The American Dream has a price tag: Is ‘Keeping up with the Jones’ really worth it?

Inflation-Hurts

Revelation 13:16-18 “Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.”

Important Takeaways:

  • The “American Dream” costs about $3.4 million to achieve over the course of a lifetime, from getting married to saving for retirement, according to a recent analysis from financial site Investopedia.
  • Meanwhile, median lifetime earnings for the typical U.S. worker stand at $1.7 million, earlier research from the Georgetown University has found.
  • Such figures underline the financial pressures that many families face trying to afford a middle-class life as expenses like child care, college tuition and buying a home continue to climb. The Investopedia analysis tallies the average cost of achieving other aspects traditionally associated with the American Dream, such as owning a house and raising two children to age 18.
  • Another analysis, from USA Today, found that funding the American Dream costs about $130,000 a year for a family of four. Median household income stands at about $74,450, according to the Census Bureau.
  • Here’s how much Investopedia estimates a family must spend to afford some of the hallmarks often associated with the American Dream. Some costs might be lower or higher, depending on a family’s goals.
    • Hospital birth, average out-of-pocket costs for people with health care: $5,708
    • Wedding and engagement ring: $35,800
    • Raising two children to 18 years old: $576,896
    • 10 car purchases over a lifetime: $271,330
    • One year of college for two kids: $42,080
    • Average cost to buy a home, including lifetime mortgage payments: $796,998
    • Pets: $67,935
    • Health insurance from ages 26-65: $934,752
    • Retirement: $715,958
    • Funeral costs: $7,848

Read the original article by clicking here.