Add insurance ,a house payment, car payment, child care, $4 a gallon gas, clothes , taxes, toys and the list goes on. Sad to think about but I agree with Zogman that it's going to get worse .
Then there is a generation gap between the survivors of the great depression and most young couples just starting out raising a family. A lot of them have never had to live a frugal lifestyle and they wouldn't know where to start so the bills keep piling up until it's time to pay the piper.
I'm just happy to be retired and on the way down the hill . Wife and I had parents that grew up poor as dirt in on the farm the 30s and we learned about the art of making something from almost nothing. A big garden and a lot of canning and sewing. I suppose we could pretty much live off the land if we wanted to or had to. Iv'e been teaching our grandkids as much as I can about gardening because one of these generations the wheels might fall off the wagon and those could be valuable skills.
As long as it happens slowly people will have a better chance to adapt but what if someone could disable or scramble the internet for a year or 2 ? I'm not sure if the electric grid, stores , gas stations even the new tractors and vehicles would be able to operate .
