Name: 年薪三百萬根本不夠！為什麼「美國夢」越來越難達成了？ (Why A $100,000 Salary Can’t Buy The American Dream)
Uploaded: 2024-04-25T21:01:20.000Z
Duration: 9 min 29 s

More than half of Americans say they would need at least $100,000 a year to be financially comfortable.

超過一半的美國人表示，他們至少需要每年 10 萬美元才能在經濟上過得去。

to 不定詞

The benchmark of a six figure salary used to be the gold standard income.

六位數薪水的基準曾經是黃金收入的標準。

動名詞

It represented the tipping point of finally earning a disposable income and building a savings spending based on your wants, not just your needs.

它代表了最終賺取可支配收入並根據你的願望（而不僅僅是你的需求）建立儲蓄支出的轉折點。

The American Dream is what makes a middle class lifestyle. You're able to pay your bills.

美國夢讓中產階級生活方式你有能力支付帳單。

You're able to put food on the table, put a roof over your family's head, and you have some additional savings.

你可以養家糊口，為家人提供棲身之所，並且還有一些額外的積蓄。

Now, people making well over six figures are still living paycheck to paycheck.

現在，即使收入超過六位數，仍有許多人過著手不著錢的生活。

What used to symbolize financial freedom is now keeping people stressed about making ends meet.

曾經象徵著財務自由的事物，現在卻讓人們為了收支平衡而感到壓力重重。

26% say they would need more. A salary in the range of $100,000 to $149,000 per year would make them feel financially comfortable.

26% 的人表示他們需要高的收入。年薪在 10 萬到 14.9 萬美元之間會讓他們感到經濟上舒適。

I think, unfortunately, what has happened is that wages haven't kept up with the cost of living, by and large, for the last 50 years or so, and so it becomes increasingly hard for many families to be able to attain that sort of middle-class lifestyle, that American dream.

我認為，不幸的是，過去大約 50 年來，工資普遍沒有跟上生活成本的增長，因此對許多家庭來說，要達到那種中產階級的生活方式，實現美國夢變得越來越困難。

How much you need to feel financially secure varies so much depending on not only your geographical location, but of course, your lifestyle.

要感到經濟安全所需的金額，不僅取決於所在的地理位置，而且當然還取決於生活方式。

It used to be that a six-figure salary was like the gold standard, but nowadays that may not be enough to make ends meet in certain parts of the country, especially like New York or San Francisco, where it costs so much more just to cover your daily expenses.

過去，六位數的薪水曾經是金錢的標準，但如今在美國某些地區，特別是像紐約或舊金山這樣的地方，六位數的薪水可能已經不夠支付日常開支了，因為生活成本太高。

Here's why a $100,000 household income no longer buys the American Dream.

以下是為什麼 10 萬美元的家庭收入不再能實現「美國夢」。

GoBankingRates analyzed how much a family of two adults and two children would need in each state to own a home, a car and a pet, as well as have an additional 20% of their income for savings and 30% for discretionary spending.

GoBankingRates分析了一個由兩名成年人和兩名孩子組成的家庭，在每個州需要多少才能擁有一個住所、一輛汽車和一隻寵物，並且額外還需要將收入的 20% 用於儲蓄，30% 用於自由支配的開支。

The core of what the American Dream means is some amount of economic security that you feel like you can get by and do a bit better, maybe do better than your parents, maybe be able to afford a house.

美國夢的核心意義在於一定程度的經濟安全感，讓你覺得可以過得更好，也許比父母更好，也許能夠負擔得起一棟房子。

Certainly be able to save for your children's future.

當然還有能夠為子女的未來儲蓄。

All 50 states require more than a $100,000 annual income, with 38 states needing more than $140,000.

所有50個州都需要超過10萬美元的年收入過活，而有38個州需要超過14萬美元。

The most affordable states  — Mississippi, Arkansas and Kentucky — need between $109,000 and $117,000.

最經濟實惠的州——密西西比、阿肯色和肯塔基——需要在109,000到117,000美元之間。

The median income for a household of four people in each of those states in 2022 was between $71,000 and $87,000.

2022 年，這些州四口之家的收入中位數在 71,000 美元到 87,000 美元之間。

Hawaii, California and Massachusetts are the most expensive.

夏威夷、加州和麻薩諸塞州是最貴的。

Each requires an annual income of more than $240,000.

每個州都需要年收入超過24萬美元。

The median income for a family of four in those three states in 2022 fell at least $94,000 short of what's required for the American dream.

2022年這三個州四口之家的家庭收入中位數，至少比實現美國夢所需的金額少了94,000美元。

A different analysis from EPI found that in about 80% of the country, a family of four can afford their basic needs on less than $100,000 per year.

EPI的另一項分析發現，在全國約80%的地區，一個四口之家每年少於10萬美元的收入就能夠支付基本需求。

Those include things such as housing, food, transportation, health care, child care, taxes and a few other basic necessities.

