don’t really empathize with people who load up on debt and then complain about it. i have no empathy for some low wage worker who decided to load up a credit card with $7000 to go traveling and then is struggling to make the payments…

You don't have to empathize, even if that $7k is as often on medical bills or car repairs or business debts as vacations.

The point is that economic predators exist and plenty of people feel the crushing grip whether or not they're prudent with their meager savings. They notice that 50% jump in bottom rung prices and complain accordingly.

Auto prices are also declining this year.

EVs have a baked in $7500 price hike. And - at least according to Edmunds in 2024 - the spread between new and used cars has never been larger, with used cars falling (pressed by high interest rates) while new cars continue to climb. At to the problem that we effectively don't have domestically produced compact cars anymore, and even the periodic modest decline in model price is eclipsed by the lack of economy type cars to purchase.

But I’m also going to keep my payment to $300 or less and buy a basic small sedan in the 30K range and likely I can get a 35K car for 32K or less out the door.

It's crazy that $32k is the low end of the market for a new car in this country. Overseas, you can find cars in the $10k range, with the ultra-compact and alternative vehicle markets gets as low as $2k.

In the US, it's hard to find a fucking bicycle for less than $2k anymore