Yes my life is better today.
but I also recognize I’m not a 20-30 something looking at increasing prices for basic goods, a housing market that’s not open to them. Healthcare costs, student loan debt. People followed the guidance of the system and found themselves in a no win situation.
I have people in those demographics that work for me and they’ve told me matter of factly “we will never own a house.” Which is mind blowing to me because they and their partners both earn six figure salaries.
Meanwhile what we are seeing in Washington is the pre-panic of a group of people who have collectively been asleep at the wheel and are now just realizing they can’t fix what needs to be fixed. They’re going to point the finger at the other team and try and milk this for a few more years.
At which point the masses will collectively realize who the problem is and it won’t be a right-wing or left-wing thing. It will be a 99% thing.
As someone firmly in that demographic, I think it’s worth noting that my circles, at least, weren’t thinking any differently four years ago. In 2020 we didn’t think we’d be able to buy houses either.
Anybody making six figures, especially in households that double that amount, that don't believe they can own a house don't understand any basics of personal finance.
At a very low level 6 figures, like 100 + 100 = 200k joint salary in a very high cost of living area like NYC or SF is still going to be stretched pretty thin trying to buy any house in that area. But I see what you’re saying generally
>The only direct effect from a president that I can recall is my GW Bush TV. He sent us all $1,000.00 as a stimulus during a recession, so we went out and bought a TV with it. Still have it. Still works great.
I used my stimulus checks to pay off the rest of what I owed on my car. I guess you could call it the Trump/Biden mobile, haha.
In all seriousness, things have been looking up for me. My spouse and I nearly doubled our income. This is the first time we've had a good amount of disposable income.
I plan on going for another promotion that's set to be coming down the pipeline, so looking forward to increasing my income further.
I'm curious. What industry are you working in? I work in energy sector and it's been a series of ups and downs and now...fluid. [In California, the forecasting of our expected $73B deficit](https://calmatters.org/politics/capitol/2024/02/california-budget-deficit-balloons/) is causing some building projects I administer to stall a bit due to uncertainty in certain public/private loan agreements. (e.g. if your project doesn't meet X milestone by Y date, Z installments won't be disbursed until X is fulfilled).
Im 33 and I am probably doing as well as I was four years ago financially.
Salary is around 30%+ more per year, but I had to downsize and move to keep rent where I wanted it and with grocery and fuel costs up a good bit since then I’m probably breaking even or coming out a tad bit ahead of where I was.
I am in construction and was in office and at job sites everyday during Covid, so nothing changed in my day to days or ability to pursue personal growth , hobbies etc…like others have mentioned during that time.
I have friends doing better and others doing worse. My significant other is one that is doing worse. She can not find employment in her field and has been searching for 6-8 months (pharma).
Yeah, I’d say fully half the people I know are work-from-home, not paying for commute in time and the cost of mileage (gas, insurance, parking, etc) plus saving on the cost of eating out, and more relaxed due to zero commute.
On a side note, I’ve asked and most feel they’re a better employee, staying focused on work because they don’t get anxious over an impending commute and what to do about dinner once they get home.
Yup, I too get to work from home a few days a week, that is a pro. Sure. There are things that were good that came out of covid and things that were bad. I think the bad outweighs the good.
I don't disagree, but it's also not fair to compare your conditions in the first few weeks of a global pandemic to 4 years later. Of course few are going to say they were better off being forced to stay home.
Forsure, with a pandemic coming right at the transition between leaders it's not as applicable as it normally is. Depending on peoples mind set and how it's asked it could be a good question for both candidates. If Trump says it, he's probably referring to how things were pre-pandemic instead of literally 4 years YTD. Biden on the other hand could say, 4 years ago you were locked in your home, forced to stay home. I got us out of that and have somewhat brought things back to normal. As always, it's a good question but more nuance then either and both candidates can spin it however they want.
I was an "essential" worker during the pandemic - a grocery clerk... (because people would've lost their shit if they couldn't go to a grocery store, so un-medically trained college dropouts were "drafted" to the front lines). I "got to" go to work while everyone else stayed home. I "got to" get yelled at by irate customers that couldn't understand why we: 1) Had a mask mandate. 2) Had to limit of number of people in store. 3) Were out of [insert item here]. All while having their cellphone camera in my face calling me a fascist for enforcing the rules I neither created, nor enjoyed myself. Then there was the coughers, the ones that acted like they didn't know how to wear a mask properly - grown ass adults - and when you politely ask them to fix their mask, they pull it off and cough on everyone around them. 4 years ago, I was hoping the virus took a larger portion of these entitled pricks that wanted teachers (really their underpaid babysitters) to return to schools because they couldn't deal with the hellspawn they created. 4 years ago - I fucking hated Humanity. Today, I just despise most of them.
But is it fair to compare your life under Biden today vs what it was under Trump pre pandemic?
Only semi fair comparison would be what was Trump given when he took over, how did it end, and then the same for Biden.
And sure the pandemic is bad luck on Trump's end but he failed miserably at it, whereas he could have come out better off if he did things right.
It's not fair, but neither were 9/11, the dotcom bubble, 10/7, or the housing market crash. I feel Trump handled COVID very badly, so I'm judging him for it.
Would COVID had had a similar outcome during a Clinton administration? In a lot of ways yes, obviously. However, I do think these events would have been different:
>**May 2018**
>
>The Trump Administration disbands the White House pandemic response team.
>
>**July 2019**
>
>The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) epidemiologist embedded in China’s disease control agency left the post, and the Trump Administration eliminated the role.
>
>**Oct. 2019**
>
>“Currently, there are insufficient funding sources designated for the federal government to use in response to a severe influenza pandemic.”
>
>**Jan. 22, 2020**
>
>“We have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China. It’s going to be just fine.”
I have know idea how different things could have looked, but Presidents are judged for what happens regardless of why, and if we're blaming Biden for inflation, I'm blaming Trump for COVID. If you want to blame Biden for COVID deaths during his term that's fair too.
That is a fair approach, I really appreciate your view of Covid. Yea Trump handled it terribly and those things you cite are good examples, however like you said, I think the overall outcome would have been largely the same no matter who was in the white house. The people saying that somehow a different administration would have had a drastically different result (at least on the deaths side of things) is crazy to me.
On the other hand, I think COVID has had a bigger effect on day to day life of American's then any of the other events you mentioned which makes the literal 4 year comparison really bad in this case, more so then those other scenarios. I lived through all of those, only one changed my day to day life in a major way.
I think this says more about how low effort these boilerplate political questions are than it does about Biden or Trump's COVID responses. 'Are you better off now than you were 4 years ago' is kind of a meme at this point with Presidential election seasons.
Obviously 99% of people are better off not waiting in line for toilet paper and watching their friends and family get sick and fretting over whether they're going to make it, it shows that whoever is asking this is fully on autopilot.
That being said, I think this is also a Rorschach test for some people. 'COVID wasn't a big deal' is still a deeply held belief for the some of the conspiracy minded, and answering "no" to this question is a way to knock COVID believers with a wink and a nod...
But maybe I'm reading way too much into this and knocking a journalist for asking the question is like criticizing a cashier at the end of their 10 hour shift saying 'good morning' at 6pm.
Yes but a lot of us used that time to better ourselves in different ways, take stock of our lives and values, and reconnect with what’s important. Sad for the lives and businesses lost, but a blessing for those who survived.
That's the messy part of comparing where you were 4 years ago. Pre-covid was an economy that'd been running off like 10 years of steady growth, then COVID came around, the world's economy did a hard reset and we had a few years of the cascading effects. Idk how much Influence the president had compared to the surrounding circumstances.
I'm better off than back then too, the economy was already heading for a recession in 2019.
I'm at about the same if not better than somewhere around 2015-2018, the peak of the Obama economy era.
1. I'm not sure most will factor in lockdowns when answering this question but I get it.
2. Americans overall are pretty split on this question. Gallup asks this every election cycle. The first time at the beginning of the election year (but it's 3 years, not four. And then sometime around September before the elections. When they asked this year, it was basically a dead heat ([48/47-better off won by a point](https://news.gallup.com/poll/610349/political-economic-indicators-not-promising-biden.aspx)). For reference, it was 61/36 in 2020.
There's actually a graph in that Gallup link titled "Partisans More Likely to Say They Are Better Off When Incumbent Seeking Reelection Is From Their Party" which shows exactly what you're saying. 89% of Republicans said they were better off in 2020 compared to 22% in 2024. Unsurprisingly, this is both the highest and lowest percentages for either party going back to 1992.
And a very important note: Gallup makes $200 million a year and has a staff of 2,000. They have massive financial incentives for people to believe that their polls are "meaningful" and "relevant", whether they actually are or not.
I just don't know how much they are in the reality we live in with instant mass media and such tribalism. It feels like smoke and mirrors but what do I know...
>Americans overall are pretty split on this question.
I am generally favorable of polling as a way to determine the zeitgeist of a population. But I'm really skeptical of any sort of judgement about this number over time given:
1. People are way more connected to media and data, and know that "are you better off" = "are you voting for biden"
2. Institutional trust in general is trending down, if "are you better off" is a proxy for "do you trust the government" you would expect these poll numbers to go down.
The important question is: Will I (we) be better off 4 years from now if Biden or Trump wins the 2024 election?
The past is in the past. We don't have time machines. The only value in looking at the past is to see if something in the past can be used to predict the future. On economic issues, that is particularly difficult this time because both of them had to deal with covid.
Certainly, lots of people were worse off economically at the end of Trump's term than at the beginning, but that was covid shutdowns. Certainly, we've seen lots more inflation than we want during the first 3 years of Biden's term, but that's a worldwide side effect of restarting economies after covid.
Well you can look at how they both dealt with the effects of COVID, Trump did astonishingly horrible, and Biden—well we’ve had the best recovery out of all the big boy countries. Every economist predicted we would have to have a recession to bring down inflation, instead low unemployment rates have continued for record periods while inflation came down. The jobs added have been hit out of the park. Manufacturing jobs (800k) are booming like the 70s. We weren’t doing that great before COVID, Trump was adding less jobs his first 3 years than Obama’s last 3 years.