這些包括住房、食品、交通、醫療保健、兒童保育、稅收和其他一些基本必需品。

It doesn't take into account anything extra.

It's really just putting food on the table, putting a roof over your head, getting health care for your family and so you're not saving for a rainy day if something happens to somebody or if they lose something happens to somebody or if they lose their job.

這實際上只是讓你有飯吃，為你提供棲身之所，為你的家人提供醫療保健，沒有辦法額外因如果家庭中有人發生意外或失去工作時未雨綢繆。

So there's no extra in there for retirement, for kids college.

因此，沒有多餘的錢可以用於退休、供孩子上大學。

Those are the kinds of things that many people want to save for.

這些是許多人想要儲蓄的東西。

Those are the many things that people consider a part of the American Dream.

人們認為這些是美國夢的一部分。

Only about 3% of those counties have a median income higher than the basic cost of living.

這些縣中只有大約 3% 的收入中位數高於基本生活成本。

The idea behind the American Dream hasn't really changed, even though lifestyles have.

儘管生活方式發生了變化，但美國夢背後的理念並沒有真正改變。

It used to be that you could get out of school, get a job, buy a home, and start a family.

過去，你離開學校就可以找到工作，買房，成家。

And now those milestones are harder to achieve.

而現在，這些里程碑更難實現了。

It used to be that a high school degree, you're good to go. You could get a great job building cars or something and be right in the middle class off of a high school degree.

以前的說法是，只要高中畢業就夠了。 你可以找到一份建造汽車之類的好工作，並在高中畢業後躋身中產階級。

But now, in order to get into the middle class, a high school degree is clearly not enough, right?

但現在，要進入中產階級，高中學歷顯然是不夠的，對吧？

People are graduating with much larger student loan balances, and then it's harder to be on that same sort of career trajectory that would provide the stability that you maybe would have had a generation ago to save up for the down payment on a home.

人們畢業時的學生貸款餘額要多很多，然後就更難走上同樣的職業軌跡，而這種職業軌跡可以提供上一代人可能擁有的穩定性來存錢買房的首付。

Student loan debt reached an all time high of $1.77 trillion in the first quarter of 2023.

2023 年第一季度，學生貸款債務達到 1.77 兆美元，創下歷史新高。

This can have a ripple effect, especially when entire generations are starting their adulthoods with thousands of dollars in debt.

這可能會產生連鎖反應，特別是當整個世代的人開始成年時就背負著數千美元的債務時。

So when we think about the kinds of investments you want to make for your children, the cost of college has gone up a lot faster than overall inflation.

因此，當我們考慮你想為孩子進行哪些投資時，大學費用的上漲速度遠遠快於整體通膨。

So trying to make those investments on a smaller and smaller paycheck compared to the cost of living can be very difficult and almost impossible.

因此，試圖以與生活成本相比越來越小的薪水進行這些投資可能非常困難，幾乎是不可能的。

And so the kinds of debt that young people can rack up going to college gets larger and larger, and your ability to then make ends meet yourself, be able to buy a car, be able to move out of your parents' house.

因此，年輕人上大學時可能背負的債務會越來越大，而你自己養家的能力也會越來越高，有能力買車，有能力搬出父母的房子。

Those things become much more difficult over time.

隨著時間的推移，這些事情變得更加困難。

The American Dream typically is people owning property and having children,

美國夢通常是人們擁有財產和生孩子，

but that's becoming largely inaccessible for many people, and even those who have attained these things are finding themselves managing every dollar coming in and out just to stay afloat.

但對許多人來說，這在很大程度上變得難以實現，甚至那些已經實現了這些目標的人也發現自己管理著每一筆進出的錢只是為了維持生計。

So that trade off is underlying the new cost of the American Dream.

因此，這種權衡是美國夢新成本的基礎。

Millennials and Gen Zers still want to buy homes despite feeling like they can't afford it.

千禧世代和 Z 世代仍然想買房，儘管他們感覺買不起。

62% of younger millennials and 63% of Gen Zers still say owning a home is part of the American Dream.

62% 的年輕千禧一代和 63% 的 Z 世代仍然說擁有一套住房是美國夢的一部分。

66% of U.S. renters surveyed say rising prices leave them feeling hopeless about ever owning a home.

66% 接受調查的美國人租房者表示，不斷上漲的房價讓他們感覺無望擁有自己的家。

72% of respondents say they can't afford the down payment.

17% of all home buyers said that saving for the down payment was the most difficult task in the buying process, and 52% said student loan debt delayed their ability to save.

17% 的購屋者表示，為首付存錢是購買過程中最困難的任務，52% 的人表示，學生貸款債務阻礙了他們的儲蓄能力。

The typical first time homebuyer in 2022 had a household income of $95,900.

2022 年首次購屋者的典型家庭收入為 95,900 美元。

Nationally, a prospective home buyer would need a nearly $110,000 salary to afford the principal interest, taxes and insurance payments on a median-price home.

