There are two myths among Russians about how ordinary people live in America. Interestingly, they are directly opposite to each other. The first can be described as follows: "The United States is a country of great opportunities, where a shoemaker can become a millionaire." And the second myth looks like this: “America is a state of social contrasts. Only the oligarchs live well there, mercilessly exploiting the workers and peasants.” It must be said that both myths are far from the truth. In this article, we will not delve into the history of the States, talk about slavery and racial discrimination that took place a hundred years ago. We will not admire the standard of living of the Soros family or focus on the homeless who sleep at the ventilation grills of the subway. We will just follow how ordinary people live in America now. Let's take an average family: two working parents, three children. Ordinary middle class. By the way, he makes up the lion's share of all US citizens.
Housing
The United States among all countries in the world can boast of one of the highest living standards of the population. But at the same time, quite a few citizens have a house in full ownership. And even city apartments Americans prefer to rent. But a family that classifies itself as a middle class must settle far from dusty megacities. White-collar workers get to work by train or car, spending an hour and a half on the road. The house of an ordinary American family is a one-story (for high middle-class - two-level) cottage with a green lawn in front and an extension garage, with a spacious backyard that houses a playground for children or a pool. The area of the house ranges from 150 to 250 square meters, and its cost - from 500 to 650 thousand dollars. Not everyone can just take and lay out such things. But here are ordinary people: the standard of living in the United States allows you to pay a mortgage. A third of the amount must be paid in advance and take a loan for thirty years at 5-10 percent per annum. But! The loss of the job of one of the parents threatens the family with a catastrophe - after all, you need to pay the bank at least two and a half thousand "green" monthly for a house.
Communal payments
Now consider how ordinary Americans live in America and what they pay for their mansions in addition to a loan. The so-called townhouses (cottages) are very costly. But...how do you calculate it? Ordinary Americans do not bother with ZhEKs. In the basement of each house there is a mini-boiler room responsible for heating and water heating. The average utility bill (electricity and gas) is about three hundred dollars. Since the water is served cold, the fee for it is small - about $ 10. In addition to utility bills, you need to pay real estate taxes: $ 500 - municipal and another $ 140 - the so-called community charges (for garbage collection and cleaning the area adjacent to the house). The lawn in front of the house should be well-groomed - this is the custom here. Don't get around to cutting it yourself? Hire a student and get ready to shell out $60. Mortgage loans oblige to insure real estate. Usually it is $300 per year. Total monthly need to pay for housing about three thousand dollars.
Food spending
Here it is necessary to make a reservation. In the US, there is a big difference between so-called "healthy" foods, labeled "bio", and conventional ones. Since ordinary people live in America, they tend to save on food. Yes, everyone knows about the dangers of chicken stuffed with growth hormones, as well as about unhealthy fast food. But the average middle-class American couple usually shop at a wholesale store, buy groceries with a red "Discount" mark, and eat lunch at Starbucks Coffee, McDonald's, or a similar fast food establishment. By the way, prices for some products in America are lower than in Russia (especially in Moscow). But eating in restaurants or self-respecting cafes is very expensive. The average middle-class family indulges in this pleasure twice a month. Usually about four hundred dollars are spent on food - this is if you do not deny yourself anything, and two hundred if you establish a austerity regime.
Car and spending on other devices
How do ordinary people live in America outside the city? They start their day with and then get behind the wheel of a car. Living without a car in the American outback is simply suspicious. Every adult is obliged to have a car - at least a used one. Leasing pays off. Moreover, in the event of a breakdown, the repair costs are borne by the company. Thus, monthly payments to a leasing company for two cars are from 300 to 600 dollars, and gasoline - 150. Cars must be insured. Usually it's two hundred dollars a month for each car. But you can reduce the cost of insurance by using a package with more. For Internet and cable TV, you need to lay out about eighty-five "green" per month. No one will tell you how ordinary people live in America who do not have a mobile phone, since there are practically none there. Even a child attending kindergarten has such a device (with a beacon, just in case). The package with unlimited calls will cost about sixty-five dollars a month.
insurance
Foreigners who observe how ordinary people live in America will surely notice that they have a lot of income going to various funds. They are insured against everything: from disability, from the loss of a breadwinner, from weakening visual acuity, in case of problems with the teeth, and even for that unforeseen situation if the dog damages the neighbor's property. Sometimes the employer pays for the policy. But after the dismissal, he ceases to act. In total, about five hundred dollars should be spent on a family every month, enriching various insurance companies. But in the United States there is a practice ... of transferring pensions by inheritance. Each working person pays deductions that accumulate on his individual card. The Americans can dispose of these accumulated funds as they please. After the death of a person, the money does not burn out, but, as with a regular deposit, it is inherited.
Spending on clothes
Another discovery that foreigners can make from watching how ordinary people live in America is that they don't wear expensive things. They usually dress simply and practical. On the street, you rarely see a woman in high heels. In the winter, the typical American wears jeans and a jacket, and in the summer, a T-shirt and shorts. But this does not mean that all US citizens do not know how to dress. It's just not customary to stick out your income here. Casual style reigns here. Branded clothing is worn for the occasion. And they are easy to buy. The fact is that in America sales never stop. They are timed to coincide with some holidays, but after them prices fall even more: for a pittance they sell a collection that did not go away during the sales. A special hype reigns during the so-called Black Friday (after Thanksgiving). Then you can buy branded clothes for a price ten times lower than their usual cost. Thus, the average US citizen does not spend too much on clothes: up to a hundred dollars a month.
Education
US high school education is free. And this debunks the myth that in America you need to shell out money for everything, and a lot of it. By the way, medicine for the unsecured segments of the population is also free here. But how does ordinary America live? Kindergarten costs about eight hundred dollars per child. Or baby sitter - $10 per hour. The income of an American directly depends on his education. Therefore, parents are trying at all costs to invest in the future of the child. To study at a college or institute, they take loans. Particularly highly paid professions in America are lawyers, managers, doctors. After graduating from a university in this profile, a young man can count on twenty thousand dollars a month. Bank employees, civil servants, junior medical staff and teachers earn a little less. But studying at an American university is expensive: from three to ten thousand dollars a year. Although here, too, there is flexible provision of scholarships.
Income
This is how ordinary people actually live abroad. Huge spending every month. Where do they get such money from? The answer is trivial: they don't drink and work hard. They don't go out for a smoke break every hour. They are paid not for sitting in the workplace, but for a specific result. And the better it is, the higher the wages will be. This motivation makes Americans work hard. At the same time, the minimum wage is seven and a half dollars per hour. That kind of money is paid to teenagers or students on vacation just to walk your dog when you're at work. Cleaning by a visiting housekeeper will already cost a hundred dollars a day. But for that kind of money, you need to not just vacuum the carpet: wash, stroke, polish.
How do self-employed Americans live?
Private activity in the USA can provide a good income. The country is so large that if you wish, you can find a niche in any field. The government encourages starting your own business and supports it in every possible way, especially if you create new jobs. There should be no bureaucratic delays when registering your business. Doing business in America is easy, as long as it is honest.