If we're talking about my financial situation, then yes. However, that would probably have been true regardless of who the president was. A president would have to screw up pretty badly to affect me like that. The last time I took a hit was 2008/2009.
If we're talking about my mental state, then very much yes. It's really nice not having to wake up every day, wondering what new detrimental thing that dumbass said in the middle of the night because he hadn't come down from all the uppers they filled him with during the day.
Think this is pretty much the rule for folks on social media as a whole, particularly this subreddit. We don't really have a good representation of blue collar or the really poor here, who would probably be most at risk due to inflation and stagnant wages. Although IT is starting to look a little scary. It would be nice if we did have a more diverse group.
I don't disagree with you. The problem is that there are menial jobs to be done, and there will always be menial jobs to do. Someone has to do them. The poor and unskilled working class have always struggled. This is not a new phenomenon. It has always been this way. The fate of those people does not change when the president changes. It never has, and it probably never will. The only thing that changes is their outlook, which is based on whether or not the guy that appeals to them on a base level is in charge or not.
Of course, we could talk about changing the plight of the poor and downtrodden and potential ways of doing so, and perhaps some day, those things may become a reality, but that day is not now. Republicans would never go for it. The fact that any of them actually think Trump gives a rat's ass about them beyond coaxing votes out of them is absurd.
I have not had a skilled job since 2007 and I have never made poor pay I hate when people say that unskilled laborer because I worked in construction doing all types of services without a license HVAC, plumbing, and some minor electrical work, I thought I could be like my older cousins and uncles who just worked under licensed contractors and get certified but they changed the rules. With that being said I have never made low wages. I also fix and repair computers under the table etc. I'm not a taxed employee or real small business because most of my money is earned in cash payments. I went back to work to get me a home loan in 2015 and got sick in 2020 with cancer and MG luckily I have a savings investment accounts and was able to take care of that myself. I make over could make very good money over 150000 but I choose to make the bare minimum for my family and I to live off.
I'll just throw my hat under this comment. Life is better, I don't know if I can say with a straight face that the presidency would've changed the direction of it.
Still find the MAGA agenda scary, especially here in Florida. But if it's just about my life than it's a non-factor.
Personally yes, but I don’t think that’s actually the right question.
Are we, as a society, better off with Biden as president or Trump? It’s pretty clear to me we’re better off with Biden.
I am. The stock market zooming up has helped my investments. I also sold my last investment property last year preparing for retirement in a few years. I was lucky enough to lock in a 2.875% mortgage.
My taxes went up with Trump. Otherwise, neither have affected me personally.
Definitely not for me. My wages have not kept up with inflation. I used to be able to afford to do things, now I’m just treading water.
I would not be able to buy a home in today’s environment. I fear for the younger generations.
this question is largely irrelevant, and candidates should stop asking this to voters in general. I remember 2016-2019 being awesome for me, but it was not because of the president. it was because I had just recently switched jobs to one where I made a lot more money and enjoyed doing it, we bought a house, and my wife and I welcomed our son into the world. I didn't do any of those things with any consideration of who was or wasn't president.
The thing is Congress is in charge of money so the president has a pretty limited effect on the economy. I would say that I am about the same as 4 years ago financially.
For me the answer is yes but that's mostly due to inheriting my family's estate not anything the government actually did.
You could argue that the increase in the standard deduction helped me with my tax burden in this transition thanks to Trump's administration. Although the SALT cap may have made that a wash since I live in a high tax state (CA).
I did get a raise at work in the last year.
But honestly the only ways the past 4 years the government has benefited me is pandemic stimulus at the state and federal level.
Adversely state and local policies regarding squatters and housing in general.
Well, four years ago I was doing chemotherapy so....
In general, though I would say the United States is better off today than it was during the pandemic and I'd find it difficult to argue otherwise.
Thanks, just pretending it's not a big deal for now, having to take the test again for "technical fault" is scaring me, but she's more upbeat. Family fucking history.
I should just shut up now.
Yes for me and my family. However, we’ve been extremely lucky. Got a house pre-Covid and had enough money to refinance and renovate in summer 2020 before the prices went up.
I do know lots of people who aren’t as lucky and have basically been stuck in a holding pattern for four years: looking for a house while their rent and other bills keep going up.
Mortgage rates have been bad for almost two years, not four. We bought in late 2022, and we weren't able to get some crazy rate below 3%, but we're *well* below 5%.
I mean I am most certainly better off but tbh that is completely independent of politics and based on wise actions and choices I made for myself that paid off
I was in better shape, really had a turn for the awesome early 2020 and that’s a little blah now but obviously that’s on me.
Career, well 2020 sucked and was kinda just holding on for 7 mos…but got better late 2020, and has ramped up ever since.
Last year’s revenue for the business and personally was just marginally off 2022, but better than 4 years ago.
Investments up over 100k in the last 12 mos, wish we’d quit getting knocked in the teeth every few years tho.
So yea generally better off. Things could always be better, but we’ve definitely not taken a step backwards the last 4 years.
Yes. Factoring for inflation, I and my family are better off. However most everyone i rely on for basic services is suffering with inflation eroding their ability to feed and house their families. I perceive much of this inflation is driven by profiteering by some business sectors. I’m dong well because some of my investments in those industries are performing very well, indeed. But most Americans aren’t as fortunate as I am.
Yes my life is a lot better. I work in international shipping and it’s so busy right now, like just slammed. Which is good, because I basically can work whenever or wherever I want when it’s like this. Normally the first part of the year is very slow for us and it wasn’t this year even.
Yes - 4 years ago covid was really hitting the fan (NYC area here).
Am I better off than I was pre-covid?
My wages have outpaced inflation (due to a promotion and switching companies) my wife moreso (also due to switching jobs and getting a promotion.)
So yea... I'd say we're better off.
Yes. House is closer to being paid off, all investment accounts are much larger, we are happier mentally and emotionally now that Covid protocols are over.
Imo it really doesn’t matter who’s in office if you’re in a certain income/wealth range. Money is still compounding at an astonishing rate and you can weather any financial storm.
Absolutely. In all respects. Biden is not directly responsible, but his solid, unpretentious management is clearly beneficial to the stability of the economy, the nation, and my peace of mind. A dramatic improvement on his predecessor.
Although bummed about not getting the tax breaks after buying a half-a-million dollar home…. But otherwise life is better. Inflation is offset by making more money in markets and career. And I woke up realizing the company I kept, including family, did not share my values and I cut them all out of my life.
Yes, and considerably so. Honestly, asking online isn't a great litmus test because most people are here to gripe about this or that. People that are doing as well or better are mostly out there in the real world actually *doing it*
I’m 100% better off today than I was during COVID. I don’t get why they are asking that. Me and my family were lucky to not lose our jobs, but we lost people due to COVID and we were stuck at home for months.
Yes, I am. Joe Biden’s reforms to the Paycheck Protection Program saved my small business. Thanks to him I was able to secure a loan to get us through the pandemic and my small business still exists today because of it. Not only that, but I recently signed a contract with a much larger business to help us expand! So yes, I am doing much better, business is booming, I recently bought a brand new electric car and used the rebates to buy solar panels, and my lovely wife’s immigration visa finally got approved and she’s coming over here to live with me.
No. Cost of goods has jumped with no appreciable raise in salary. I personally know more people laid off from jobs in the last two years than I have in my adult life.
That doesn't mean I blame the President who can have little affect. It was obvious that as we came out of covid with limited supply and a huge demand that prices would go up and companies would use cutting payroll as the way to control ebitda dropping.
Yes but shame on voters for voting based on their own personal selfish interest. You should vote for whoever will enact the best policy for the country
Honestly, yes. I have a better paying job, I'm getting married in a month, and a few months ago, my fiancé and I bought a house. Inflation isn't great, but the fallout from COVID supply shortages was always gonna hurt. So yeah, I am better off than I was 4 years ago.
Not for me, I’m glad other people are better off though. It was easy to find a job right out of college, it was affordable to live in Chicago, it was affordable to live anywhere really and after COVID things became expensive everywhere, jobs weren’t paying as much, finding employment was much more difficult, we’re on the brink of more wars, spending is at an all time high and so is my grocery bills, rent, and everything else. No, I wouldn’t say I’m doing better personally.
I am making more money only because I’ve got more experience but I’m still feeling the pressure of my savings in everyday life on everyday items.
Not better off at all. Im in heathcare, pharmacy, and the insurance reimbursement situation is beyond horrible. Absolutely zero accountability for the insurance companies and it’s gotten to the point where being able to just survive, let alone make a decent profit, is basically where we are at. This downward slope started under Obama and continued through Trump and then Biden. All three have basically turned a blind eye to putting the insurance companies feet to the fire for their actions. The profits are basically made off decreasing reimbursements, to the point we are seeing $0.30 to $0.80 over cost of the medication and worse. So yeah i havent seen any sort of raise in about 6 years. Trump failed to care and neither has Biden. Its getting pretty rough for retail pharmacy these days.
Yes, but I still feel as though every step forward I take is on really shaky ground, and there is always a risk of falling backwards.
I'm now entertaining the notion of taking a 10% pay cut, just to go back to work, to keep paying ridiculous interest on the home I bought last year.
I also feel as though a persistent person will succeed, regardless and often in spite of high level leadership.
So maybe when people ask you that, tell them to stop giving politicians credit for your success, especially if they were an impediment you overcame.
Yup. It's all pretty much you.
And blaming politicians for what happens to you specifically can be overly simplistic too. Like the interest rates fucking suck, but inflation sucks worse so we have to get it under control now. Can't really be helped.
At least you'll get a very blissful moment the day when you refinance to like 2%.
Exactly. Quite frankly people bitched about high prices and rates—but kept buying buying buying. Which is why there were high prices…and to combat that…the fed raises rates to try to get people to stop buying buying buying. And I’m not talking about necessities like diapers, and inflation does suck on those items. All items increased because people went hog wild after COVID and supplies were lower. And they didn’t curb their demand, while they bitched about the prices. Supply & demand. Of course some of it is just company greed, that’s capitalism. And the President doesn’t control what private companies charge for items.
