Rob has also been doing some interesting thinking about The Middle Class Squeeze. Many of my friends will attest to my fascination with the topic -- I occasionally go off about the conflicts between the American Dream and the economic reality, desire and ideals, aspiration and living in the moment.
I guess Rob was bouncing off this article with a U.S. focus, which led me to a personal account of bankruptcy from an excellent writer in the tech field. Lots of food for thought, much of it focused on mortgages, kids and dual-income stress. We're making some decisions counter to these trends -- single income, rented apartment, one old car (and bike commuting). Some of it is because we don't see the debt-ridden and stressful alternatives to be very attractive, but on the other hand, we find ourselves comparing our "status" with others our age and realize that we'd love to own the perfect house, drive nice vehicles and take great trips...but it's probably not worth it.
