Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Define "lower standard of living?" People seem to think of it as having less stuff or smaller stuff.
There was a time when average working people did not travel to foreign countries (except if drafted), didn't fly anywhere, did not assume that each child should have its own bedroom (never mind bathroom). The average new house in 1970 was something like 1500 sq.ft., and we have a poster who talks of having "just" a 2,000 sq.ft. house.
To me, a lower standard of living would mean more like, no indoor plumbing or no clean water. No electricity, or maybe such things being too expensive for average working people to afford. No ability to buy or access primary basic health care. Having to pay fees for public school from the beginning, not just college.
My mother grew up with an outside latrine in a tenement in the city. For her, having an indoor bathroom with running water was a huge increase in standard of living, whereas, in my opinion, having two or three bathrooms isn't a real increase, it's just... more.
I see everything from a public health perspective. Can't get away from it.
US standard of living is the standard of living available in most of the developed countries, where having decent sq. footage, being able to afford your own standalone home a well-running car and a few gadgets and a vacation or two are pretty much a staple of middle class living. Of course we have people who have much more and those who do with much less and are forced to. But overall, it's pretty much a standard of living in most developed countries, US is no exception here.
Then we have developing countries where middle class standard of living is a bit more restricted, e.g. you have less sq. footage and much less opportunity to live in a metro center in your own home, mostly families are either living in apartments or in rural setting. You also have less gadgets accessible to you and overseas vacations are pretty much rare. But overall, even in developing countries the lifestyle of the middle class isn't much different when it comes to necessities, such as decent medical care, free education at least through high school, indoor plumbing, electricity and other such ubiquitous civilization amenities we well as accessibility to basic gadgets such as cell phones, laptops, cable and internet.
What you are talking about is pretty much 3rd world living or living of the poor layers of society in developing countries and not in all of them. For example, Eastern Europe, which is considered 'developing block' would not have such problems as lack of indoor plumbing, communal latrines or slums with anti-sanitary conditions. this is more prevalent for overpopulated and diverse developing countries like India where there is still caste system segregation, there are still slums and widespread 3rd world poverty among the glitz and glamor of the new construction and emerging middle and upper middle class. You also have to mention that the working conditions of those in 3rd world are something that we wouldn't tolerate here in the US or in any developed country. Simply put, we are living within the framework of a developed country and our 'sacrifices' are nothing to compare with those struggling with poverty across the world.
So, is digressing back to 3rd world standard of living what some people have in mind when they say that our standard of living would have to be lowered? I don't think so.
A 2000 square foot house is actually quite large, especially when you refer to it as "just".
My ultimate goal is a home somewhere in the 250 - 500 square foot range on a piece of land large enough to grow things, located in small town/rural upper midwest somewhere. Tumbleweed Tiny House Company has some very nice traditional-looking designs. Heating/power for that small of a home should be extremely reasonable. I simply don't need anything larger. Less to clean. Less to maintain. Less to heat/power. Less value for tax assessment. Less space to collect junk. Less headache, in general.
So if I ever get married again... she's going to have to like very small, cozy homes.
My ultimate goal is a home somewhere in the 250 - 500 square foot range on a piece of land large enough to grow things, located in small town/rural upper midwest somewhere. Tumbleweed Tiny House Company has some very nice traditional-looking designs. Heating/power for that small of a home should be extremely reasonable. I simply don't need anything larger. Less to clean. Less to maintain. Less to heat/power. Less value for tax assessment. Less space to collect junk. Less headache, in general.
So if I ever get married again... she's going to have to like very small, cozy homes.
I like small houses too but not quite as small as you. I've seen plans for things in the 500-800 range that I could live in but ideally I think 800-1200 for a single person or a couple would be nice IF the space were planned well and there was interesting detail to the place. I would never be happy in a box.
There are often zoning minimums, such as those that would consider a tumbleweed house to be an RV. I know it sounds crazy, but it can be possible. To me, an RV is a motor home, you drive it from the inside like a giant bus. But in some places, an RV is any habitation that can be brought in on wheels.
I found this out when trying to consider a 400 sq.ft. "tiny home" called Green River Cabin, made in North Carolina, for my land in Ridgway, CO (in a subdivision way up above the town. Mobile homes galore, but were now grandfathered in). The house I wanted to pull in was fully equipped (bathroom, kitchen, water) and could actually be brought in on a flatbed truck without the wheels. No dice. It was an RV and that's all there was to it, and my subdivision didn't allow living in RVs or even new mobiles.
I still don't see a difference in a small house brought in by flatbed and a small prefab, but I didn't have the last word.
I don't understand how a marriage can work to begin with. Aside from my poor track record. Two good Friends can't be together all the time. they start to recent each other. People need time to themselves.
I don't understand how a marriage can work to begin with. Aside from my poor track record. Two good Friends can't be together all the time. they start to resent each other. People need time to themselves.
That's why a larger house is a good thing. Everyone can go to their own corner. But, we're off topic.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