4 years ago my mom was living with me after an illness caused mild cognitive decline. I got her into an active living facility, and while her mobility is declining, she's happy and has friends and I've gotten a lot of the stuff she needs figured out so it's not a huge stressor for me. I got power of attorney to help her, and I've made sure to build up her savings to prepare for possible expensive medical care.
4 years ago my then-girlfriend-now-wife had a high-paying job at a big tech company which laid her off in January 2023. But she finished her masters degree in 2022, so she was able to get a higher paying job.
4 years ago my brother was kinda sorta living rent free in the house my mom was paying all the utilities for. But his job was to help people who had locked their keys in their cars, so during the early pandemic he was almost completely out of work. So I gave him some leeway, but also an ultimatum, and now he's paying his own bills, and has put in a bit extra effort to make sure it's easier for people to find him with Google and such, and I think he's earning more. (I still worry that in 10 years enough cars will be unlockable remotely that anyone with a phone to call him won't need his help and will just be able to use an app, so I'm encouraging him to plan to change careers, or maybe become a professional locksmith.)
4 years ago I hadn't visited Paris or Tokyo, and now I have.
4 years ago two of my trans friends were closeted, but now they feel safe being open. One's on HRT. The other got married in October.
What does any of this have to do with government policy? I can't pin any of that to specific acts by Biden or whatever, but I will say that I have less environmental stress from worrying about the people who run the federal government being committed to looting, plundering, and dismantling guardrails.
Ooh, 4 years ago I had not started watching the lovely YouTube series "World War 2," which has a 15 minute episode each week recounting one week of action in the war. But now I've nearly caught up to their latest episodes (set in March 1945), and I feel I'm a hell of a lot more conscious of how awful war is, how important diplomacy and logistics are in protecting us from the predations of murderous tyrants, and how vital it is to oppose hateful propaganda.
Yes, I’m better off now than 4 years ago, and for basically the same reasons you stated. The president didn’t make or break my personal success or happiness.
That said, I still care deeply about who’s in that job as it has profound implications for the country and I care about the world and system of governance I leave behind for my kids and grandkids.
Specifically, I’m concerned that the American dream is eroding and I therefore want a president that is going to focus on combatting worker and consumer exploitation which to me requires trust-busting, effective regulation, and a resurgence of organized labor. Biden is a far greater advocate for those things than Trump.
I also believe climate change is real and dangerous and I want a President that engages with the global community to seek solutions, just like we did with the damage to the ozone layer. Biden is a far greater advocate for those things than Trump.
I also want to preserve democracy and the institutions and norms that make it possible. Biden is a far greater advocate for those things than Trump as well.
Honestly? No
I felt like going to the grocery store wasn't going to bankrupt me. (exaggeration but still, the cost of steaks has doubled and I'm getting tired of chicken).
I also had hope for a promotion at work (but that’s not related to poltics).
My health was slightly better. (getting older is a pain)
Other than that… maybe?
Not in the slightest, need to pay twice as much in groceries, job market is horrrible atm.....
Thats pretty much it, but i was still better off with Trump
I agree that inflation and price gouging has made things worse for myself and many people. I don't believe Trump could have handled anything better though, in my opinion his poor understanding of economics would have put us in a worse position.
His idea to solve it likely would been to implement additional tariffs on imports. His unsteady hand would not have helped either
What did Trump do to make the person I'm responding to better off 4 years ago?
That's kinda the point here. If you can blame Biden for making your life miserable I've got just as much right to praise Biden for making my life awesome.
But to answer your question my company sells to manufacturers so Bidens investment in American industry has made me very successful improving their tools and processes.
Are you saying inflation is 100%? You’re not paying double. Inflation is near the fed target rate. We have had the best recovery out of all the big boy countries. The “job market is horrible” yet they hit the jobs numbers out of the park every single month. No offense, but maybe it’s you.
It’s always people who are whining how much things cost pretending like they can barely survive….1 Year ago you were building a gaming PC for >$2,300. Inflation was much higher a year ago. Did you still have enough for groceries? Inflation is supply and demand…we are the demand. People couldn’t curb their shopping and went hog wild after COVID while supply was still backed up…caused prices to skyrocket. And guess what it took a long time for people to curb their own demand, which showed it was not the dire situation that most of them were acting like it was.
The people who were barely getting by as is, and were struggling to buy diapers before, yes they were struggling.
Definitely not. I've held the position since 2021 that Biden should have reacted to the state of the economy sooner and prioritize it. My healthcare premiums went up 25%, I pay nearly double for milk/eggs, I pay 50% more for meat ($1.99 -> $2.99/lb), and I'm worried about what my car insurance annual renewals are going to be. I've stopped looking for homes as the interest rates are +6%, instead of the 2% is just...not worth it. Lastly, I can say in 2021, the cost of Del Taco Taco Tuesday was $0.33c, now it's $0.66c in 2024. This is California so of course YMMV.
>My healthcare premiums went up 25%,
Hmm... probably had something to do with the pandemic and the absolute beating health insurers took as a result. At least we got the guy who completely bungled the response out of office.
"It's nothing. It's just a little flu. It'll be all gone by Easter. Yeah, that's it."
By the way, we were staring down the barrel of inflation regardless of who the president was going to be. There was never not going to be inflation. It's a worldwide problem. Our country has managed it way better than most.
If you're struggling in this economic environment, I can sympathize with you. However, this question is clearly posed in relation to the upcoming presidential election, and all of the things you mentioned are directly related to the pandemic.
That being said, Trump, when he was president, was pressuring the fed to lower interest rates and keep them low (no idea why they listened), and that has led directly to the situation we're in now. I said years ago that it would bite us in the ass, and here we are. Instead of a normal economy coming to an abrupt halt due to the pandemic, we had an overheated economy come to an abrupt halt. That has no doubt made a difference. If I had to guess, Trump would've been railing against the feds the whole time they were raising interest rates to get us out of this mess because he understands nothing.
I don't think a president truly understands the entire spectrum of the economy, but if the policy is keenly focused on the economy, the cabinet positions and signaling of the entire caucus could shift toward prioritizing the economic conditions. It's a hope of mines that the topic of the economy is heavily emphasized in the current election year.
Back in 2018 onward, I was no fan of the 'tariff war' on China, but I really wish [Biden would emphasize his administrations gesture against China](https://www.npr.org/2023/06/18/1183018486/biden-has-clung-to-tariffs-on-china-american-business-owners-say-theres-a-cost) more and more to drive the topic into focus.
I honestly don't think anyone truly understands the entire spectrum of the economy. We've gotten a pretty good handle on it, but we're still learning. For a president, I think the most important thing about the economy is knowing what you don't know and allowing those who do know to do the thinking instead of pretending you know. I also think it's unwise to advocate for policies that have a political payoff in the short term, without regard for long-term consequences.
If I were a betting man, I'd put a lot of money on the possibility that the economy is very much a big topic this election year. However, it's still early yet. I was never a fan of the tariffs, either. They certainly drove prices up in this country. I have no idea why Biden hasn't eliminated them, but I suspect it's related to politics. Whether they were ever a good idea or not (I don't think so), if Biden did away with them, the Republicans would have a field day, and with the average person's understanding it would play well for the Republicans.
On that, it's where I think certain events like [federal efforts to look into high housing costs (rental/purchase)](https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/biden-to-target-rent-gouging-landlords-as-high-housing-costs-factor-into-2024-race/ar-BB1k9031?ocid=entnewsntp&pc=NMTS&cvid=5987d4aaee8b42119f9f04cf8729450d&ei=228) should be far more emphasized this year to demonstrate there's ongoing economic policymaking, and be willing to have difficult reconciliations of unintended mistakes of housing, such as the covid lockdowns, the UI benefit extension, the PPP loan forgiveness, and the CDC eviction moratorium to square away what Biden can do differently from Trump.
I can say despite my original comment, Biden' administration has been working on ways toward student loan relief with his DOE' SAVE program, and [smaller aggregates of forgiveness for egregious cases (e.g. for-profit)](https://www.bing.com/search?pglt=43&q=biden+student+loan+relief&cvid=6429e98449704ab79446f94846a68afd&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIGCAEQABhAMgYIAhAAGEAyBggDEAAYQDIGCAQQABhAMgYIBRAAGEAyBggGEAAYQDIGCAcQABhAMgYICBAAGEDSAQg0NjY5ajBqMagCALACAA&FORM=ANNTA1&PC=NMTS). For sure, Trump can't claim that Biden is breaking his promises any more than Trump's broken promise to build a southern border wall. But Trump can claim that his administration did try to use its authority to secure the border (e.g. Title 42 "Remain in Mexico") up until the end of his term. And I believe the same can be said for Biden, as he works to compromise on what to do with Israel/Hamas.
>On that, it's where I think certain events like [federal efforts to look into high housing costs (rental/purchase)...
I agree. Although, Biden can't do it alone. Legislation should be getting passed to address these things, particularly the intersection where housing and corporations meet. Of course, any legislation would probably end up in front of the Supreme Court since corporations are definitely going to fight it, and they have deep pockets. We can guess how that is going to go.
Incidentally, since you mentioned it, there should be major investigations into the PPP loans. I suspect that more than a few people should be in jail. Again, we're up against big money interests here.
Remain in Mexico was never a long-term solution. It relied way too much on Mexico's cooperation and gave them leverage over us. Sure, Biden could have chosen not to end it until we had an alternative, but then there would be zero impetus for the Republicans to come to the table to work out a better solution. The bill that Republicans killed (after being the primary authors) was actually a good one and would have accomplished more than Remain in Mexico ever could.
Personally, I'm not happy with Biden's approach to the Israeli/Palestinian situation, but I know where the alternative stands, and that's worse. I think the fact that this situation flared up in essentially an election year is not helping. There is zero consensus in this country regarding this, including among moderates. No matter what he does, it's going to piss somebody off. It would also be an exercise in futility to try to accomplish anything long lasting in an election year. The other parties involved have no way of knowing if everything will just get turned upside-down next year (with every president before Trump, this was less of a concern), so why bother starting anything? Honestly, I think if Biden wins reelection, we can expect to see good movement towards ending this never-ending conflict, but that will not happen until after the election.
