Quote Originally Posted by Spartana View Post
....But today it seems to me that people who work minimum wage jobs expect to live a more middle class lifestyle then people in the past - and those with middle class incomes expect to live like the rich.
That's pretty much my impression.

I guess I'll have to read the book to find out if and how Warren's mother supported a family on minimum wage. I can remember a lot of the things we talk about on the simple living forums being much more common place. Gardening and canning, taking a renter, and walking and using the bus. Even in my middle class youth things like dishwashers, disposals, and even clothes dryers were luxuries. Not to mention cable TV, internet access and computers, microwaves, cell phones and especially Master Charge But it's hard to compare the two eras as I'm sure there are many basic things now that are relatively cheaper.