在國內，潛在的購屋者需要近 110,000 美元的工資才能支付中等價格房屋的本金、稅費和保險費。

But the median household income in the United States in 2022 was a little under $75,000.

但 2022 年美國家庭收入中位數略低於 75,000 美元。

If you're born into a nice neighborhood, which your parents have lots of wealth and lots of income, your chances of doing well are vastly improved.

如果你出生在一個不錯的社區，而你的父母有很多財富和收入，你就會大大增加取得好成績的機會。

Collectively, Americans owe $1.13 trillion on their credit cards.

美國人總共欠下了 1.13 萬億美元的信用卡債務。

Inflation -- it's eroding people's purchasing power.

通貨膨脹侵蝕著人們的購買力。

It's reducing their ability to save for their future or invest in these longterm goals.

這削弱了他們為未來儲蓄的能力，或投資於這些長期目標。

So that loss of financial stability can create a sense of powerlessness and insecurity, and contribute to feelings of uncertainty and vulnerability.

失去財務穩定會讓人感到無力感和不安全感，助長不確定感和脆弱感。

It can really impact people's self-esteem, their resilience, their overall psychological health.

它真的會影響人們的自尊、他們的復原力，以及他們的整體心理健康。

Economists have suggested that debt growth became a substitution for income growth.

經濟學家認為債務成長取代了收入成長。

More than a quarter of Americans said that they are doom spending or spending money despite economic concerns.

超過四分之一的美國人表示，儘管有經濟擔憂，他們還是會花錢。

There's also this idea that young adults are feeling more discouraged in their own financial standing.

也有一種觀點認為，年輕人對自己的財務狀況感到更加沮喪。

So in that way, they're are less inclined to even save for long time goals and more likely to just live in the moment.

因此，這樣一來，他們就不太願意為長期目標存錢，而更有可能只活在當下。

It's just sort of that mentality, like you only live once.

這就是一種心態，就像你只活一次一樣。

I may not buy a home anyway, so let's take that trip or let's go to that event, whether it's a Taylor Swift concert or other, you know, big ticket item.

無論如何，我可能不會買房，所以讓我們去旅行或去參加那個活動，無論是泰勒絲的音樂會還是其他大型活動。

73% of Gen Zers say the current economy makes it difficult to set up long time goals.

73% 的 Z 世代表示，當前的經濟狀況使得制定長期目標變得困難。

And it's not just about revenge spending, it's just about wanting to enjoy life and make the most of what you have,

這不僅僅是為了報復性消費，而是為了享受生活並充分利用你所擁有的，

even if you can't necessarily buy that home or you know you're not starting a family just yet and you really want to, you know, feel good about yourself in the moment.

即使你不一定能買下那棟房子，或是你知道你還沒開始建立家庭，但你真的想，你知道，此刻自我感覺良好。

People are indulging to the extreme, and I think we often buy because we think that it's going to change our life or it's going to give us this emotion that we feel like we're missing.

人們沉迷購物到了極致，我認為我們經常購買是因為我們認為它會改變我們的生活，或者它會給我們帶來我們感覺缺失的情感。

And it's like an endless trail of spending and constantly going to make us feel empty because we're externalizing something that we need to give to ourselves.

這就像無止盡的支出，不斷讓我們感到空虛，因為我們正在外化一些我們需要給予自己的東西。

I think that's a big issue with consumerism, and it's running rampant.

我認為這是消費主義的一個大問題，而且它正在猖獗。

Social media has changed the conversation so much, because there's just been this abundance of the ability to see these glamorous, glorified lifestyles.

社群媒體極大地改變了人們的談話，因為人們有很多機會看到這些迷人、榮耀的生活方式。

It's not only celebrities that are presenting themselves this way, but even your own peers, which makes a lot of people feel like they're just not measuring up.

不僅名人以這種方式展示自己，甚至你自己的同齡人也這樣，這讓許多人覺得他們沒有達到標準。

They can't financially compete with what they're seeing online.

他們無法在經濟上與他們在網路上看到的內容競爭。

It has left a lot of people, especially young adults, feeling very discouraged in their own financial standing.

這讓很多人，尤其是年輕人，對自己的財務狀況感到非常沮喪。

Even if they're doing okay, they just may not feel that way when they compare themselves to what they're seeing on social media.

即使他們做得很好，當他們將自己與社交媒體上看到的內容進行比較時，他們可能不會有這樣的感覺。

The question is, are you able, given kind of the luck of the birth lottery, are you able to have opportunities that are the same as those of people who may have been born into families that are in better circumstances than your own?

問題是，考慮到出生時的運氣，你是否有機會獲得與那些出生在比你家庭條件更好的人相同的機會？

The American dream is all about it shouldn't matter.

美國夢的核心就在於，這不該成為問題。

The birth lottery shouldn't matter, right?

出生時的運氣不應該有影響，對吧？