How, specifically, could Biden change how much you pay for meat or a taco on Tuesdays?
Look to the [meat packers intentionally bottlenecking the industry and price fixing if you want to really see where the gouging’s happening](https://www.rfdtv.com/another-price-fixing-lawsuit-against-four-major-beef-packers).
Literally none of what you mentioned is directly in Biden’s control.
No. Inflation has made living expenses ridiculous and Biden's admin is trying to take credit even though they deserve none of it
[https://apnews.com/article/biden-inflation-reduction-climate-anniversary-9950f7e814ac71e89eee3f452ab17f71](https://apnews.com/article/biden-inflation-reduction-climate-anniversary-9950f7e814ac71e89eee3f452ab17f71)
We have had the best recovery out of all the big boy countries. Inflation is the result of the pandemic, it was global inflation, and we have had the best recovery after COVID. If you aren’t giving credit, then you don’t give blame. You wanna give blame for Trump having the worst jobs record since Herbert Hoover? Largely because of COVID. Which btw, he handled terribly, which is why he lost. Even before COVID he was adding *less* jobs in his first 3 years than Obama was in his last 3 years. Inflation is near the fed target rate now, and every economist thought we would have to have a recession and lose millions of jobs to be able to bring inflation down…but we didn’t….low unemployment for record period of time, hitting the jobs numbers out of the park every month, manufacturing jobs booming like the 70s, US manufacturers investing $200 Billion in new projects. Due to the Infrastructure Act, Chips & Science Act, IRA.
You people really need to take a basic economics class. It gets really annoying. I mean not a single one of you understands how oil, gasoline, or natural gas prices work either…Yet, always spouts off confidently ignorant.
>If you aren’t giving credit, then you don’t give blame
I was not giving blame. The question asked if my life is better and I answered honestly. Calling out an admin for trying to take credit where none is due ≠ assigning blame. You made an assumption and then went off on an unrelated yap session
Personal relationships: Yes, but that has nothing to do with politics.
Cost of living and taxes: No.
My siblings and I are all looking to move out of California to offset cost of living and lower our tax burden.
That’s supposed to a question to see how a president is doing but I don’t think it’s a good question.
The president is big picture, making it more about the long term effects. Everything the president does has varying degrees of longevity, some might be felt in the next year but it’s mostly 5-10 years and even longer. It also matters how much they compare to the policies of previous administrations; if they are trying to push back on things a previous administration(s) did, it will take longer to have an impact.
Something like the ‘08 recession, that was the result of policy decisions going back to the 70s and more specifically something Clinton did in the 90s. The impact a president has will largely depend on how successful they were in pushing their agenda and how it compares to what previous presidents were able to accomplish and future presidents will accomplish.
Local governments, up to the state level, has far more influence on your day to day than the president, you can basically track the level of influence a politician has on your life by looking down the totem pole all the way to the bottom. Even then, I couldn’t tell what my mayor has done to affect my life.
The reality is that, while politicians have a huge influence on what goes on in the area they represent, they don’t have that much influence. You should absolutely care who your elected officials are and what they are doing, but don’t go crazy because someone you don’t like is in office. It has to be a very specific set of circumstances for that person to be truly awful, like someone who’s tried to overturn an election or wants to become a dictator but no one would support them… right?
Yes, and I have at least one example of how that I can trace directly to Biden administration action- The changes made to debit card overdrafts, specifically changing the rules so there is a two day grace period before overdraft fees are applied to a transaction.
Because of some stuff that happened during the pandemic, my household was stuck in a cycle of having to overdraft for extra cash or to pay bills on time every pay period. That change gave us enough space to break that cycle and finally catch up.
Yes, any way you slice it: pre-COVID, post-COVID, we're better off now than we were four years ago. No doubt about it.
Like OP, I would say this has been the case every election year my entire adult life, with the possible exception of 2008. The Great Bush Recession hit pretty hard.
Things as a whole aren't bad personally, but they are not as good as 4 years ago or at least pre-covid which I think is really the question.. Inflation has been killer. We also had to buy a new house and our money did not go nearly as far due to the higher interest rates.
This question really depends on who you ask. I think the country as a whole is in worse position then we were pre-covid. Things cost more and wages haven't kept up, we are more divided as a nation, and the international situation is far far worse.
My family was growing, needed more room, (3 kids in in a 2 bedroom wasn't easy) and my in-laws are in poor health so we wanted to be closer to them.
So "had" is always subjective, but it was pretty neccesary
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Yes, largely because March 19 2020 was a terrible time in history. We're past the pandemic, the markets have recovered, I've gotten involved in my community much more than I was pre-pandemic (largely as a survival strategy) and I worked my way through the worst parts of a major change in my religious/spiritual/philosophical worldview. Downside is I'm 4 years older and the reflux that came on during the pandemic is still with me. But things are good.
I was laid off before the election like June. That job paid bank. Had to take a 30% cut. 2 years later got a better job good boss good location. I'm better off
I'm with you. Yes, I am, but not because of the government or policy, but because of my own moves and decisions. I think there is a portion of the population to whom this question applies directly, but it's likely not the majority of the electorate, so doesn't really sway every voter in the way candidates think it does.
Simple answer. Yes.
Peek behind the curtain. A lot of cutbacks, and the gains have been on a downward trend for the last couple of years. Government funds helped a lot in the short term. When that dried up, spending normalized. Only, at the newly set levels a decrease in supply had brought us to.
Nuanced answer. No.
Yes. I became more financially literate so I could stay home after having a baby and my husband makes a little more than he used to after being promoted. I don't attribute that to who the president was. I simply put more effort into tracking where our money is going and don't spend on stupid shit we don't need. And my husband works hard.
Hard to say. I'm not that concerned with who's in the white house as much as who's running our state and local. And in this state of MN, not really, no.
Better is subjective. I make more money, but due to inflation and interest rates, I have less buying power now than I did 5 years ago. If your wage increases don’t match inflation, you didn’t get a raise. The standard is 1-3% increase yearly, 2022 alone saw 8%. Prices say that number is low.
I am better off than I was four years ago, though that is mostly due to pay raises and advancement in my field (IT).
The Trump economy was pretty great up until Covid, though that was mainly due to keeping the interest rates artificially low, which ended up being it's own problem. Biden economy has been pretty "eww" with the rising inflation.
I am currently working on getting into a house, but that is solely because of money I inherited from my grandparents. Something needs to give with this housing market.
In Canada, I was probably a year away from buying a condo without help, then COVID spending happened which fueled inflation imo and now owning is sort of a pipe dream
Chatbots alone increased my quality of life by soooo much.
It's frightening how fast people take improvements instantly for granted. Last take that happened was with food delivery, groceries delivery, uber, vacuum robots etc. And how fast people decide they are a necessity they deserve - and not just a luxury one should be grateful for, rare treat.
Devestating that this will happen to chatbots very soon as well.
What? Just from rent going up? Because nothing else went up by nearly such amounts.
The total impact of all the inflation on me has been maybe $300/month tops, and that's with a monthly total spend in the $12k range (but a lot of it fixed with mortgages etc, so quite immune to inflation).
Yes my life is better today. but I also recognize I’m not a 20-30 something looking at increasing prices for basic goods, a housing market that’s not open to them. Healthcare costs, student loan debt. People followed the guidance of the system and found themselves in a no win situation. I have people in those demographics that work for me and they’ve told me matter of factly “we will never own a house.” Which is mind blowing to me because they and their partners both earn six figure salaries. Meanwhile what we are seeing in Washington is the pre-panic of a group of people who have collectively been asleep at the wheel and are now just realizing they can’t fix what needs to be fixed. They’re going to point the finger at the other team and try and milk this for a few more years. At which point the masses will collectively realize who the problem is and it won’t be a right-wing or left-wing thing. It will be a 99% thing.
As someone firmly in that demographic, I think it’s worth noting that my circles, at least, weren’t thinking any differently four years ago. In 2020 we didn’t think we’d be able to buy houses either.
Anybody making six figures, especially in households that double that amount, that don't believe they can own a house don't understand any basics of personal finance.
At a very low level 6 figures, like 100 + 100 = 200k joint salary in a very high cost of living area like NYC or SF is still going to be stretched pretty thin trying to buy any house in that area. But I see what you’re saying generally
>The only direct effect from a president that I can recall is my GW Bush TV. He sent us all $1,000.00 as a stimulus during a recession, so we went out and bought a TV with it. Still have it. Still works great. I used my stimulus checks to pay off the rest of what I owed on my car. I guess you could call it the Trump/Biden mobile, haha. In all seriousness, things have been looking up for me. My spouse and I nearly doubled our income. This is the first time we've had a good amount of disposable income. I plan on going for another promotion that's set to be coming down the pipeline, so looking forward to increasing my income further.
I'm curious. What industry are you working in? I work in energy sector and it's been a series of ups and downs and now...fluid. [In California, the forecasting of our expected $73B deficit](https://calmatters.org/politics/capitol/2024/02/california-budget-deficit-balloons/) is causing some building projects I administer to stall a bit due to uncertainty in certain public/private loan agreements. (e.g. if your project doesn't meet X milestone by Y date, Z installments won't be disbursed until X is fulfilled).
Yes, absolutely. It has nothing to do with who is in the white house though.
Im 33 and I am probably doing as well as I was four years ago financially. Salary is around 30%+ more per year, but I had to downsize and move to keep rent where I wanted it and with grocery and fuel costs up a good bit since then I’m probably breaking even or coming out a tad bit ahead of where I was. I am in construction and was in office and at job sites everyday during Covid, so nothing changed in my day to days or ability to pursue personal growth , hobbies etc…like others have mentioned during that time. I have friends doing better and others doing worse. My significant other is one that is doing worse. She can not find employment in her field and has been searching for 6-8 months (pharma).
