Economic Snapshot: How Americans Are Maintaining a Rock-Bottom Cost of Living

Minyanville Staff  Jun 19, 2009 1:00 pm

Economic Snapshot: How Americans Are Maintaining a Rock-Bottom Cost of Living
 
Our unscientific poll.
 

Good news, everyone! According to a recent Bloomberg article, the cost of living has fallen further than it has in 6 decades! Even Michael Moran, chief economist at Daiwa Securities (correct pronunciation of his last name not given) said, "Inflation is not an issue."

Sound implausible? Well, get ready to eat some crow. Among the examples of a healthy economy given by Bloomberg: "American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) was giving 50% off the purchase of a second graphic t-shirt," and "Chrysler... began offering 5-year, no-interest loans on some models this month."

Now, would that occur in an economy where wages were being outpaced by inflation?



With phone bills, gas, and health insurance at rock-bottom levels, Minyanville takes a look at how Americans are maintaining wallets stuffed with disposable income.



How Americans Are Maintaining a Rock-Bottom Cost of Living

 
Entrees at Chili's and KFC decrease food costs by preventing customers from wanting to eat for several days afterward
 

 

Eco Snap

Big-box retailers like Target and Wal-Mart carry clothing that can also be used for toilet paper and tourniquets

 
Child labor camps as far as the eye can see.



Incremental improvements on hardware and horrible AT&T service plans staves off a compulsory iPhone purchase for another year
 

Historically low test scores help offset the fortune required to put a kid through a good college.
 

 

 

E-books for Amazon's Kindle cost a fraction of the $17 the average American spends on books per year
 

 

 
           
Between Zicam, Alpo, Mattel, and Airbus, class action suits become very profitable business
 
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Comments (2) See All Comments »
06-20-2009, 7:28 pm
Phone, gas and health insurance at rock-bottom levels? I think not. My phone bill hasn't changed because I had to sign up for two years. Gasoline keeps going up. Health insurance is unaffordable. And next year my electric bill is due to go
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06-22-2009, 8:04 pm
trying to make hotel reservations in Monterosso (Cinque Terre) and Alba (Piedmont) but most of the 4 star and many of the 3 star hotels are sold out, IN SEPTEMBER!!!

Unless these are all phantom reservations that will suddenly be cancell
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