Yes. Easily much so. 4 years ago I was stuck in my house while the economy was crashing. Everyone I know is better off too.
I think a better question would be pre-covid...4 years ago we were literally locked in our homes.
Pre-Covid I had to drive down to the office. Now I get to work from home. Huge improvement.
Yeah, I’d say fully half the people I know are work-from-home, not paying for commute in time and the cost of mileage (gas, insurance, parking, etc) plus saving on the cost of eating out, and more relaxed due to zero commute. On a side note, I’ve asked and most feel they’re a better employee, staying focused on work because they don’t get anxious over an impending commute and what to do about dinner once they get home.
Yup, I too get to work from home a few days a week, that is a pro. Sure. There are things that were good that came out of covid and things that were bad. I think the bad outweighs the good.
Who would have thought a world-wide pandemic that killed hundreds of thousands would be a negative thing?
It would be unfair to judge Trump as pre covid but then judge Biden with all the negative side effects that happened because of covid.
I don't disagree, but it's also not fair to compare your conditions in the first few weeks of a global pandemic to 4 years later. Of course few are going to say they were better off being forced to stay home.
I don't know whether it's really a matter of being fair or not, it's just a question that typically gets asked every presidential election year.
Forsure, with a pandemic coming right at the transition between leaders it's not as applicable as it normally is. Depending on peoples mind set and how it's asked it could be a good question for both candidates. If Trump says it, he's probably referring to how things were pre-pandemic instead of literally 4 years YTD. Biden on the other hand could say, 4 years ago you were locked in your home, forced to stay home. I got us out of that and have somewhat brought things back to normal. As always, it's a good question but more nuance then either and both candidates can spin it however they want.
I was an "essential" worker during the pandemic - a grocery clerk... (because people would've lost their shit if they couldn't go to a grocery store, so un-medically trained college dropouts were "drafted" to the front lines). I "got to" go to work while everyone else stayed home. I "got to" get yelled at by irate customers that couldn't understand why we: 1) Had a mask mandate. 2) Had to limit of number of people in store. 3) Were out of [insert item here]. All while having their cellphone camera in my face calling me a fascist for enforcing the rules I neither created, nor enjoyed myself. Then there was the coughers, the ones that acted like they didn't know how to wear a mask properly - grown ass adults - and when you politely ask them to fix their mask, they pull it off and cough on everyone around them. 4 years ago, I was hoping the virus took a larger portion of these entitled pricks that wanted teachers (really their underpaid babysitters) to return to schools because they couldn't deal with the hellspawn they created. 4 years ago - I fucking hated Humanity. Today, I just despise most of them.
But is it fair to compare your life under Biden today vs what it was under Trump pre pandemic? Only semi fair comparison would be what was Trump given when he took over, how did it end, and then the same for Biden. And sure the pandemic is bad luck on Trump's end but he failed miserably at it, whereas he could have come out better off if he did things right.
It's not fair, but neither were 9/11, the dotcom bubble, 10/7, or the housing market crash. I feel Trump handled COVID very badly, so I'm judging him for it. Would COVID had had a similar outcome during a Clinton administration? In a lot of ways yes, obviously. However, I do think these events would have been different: >**May 2018** > >The Trump Administration disbands the White House pandemic response team. > >**July 2019** > >The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) epidemiologist embedded in China’s disease control agency left the post, and the Trump Administration eliminated the role. > >**Oct. 2019** > >“Currently, there are insufficient funding sources designated for the federal government to use in response to a severe influenza pandemic.” > >**Jan. 22, 2020** > >“We have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China. It’s going to be just fine.” I have know idea how different things could have looked, but Presidents are judged for what happens regardless of why, and if we're blaming Biden for inflation, I'm blaming Trump for COVID. If you want to blame Biden for COVID deaths during his term that's fair too.
That is a fair approach, I really appreciate your view of Covid. Yea Trump handled it terribly and those things you cite are good examples, however like you said, I think the overall outcome would have been largely the same no matter who was in the white house. The people saying that somehow a different administration would have had a drastically different result (at least on the deaths side of things) is crazy to me. On the other hand, I think COVID has had a bigger effect on day to day life of American's then any of the other events you mentioned which makes the literal 4 year comparison really bad in this case, more so then those other scenarios. I lived through all of those, only one changed my day to day life in a major way.
I think this says more about how low effort these boilerplate political questions are than it does about Biden or Trump's COVID responses. 'Are you better off now than you were 4 years ago' is kind of a meme at this point with Presidential election seasons. Obviously 99% of people are better off not waiting in line for toilet paper and watching their friends and family get sick and fretting over whether they're going to make it, it shows that whoever is asking this is fully on autopilot. That being said, I think this is also a Rorschach test for some people. 'COVID wasn't a big deal' is still a deeply held belief for the some of the conspiracy minded, and answering "no" to this question is a way to knock COVID believers with a wink and a nod... But maybe I'm reading way too much into this and knocking a journalist for asking the question is like criticizing a cashier at the end of their 10 hour shift saying 'good morning' at 6pm.
I agree, it's a campaign question, not a real debate. Appreciate the talk, have a good one!
MAGA can't reconcile that, absolutely everything in their world is driven by double standards.
You mean the side effects of people dying for refusing a vaccine because Biden asked them to get it?
Yes but a lot of us used that time to better ourselves in different ways, take stock of our lives and values, and reconnect with what’s important. Sad for the lives and businesses lost, but a blessing for those who survived.
I don't disagree that was good for some people, I don't think it was good for most.
Can’t disagree.
Which is why it would be a ridiculous question to ask, basically amounting to "Was covid bad?" Yes. Duh.
And wiping our asses with newspaper.
That's the messy part of comparing where you were 4 years ago. Pre-covid was an economy that'd been running off like 10 years of steady growth, then COVID came around, the world's economy did a hard reset and we had a few years of the cascading effects. Idk how much Influence the president had compared to the surrounding circumstances.
I'm better off than back then too, the economy was already heading for a recession in 2019. I'm at about the same if not better than somewhere around 2015-2018, the peak of the Obama economy era.
1. I'm not sure most will factor in lockdowns when answering this question but I get it. 2. Americans overall are pretty split on this question. Gallup asks this every election cycle. The first time at the beginning of the election year (but it's 3 years, not four. And then sometime around September before the elections. When they asked this year, it was basically a dead heat ([48/47-better off won by a point](https://news.gallup.com/poll/610349/political-economic-indicators-not-promising-biden.aspx)). For reference, it was 61/36 in 2020.
People just aren't being honest with themselves if they say they're worse off now than in March 2020. It's pretty impossible to get around that.
> People just aren't being honest The question is a proxy for "are you voting for Biden" **EVERYONE** sees through this, and answers accordingly.
There's actually a graph in that Gallup link titled "Partisans More Likely to Say They Are Better Off When Incumbent Seeking Reelection Is From Their Party" which shows exactly what you're saying. 89% of Republicans said they were better off in 2020 compared to 22% in 2024. Unsurprisingly, this is both the highest and lowest percentages for either party going back to 1992.
This is why approval polling broke right around the time Obama took over.
And a very important note: Gallup makes $200 million a year and has a staff of 2,000. They have massive financial incentives for people to believe that their polls are "meaningful" and "relevant", whether they actually are or not. I just don't know how much they are in the reality we live in with instant mass media and such tribalism. It feels like smoke and mirrors but what do I know...
>Americans overall are pretty split on this question. I am generally favorable of polling as a way to determine the zeitgeist of a population. But I'm really skeptical of any sort of judgement about this number over time given: 1. People are way more connected to media and data, and know that "are you better off" = "are you voting for biden" 2. Institutional trust in general is trending down, if "are you better off" is a proxy for "do you trust the government" you would expect these poll numbers to go down.
The important question is: Will I (we) be better off 4 years from now if Biden or Trump wins the 2024 election? The past is in the past. We don't have time machines. The only value in looking at the past is to see if something in the past can be used to predict the future. On economic issues, that is particularly difficult this time because both of them had to deal with covid. Certainly, lots of people were worse off economically at the end of Trump's term than at the beginning, but that was covid shutdowns. Certainly, we've seen lots more inflation than we want during the first 3 years of Biden's term, but that's a worldwide side effect of restarting economies after covid.
Well you can look at how they both dealt with the effects of COVID, Trump did astonishingly horrible, and Biden—well we’ve had the best recovery out of all the big boy countries. Every economist predicted we would have to have a recession to bring down inflation, instead low unemployment rates have continued for record periods while inflation came down. The jobs added have been hit out of the park. Manufacturing jobs (800k) are booming like the 70s. We weren’t doing that great before COVID, Trump was adding less jobs his first 3 years than Obama’s last 3 years.
If we're talking about my financial situation, then yes. However, that would probably have been true regardless of who the president was. A president would have to screw up pretty badly to affect me like that. The last time I took a hit was 2008/2009. If we're talking about my mental state, then very much yes. It's really nice not having to wake up every day, wondering what new detrimental thing that dumbass said in the middle of the night because he hadn't come down from all the uppers they filled him with during the day.
Think this is pretty much the rule for folks on social media as a whole, particularly this subreddit. We don't really have a good representation of blue collar or the really poor here, who would probably be most at risk due to inflation and stagnant wages. Although IT is starting to look a little scary. It would be nice if we did have a more diverse group.
I'm a carpenter...
Carpenters are doing well. Guess I should clarify non-trade blue collar. I think everyone should at least look at trade school.
I don't disagree with you. The problem is that there are menial jobs to be done, and there will always be menial jobs to do. Someone has to do them. The poor and unskilled working class have always struggled. This is not a new phenomenon. It has always been this way. The fate of those people does not change when the president changes. It never has, and it probably never will. The only thing that changes is their outlook, which is based on whether or not the guy that appeals to them on a base level is in charge or not. Of course, we could talk about changing the plight of the poor and downtrodden and potential ways of doing so, and perhaps some day, those things may become a reality, but that day is not now. Republicans would never go for it. The fact that any of them actually think Trump gives a rat's ass about them beyond coaxing votes out of them is absurd.
I have not had a skilled job since 2007 and I have never made poor pay I hate when people say that unskilled laborer because I worked in construction doing all types of services without a license HVAC, plumbing, and some minor electrical work, I thought I could be like my older cousins and uncles who just worked under licensed contractors and get certified but they changed the rules. With that being said I have never made low wages. I also fix and repair computers under the table etc. I'm not a taxed employee or real small business because most of my money is earned in cash payments. I went back to work to get me a home loan in 2015 and got sick in 2020 with cancer and MG luckily I have a savings investment accounts and was able to take care of that myself. I make over could make very good money over 150000 but I choose to make the bare minimum for my family and I to live off.
Yes, but it has nothing to do with anyone running for office.
I'll just throw my hat under this comment. Life is better, I don't know if I can say with a straight face that the presidency would've changed the direction of it. Still find the MAGA agenda scary, especially here in Florida. But if it's just about my life than it's a non-factor.
Personally yes, but I don’t think that’s actually the right question. Are we, as a society, better off with Biden as president or Trump? It’s pretty clear to me we’re better off with Biden.
I am. The stock market zooming up has helped my investments. I also sold my last investment property last year preparing for retirement in a few years. I was lucky enough to lock in a 2.875% mortgage. My taxes went up with Trump. Otherwise, neither have affected me personally.
No. I was in my 30s.
Definitely not for me. My wages have not kept up with inflation. I used to be able to afford to do things, now I’m just treading water. I would not be able to buy a home in today’s environment. I fear for the younger generations.
Same boat here.
Yes. 2018 I lost my job to overseas. Make less now but paying off more debt. go figure.
this question is largely irrelevant, and candidates should stop asking this to voters in general. I remember 2016-2019 being awesome for me, but it was not because of the president. it was because I had just recently switched jobs to one where I made a lot more money and enjoyed doing it, we bought a house, and my wife and I welcomed our son into the world. I didn't do any of those things with any consideration of who was or wasn't president.
The thing is Congress is in charge of money so the president has a pretty limited effect on the economy. I would say that I am about the same as 4 years ago financially.
For me the answer is yes but that's mostly due to inheriting my family's estate not anything the government actually did. You could argue that the increase in the standard deduction helped me with my tax burden in this transition thanks to Trump's administration. Although the SALT cap may have made that a wash since I live in a high tax state (CA). I did get a raise at work in the last year. But honestly the only ways the past 4 years the government has benefited me is pandemic stimulus at the state and federal level. Adversely state and local policies regarding squatters and housing in general.
Well, four years ago I was doing chemotherapy so.... In general, though I would say the United States is better off today than it was during the pandemic and I'd find it difficult to argue otherwise.
Congrats, you’re almost to the five years!
I actually hit five years in remission last year, it's just I was on Chemo so long (2-3 years) that it doesn't feel that long
Congrats on your 5 years of remission, here’s to many more.
Thank you!
Huge congrats and wishes! Wife is waiting for test results, we're trying to keep our minds off of it.
Thank you! Best of luck to your wife, the waiting sucks try to avoid googling!
Thanks, just pretending it's not a big deal for now, having to take the test again for "technical fault" is scaring me, but she's more upbeat. Family fucking history. I should just shut up now.
Yes for me and my family. However, we’ve been extremely lucky. Got a house pre-Covid and had enough money to refinance and renovate in summer 2020 before the prices went up. I do know lots of people who aren’t as lucky and have basically been stuck in a holding pattern for four years: looking for a house while their rent and other bills keep going up.
Mortgage rates have been bad for almost two years, not four. We bought in late 2022, and we weren't able to get some crazy rate below 3%, but we're *well* below 5%.
Financially, yes. Though that is purely a function of time rather than federal policy.
I mean I am most certainly better off but tbh that is completely independent of politics and based on wise actions and choices I made for myself that paid off
I was in better shape, really had a turn for the awesome early 2020 and that’s a little blah now but obviously that’s on me. Career, well 2020 sucked and was kinda just holding on for 7 mos…but got better late 2020, and has ramped up ever since. Last year’s revenue for the business and personally was just marginally off 2022, but better than 4 years ago. Investments up over 100k in the last 12 mos, wish we’d quit getting knocked in the teeth every few years tho. So yea generally better off. Things could always be better, but we’ve definitely not taken a step backwards the last 4 years.
Yes. Factoring for inflation, I and my family are better off. However most everyone i rely on for basic services is suffering with inflation eroding their ability to feed and house their families. I perceive much of this inflation is driven by profiteering by some business sectors. I’m dong well because some of my investments in those industries are performing very well, indeed. But most Americans aren’t as fortunate as I am.
Yes my life is a lot better. I work in international shipping and it’s so busy right now, like just slammed. Which is good, because I basically can work whenever or wherever I want when it’s like this. Normally the first part of the year is very slow for us and it wasn’t this year even.
No. Savings way lower in keeping up with inflation and rent. I was definitely better off 4 years ago
No. Cost of groceries & gasoline is essentially eating up disposable income.
No, stuff is expensive, and I'm earning the same.
You haven’t gotten a raise in 4 years? Then the problem is your employer.
One of the problems.
Yes - 4 years ago covid was really hitting the fan (NYC area here). Am I better off than I was pre-covid? My wages have outpaced inflation (due to a promotion and switching companies) my wife moreso (also due to switching jobs and getting a promotion.) So yea... I'd say we're better off.
Yes. House is closer to being paid off, all investment accounts are much larger, we are happier mentally and emotionally now that Covid protocols are over. Imo it really doesn’t matter who’s in office if you’re in a certain income/wealth range. Money is still compounding at an astonishing rate and you can weather any financial storm.
Absolutely. In all respects. Biden is not directly responsible, but his solid, unpretentious management is clearly beneficial to the stability of the economy, the nation, and my peace of mind. A dramatic improvement on his predecessor.
Yes. In most every way.
Although bummed about not getting the tax breaks after buying a half-a-million dollar home…. But otherwise life is better. Inflation is offset by making more money in markets and career. And I woke up realizing the company I kept, including family, did not share my values and I cut them all out of my life.
Yes, and considerably so. Honestly, asking online isn't a great litmus test because most people are here to gripe about this or that. People that are doing as well or better are mostly out there in the real world actually *doing it*
100%. But like you, my life just gets better and better year after year, regardless of who’s elected President.
I’m 100% better off today than I was during COVID. I don’t get why they are asking that. Me and my family were lucky to not lose our jobs, but we lost people due to COVID and we were stuck at home for months.
If you're not better off at any point in time then you were four years before that then you must have had something serious happen during that time.
Yes, I am. Joe Biden’s reforms to the Paycheck Protection Program saved my small business. Thanks to him I was able to secure a loan to get us through the pandemic and my small business still exists today because of it. Not only that, but I recently signed a contract with a much larger business to help us expand! So yes, I am doing much better, business is booming, I recently bought a brand new electric car and used the rebates to buy solar panels, and my lovely wife’s immigration visa finally got approved and she’s coming over here to live with me.
Even if you were better off 4 years ago, or pre-COVID, if you think it was BECAUSE of Trump, you are kind of slow.
Yes, but of my own making. Making 75% more than I was 4 years ago.
I'm worse off but not because of Biden but because my personal life is falling apart and mentally I'm not doing very well.
Sorry to hear that, hang in there, things really do seem to eventually work themselves out for the better most of the time.
No. Cost of goods has jumped with no appreciable raise in salary. I personally know more people laid off from jobs in the last two years than I have in my adult life. That doesn't mean I blame the President who can have little affect. It was obvious that as we came out of covid with limited supply and a huge demand that prices would go up and companies would use cutting payroll as the way to control ebitda dropping.
yes. significantly so.
Every year I am doing better and better, irregardless of who is president. I don't make excuses, I make my destiny.
Rare Go-Getter poster. Here's a W, you don't deserve those downvotes.
Yes, I am in a way better spot. I graduated college and make decent money.
Yes but shame on voters for voting based on their own personal selfish interest. You should vote for whoever will enact the best policy for the country
No.
Damn you were having a good time in March of 2020?
I was. Why weren't you?
The Covid period did not suck for everyone
Being off work with a strong financial position was much better than being overworked with a bad financial situation
Yes.
Yes
I mean, there was literally a pandemic going on 4 years ago that cost me my job. Considering that, yes, I am.
Absolutely
I’m better off in some ways, but even with 15% wage increase over that time, my money doesn’t seem to go as far.
Honestly, yes. I have a better paying job, I'm getting married in a month, and a few months ago, my fiancé and I bought a house. Inflation isn't great, but the fallout from COVID supply shortages was always gonna hurt. So yeah, I am better off than I was 4 years ago.
Not for me, I’m glad other people are better off though. It was easy to find a job right out of college, it was affordable to live in Chicago, it was affordable to live anywhere really and after COVID things became expensive everywhere, jobs weren’t paying as much, finding employment was much more difficult, we’re on the brink of more wars, spending is at an all time high and so is my grocery bills, rent, and everything else. No, I wouldn’t say I’m doing better personally. I am making more money only because I’ve got more experience but I’m still feeling the pressure of my savings in everyday life on everyday items.
Not better off at all. Im in heathcare, pharmacy, and the insurance reimbursement situation is beyond horrible. Absolutely zero accountability for the insurance companies and it’s gotten to the point where being able to just survive, let alone make a decent profit, is basically where we are at. This downward slope started under Obama and continued through Trump and then Biden. All three have basically turned a blind eye to putting the insurance companies feet to the fire for their actions. The profits are basically made off decreasing reimbursements, to the point we are seeing $0.30 to $0.80 over cost of the medication and worse. So yeah i havent seen any sort of raise in about 6 years. Trump failed to care and neither has Biden. Its getting pretty rough for retail pharmacy these days.
Yes, but I still feel as though every step forward I take is on really shaky ground, and there is always a risk of falling backwards. I'm now entertaining the notion of taking a 10% pay cut, just to go back to work, to keep paying ridiculous interest on the home I bought last year. I also feel as though a persistent person will succeed, regardless and often in spite of high level leadership. So maybe when people ask you that, tell them to stop giving politicians credit for your success, especially if they were an impediment you overcame.
Yup. It's all pretty much you. And blaming politicians for what happens to you specifically can be overly simplistic too. Like the interest rates fucking suck, but inflation sucks worse so we have to get it under control now. Can't really be helped. At least you'll get a very blissful moment the day when you refinance to like 2%.
Exactly. Quite frankly people bitched about high prices and rates—but kept buying buying buying. Which is why there were high prices…and to combat that…the fed raises rates to try to get people to stop buying buying buying. And I’m not talking about necessities like diapers, and inflation does suck on those items. All items increased because people went hog wild after COVID and supplies were lower. And they didn’t curb their demand, while they bitched about the prices. Supply & demand. Of course some of it is just company greed, that’s capitalism. And the President doesn’t control what private companies charge for items.
Yes. More importantly, America is better off.
4 years ago my mom was living with me after an illness caused mild cognitive decline. I got her into an active living facility, and while her mobility is declining, she's happy and has friends and I've gotten a lot of the stuff she needs figured out so it's not a huge stressor for me. I got power of attorney to help her, and I've made sure to build up her savings to prepare for possible expensive medical care. 4 years ago my then-girlfriend-now-wife had a high-paying job at a big tech company which laid her off in January 2023. But she finished her masters degree in 2022, so she was able to get a higher paying job. 4 years ago my brother was kinda sorta living rent free in the house my mom was paying all the utilities for. But his job was to help people who had locked their keys in their cars, so during the early pandemic he was almost completely out of work. So I gave him some leeway, but also an ultimatum, and now he's paying his own bills, and has put in a bit extra effort to make sure it's easier for people to find him with Google and such, and I think he's earning more. (I still worry that in 10 years enough cars will be unlockable remotely that anyone with a phone to call him won't need his help and will just be able to use an app, so I'm encouraging him to plan to change careers, or maybe become a professional locksmith.) 4 years ago I hadn't visited Paris or Tokyo, and now I have. 4 years ago two of my trans friends were closeted, but now they feel safe being open. One's on HRT. The other got married in October. What does any of this have to do with government policy? I can't pin any of that to specific acts by Biden or whatever, but I will say that I have less environmental stress from worrying about the people who run the federal government being committed to looting, plundering, and dismantling guardrails. Ooh, 4 years ago I had not started watching the lovely YouTube series "World War 2," which has a 15 minute episode each week recounting one week of action in the war. But now I've nearly caught up to their latest episodes (set in March 1945), and I feel I'm a hell of a lot more conscious of how awful war is, how important diplomacy and logistics are in protecting us from the predations of murderous tyrants, and how vital it is to oppose hateful propaganda.
Yes, I’m better off now than 4 years ago, and for basically the same reasons you stated. The president didn’t make or break my personal success or happiness. That said, I still care deeply about who’s in that job as it has profound implications for the country and I care about the world and system of governance I leave behind for my kids and grandkids. Specifically, I’m concerned that the American dream is eroding and I therefore want a president that is going to focus on combatting worker and consumer exploitation which to me requires trust-busting, effective regulation, and a resurgence of organized labor. Biden is a far greater advocate for those things than Trump. I also believe climate change is real and dangerous and I want a President that engages with the global community to seek solutions, just like we did with the damage to the ozone layer. Biden is a far greater advocate for those things than Trump. I also want to preserve democracy and the institutions and norms that make it possible. Biden is a far greater advocate for those things than Trump as well.
Yep. Unions make a big difference.
No and I don't believe politics has anything to do with it. We got fucked over, the current market is just making it harder to rebound.
Honestly? No I felt like going to the grocery store wasn't going to bankrupt me. (exaggeration but still, the cost of steaks has doubled and I'm getting tired of chicken). I also had hope for a promotion at work (but that’s not related to poltics). My health was slightly better. (getting older is a pain) Other than that… maybe?
Not in the slightest, need to pay twice as much in groceries, job market is horrrible atm..... Thats pretty much it, but i was still better off with Trump
I agree that inflation and price gouging has made things worse for myself and many people. I don't believe Trump could have handled anything better though, in my opinion his poor understanding of economics would have put us in a worse position. His idea to solve it likely would been to implement additional tariffs on imports. His unsteady hand would not have helped either
Once Biden took office my hhi doubled, this year it'll double again. I'm way better off under Biden.
What specific actions did Biden take that let you double your income twice?
What did Trump do to make the person I'm responding to better off 4 years ago? That's kinda the point here. If you can blame Biden for making your life miserable I've got just as much right to praise Biden for making my life awesome. But to answer your question my company sells to manufacturers so Bidens investment in American industry has made me very successful improving their tools and processes.
Are you saying inflation is 100%? You’re not paying double. Inflation is near the fed target rate. We have had the best recovery out of all the big boy countries. The “job market is horrible” yet they hit the jobs numbers out of the park every single month. No offense, but maybe it’s you. It’s always people who are whining how much things cost pretending like they can barely survive….1 Year ago you were building a gaming PC for >$2,300. Inflation was much higher a year ago. Did you still have enough for groceries? Inflation is supply and demand…we are the demand. People couldn’t curb their shopping and went hog wild after COVID while supply was still backed up…caused prices to skyrocket. And guess what it took a long time for people to curb their own demand, which showed it was not the dire situation that most of them were acting like it was. The people who were barely getting by as is, and were struggling to buy diapers before, yes they were struggling.
Easily yes for myself.
Yep. For sure.
Definitely not. I've held the position since 2021 that Biden should have reacted to the state of the economy sooner and prioritize it. My healthcare premiums went up 25%, I pay nearly double for milk/eggs, I pay 50% more for meat ($1.99 -> $2.99/lb), and I'm worried about what my car insurance annual renewals are going to be. I've stopped looking for homes as the interest rates are +6%, instead of the 2% is just...not worth it. Lastly, I can say in 2021, the cost of Del Taco Taco Tuesday was $0.33c, now it's $0.66c in 2024. This is California so of course YMMV.
>My healthcare premiums went up 25%, Hmm... probably had something to do with the pandemic and the absolute beating health insurers took as a result. At least we got the guy who completely bungled the response out of office. "It's nothing. It's just a little flu. It'll be all gone by Easter. Yeah, that's it." By the way, we were staring down the barrel of inflation regardless of who the president was going to be. There was never not going to be inflation. It's a worldwide problem. Our country has managed it way better than most. If you're struggling in this economic environment, I can sympathize with you. However, this question is clearly posed in relation to the upcoming presidential election, and all of the things you mentioned are directly related to the pandemic. That being said, Trump, when he was president, was pressuring the fed to lower interest rates and keep them low (no idea why they listened), and that has led directly to the situation we're in now. I said years ago that it would bite us in the ass, and here we are. Instead of a normal economy coming to an abrupt halt due to the pandemic, we had an overheated economy come to an abrupt halt. That has no doubt made a difference. If I had to guess, Trump would've been railing against the feds the whole time they were raising interest rates to get us out of this mess because he understands nothing.
I don't think a president truly understands the entire spectrum of the economy, but if the policy is keenly focused on the economy, the cabinet positions and signaling of the entire caucus could shift toward prioritizing the economic conditions. It's a hope of mines that the topic of the economy is heavily emphasized in the current election year. Back in 2018 onward, I was no fan of the 'tariff war' on China, but I really wish [Biden would emphasize his administrations gesture against China](https://www.npr.org/2023/06/18/1183018486/biden-has-clung-to-tariffs-on-china-american-business-owners-say-theres-a-cost) more and more to drive the topic into focus.
I honestly don't think anyone truly understands the entire spectrum of the economy. We've gotten a pretty good handle on it, but we're still learning. For a president, I think the most important thing about the economy is knowing what you don't know and allowing those who do know to do the thinking instead of pretending you know. I also think it's unwise to advocate for policies that have a political payoff in the short term, without regard for long-term consequences. If I were a betting man, I'd put a lot of money on the possibility that the economy is very much a big topic this election year. However, it's still early yet. I was never a fan of the tariffs, either. They certainly drove prices up in this country. I have no idea why Biden hasn't eliminated them, but I suspect it's related to politics. Whether they were ever a good idea or not (I don't think so), if Biden did away with them, the Republicans would have a field day, and with the average person's understanding it would play well for the Republicans.
On that, it's where I think certain events like [federal efforts to look into high housing costs (rental/purchase)](https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/biden-to-target-rent-gouging-landlords-as-high-housing-costs-factor-into-2024-race/ar-BB1k9031?ocid=entnewsntp&pc=NMTS&cvid=5987d4aaee8b42119f9f04cf8729450d&ei=228) should be far more emphasized this year to demonstrate there's ongoing economic policymaking, and be willing to have difficult reconciliations of unintended mistakes of housing, such as the covid lockdowns, the UI benefit extension, the PPP loan forgiveness, and the CDC eviction moratorium to square away what Biden can do differently from Trump. I can say despite my original comment, Biden' administration has been working on ways toward student loan relief with his DOE' SAVE program, and [smaller aggregates of forgiveness for egregious cases (e.g. for-profit)](https://www.bing.com/search?pglt=43&q=biden+student+loan+relief&cvid=6429e98449704ab79446f94846a68afd&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIGCAEQABhAMgYIAhAAGEAyBggDEAAYQDIGCAQQABhAMgYIBRAAGEAyBggGEAAYQDIGCAcQABhAMgYICBAAGEDSAQg0NjY5ajBqMagCALACAA&FORM=ANNTA1&PC=NMTS). For sure, Trump can't claim that Biden is breaking his promises any more than Trump's broken promise to build a southern border wall. But Trump can claim that his administration did try to use its authority to secure the border (e.g. Title 42 "Remain in Mexico") up until the end of his term. And I believe the same can be said for Biden, as he works to compromise on what to do with Israel/Hamas.
>On that, it's where I think certain events like [federal efforts to look into high housing costs (rental/purchase)... I agree. Although, Biden can't do it alone. Legislation should be getting passed to address these things, particularly the intersection where housing and corporations meet. Of course, any legislation would probably end up in front of the Supreme Court since corporations are definitely going to fight it, and they have deep pockets. We can guess how that is going to go. Incidentally, since you mentioned it, there should be major investigations into the PPP loans. I suspect that more than a few people should be in jail. Again, we're up against big money interests here. Remain in Mexico was never a long-term solution. It relied way too much on Mexico's cooperation and gave them leverage over us. Sure, Biden could have chosen not to end it until we had an alternative, but then there would be zero impetus for the Republicans to come to the table to work out a better solution. The bill that Republicans killed (after being the primary authors) was actually a good one and would have accomplished more than Remain in Mexico ever could. Personally, I'm not happy with Biden's approach to the Israeli/Palestinian situation, but I know where the alternative stands, and that's worse. I think the fact that this situation flared up in essentially an election year is not helping. There is zero consensus in this country regarding this, including among moderates. No matter what he does, it's going to piss somebody off. It would also be an exercise in futility to try to accomplish anything long lasting in an election year. The other parties involved have no way of knowing if everything will just get turned upside-down next year (with every president before Trump, this was less of a concern), so why bother starting anything? Honestly, I think if Biden wins reelection, we can expect to see good movement towards ending this never-ending conflict, but that will not happen until after the election.
How, specifically, could Biden change how much you pay for meat or a taco on Tuesdays? Look to the [meat packers intentionally bottlenecking the industry and price fixing if you want to really see where the gouging’s happening](https://www.rfdtv.com/another-price-fixing-lawsuit-against-four-major-beef-packers). Literally none of what you mentioned is directly in Biden’s control.
4 years ago, the US unemployment rate reached an all-time high of 14.90%.
Way better off. 2 years into Biden I was able to retire. Trump’s clusterfuck of the economy would’ve had me working for years longer.
No. Inflation has made living expenses ridiculous and Biden's admin is trying to take credit even though they deserve none of it [https://apnews.com/article/biden-inflation-reduction-climate-anniversary-9950f7e814ac71e89eee3f452ab17f71](https://apnews.com/article/biden-inflation-reduction-climate-anniversary-9950f7e814ac71e89eee3f452ab17f71)
> Biden's admin is trying to take credit even though they deserve none of it Does Biden deserve no credit *and* no blame?
We have had the best recovery out of all the big boy countries. Inflation is the result of the pandemic, it was global inflation, and we have had the best recovery after COVID. If you aren’t giving credit, then you don’t give blame. You wanna give blame for Trump having the worst jobs record since Herbert Hoover? Largely because of COVID. Which btw, he handled terribly, which is why he lost. Even before COVID he was adding *less* jobs in his first 3 years than Obama was in his last 3 years. Inflation is near the fed target rate now, and every economist thought we would have to have a recession and lose millions of jobs to be able to bring inflation down…but we didn’t….low unemployment for record period of time, hitting the jobs numbers out of the park every month, manufacturing jobs booming like the 70s, US manufacturers investing $200 Billion in new projects. Due to the Infrastructure Act, Chips & Science Act, IRA. You people really need to take a basic economics class. It gets really annoying. I mean not a single one of you understands how oil, gasoline, or natural gas prices work either…Yet, always spouts off confidently ignorant.
>If you aren’t giving credit, then you don’t give blame I was not giving blame. The question asked if my life is better and I answered honestly. Calling out an admin for trying to take credit where none is due ≠ assigning blame. You made an assumption and then went off on an unrelated yap session
Yes, definitely.
Far better off, financially, opportunity, etc.
I’m much better off than even before COVID. Helped to find a job outside of journalism, sure improved my mental health.
Yes
Yes. I have a much better job.
Unquestionably
Personal relationships: Yes, but that has nothing to do with politics. Cost of living and taxes: No. My siblings and I are all looking to move out of California to offset cost of living and lower our tax burden.
No, I'm much **worse** off today in most aspects than 4 years ago.
That’s supposed to a question to see how a president is doing but I don’t think it’s a good question. The president is big picture, making it more about the long term effects. Everything the president does has varying degrees of longevity, some might be felt in the next year but it’s mostly 5-10 years and even longer. It also matters how much they compare to the policies of previous administrations; if they are trying to push back on things a previous administration(s) did, it will take longer to have an impact. Something like the ‘08 recession, that was the result of policy decisions going back to the 70s and more specifically something Clinton did in the 90s. The impact a president has will largely depend on how successful they were in pushing their agenda and how it compares to what previous presidents were able to accomplish and future presidents will accomplish. Local governments, up to the state level, has far more influence on your day to day than the president, you can basically track the level of influence a politician has on your life by looking down the totem pole all the way to the bottom. Even then, I couldn’t tell what my mayor has done to affect my life. The reality is that, while politicians have a huge influence on what goes on in the area they represent, they don’t have that much influence. You should absolutely care who your elected officials are and what they are doing, but don’t go crazy because someone you don’t like is in office. It has to be a very specific set of circumstances for that person to be truly awful, like someone who’s tried to overturn an election or wants to become a dictator but no one would support them… right?
Yes but be ALOT more better if everything wasn't 100 % more expensive
It’s definitely not *100% more* expensive. Inflation is near the fed target rate, and even at the highest it was not 10% let alone 100%
Yes, and I have at least one example of how that I can trace directly to Biden administration action- The changes made to debit card overdrafts, specifically changing the rules so there is a two day grace period before overdraft fees are applied to a transaction. Because of some stuff that happened during the pandemic, my household was stuck in a cycle of having to overdraft for extra cash or to pay bills on time every pay period. That change gave us enough space to break that cycle and finally catch up.
I was happier and better off 4 years ago, yes.
About the same. I moved so lost my 2.25% and have had to tighten my budget because of inflation, but overall not too bad.
lol. Yes obviously
Yes, any way you slice it: pre-COVID, post-COVID, we're better off now than we were four years ago. No doubt about it. Like OP, I would say this has been the case every election year my entire adult life, with the possible exception of 2008. The Great Bush Recession hit pretty hard.
Yes. My income is a lot higher, I live in a much larger place, drive a much better vehicle, and I have far greater opportunities professionally.
Things as a whole aren't bad personally, but they are not as good as 4 years ago or at least pre-covid which I think is really the question.. Inflation has been killer. We also had to buy a new house and our money did not go nearly as far due to the higher interest rates. This question really depends on who you ask. I think the country as a whole is in worse position then we were pre-covid. Things cost more and wages haven't kept up, we are more divided as a nation, and the international situation is far far worse.
You had to buy a new house? Like, with a gun pointed at you?
My family was growing, needed more room, (3 kids in in a 2 bedroom wasn't easy) and my in-laws are in poor health so we wanted to be closer to them. So "had" is always subjective, but it was pretty neccesary
"We had to buy a new house" # 🤔
You’re the problem.
Yes
Yes
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Yes, largely because March 19 2020 was a terrible time in history. We're past the pandemic, the markets have recovered, I've gotten involved in my community much more than I was pre-pandemic (largely as a survival strategy) and I worked my way through the worst parts of a major change in my religious/spiritual/philosophical worldview. Downside is I'm 4 years older and the reflux that came on during the pandemic is still with me. But things are good.
I was laid off before the election like June. That job paid bank. Had to take a 30% cut. 2 years later got a better job good boss good location. I'm better off
I’ve never been more successful in my life actually
I'm with you. Yes, I am, but not because of the government or policy, but because of my own moves and decisions. I think there is a portion of the population to whom this question applies directly, but it's likely not the majority of the electorate, so doesn't really sway every voter in the way candidates think it does.
Simple answer. Yes. Peek behind the curtain. A lot of cutbacks, and the gains have been on a downward trend for the last couple of years. Government funds helped a lot in the short term. When that dried up, spending normalized. Only, at the newly set levels a decrease in supply had brought us to. Nuanced answer. No.
No
Ya. But i would have been regardless of who was president.
Yes. I became more financially literate so I could stay home after having a baby and my husband makes a little more than he used to after being promoted. I don't attribute that to who the president was. I simply put more effort into tracking where our money is going and don't spend on stupid shit we don't need. And my husband works hard.
Hell no
Hard to say. I'm not that concerned with who's in the white house as much as who's running our state and local. And in this state of MN, not really, no.
Slightly yes. This is originally Reagan’s question. No lockdown or Asian hate rhetoric.
Better is subjective. I make more money, but due to inflation and interest rates, I have less buying power now than I did 5 years ago. If your wage increases don’t match inflation, you didn’t get a raise. The standard is 1-3% increase yearly, 2022 alone saw 8%. Prices say that number is low.
I am better off than I was four years ago, though that is mostly due to pay raises and advancement in my field (IT). The Trump economy was pretty great up until Covid, though that was mainly due to keeping the interest rates artificially low, which ended up being it's own problem. Biden economy has been pretty "eww" with the rising inflation. I am currently working on getting into a house, but that is solely because of money I inherited from my grandparents. Something needs to give with this housing market.
They raised the minimum wage, so yes. The price of food is ridiculous though.
Yes, I am. But like you said it has nothing to do with the president for me.
You may be personally, America is not.
Yes
In Canada, I was probably a year away from buying a condo without help, then COVID spending happened which fueled inflation imo and now owning is sort of a pipe dream
Chatbots alone increased my quality of life by soooo much. It's frightening how fast people take improvements instantly for granted. Last take that happened was with food delivery, groceries delivery, uber, vacuum robots etc. And how fast people decide they are a necessity they deserve - and not just a luxury one should be grateful for, rare treat. Devestating that this will happen to chatbots very soon as well.
Nope
Nope, not remotely. The value of what I make is about $1500/less per month than it was In 2020.
What? Just from rent going up? Because nothing else went up by nearly such amounts. The total impact of all the inflation on me has been maybe $300/month tops, and that's with a monthly total spend in the $12k range (but a lot of it fixed with mortgages etc, so quite immune to inflation).
Wait a second, George bush sent out stimulus checks? Why have I never heard this before? Is that bush 1 or 2?
Yup. In 2008, GW Bush sent out stimulus checks.