Generally speaking anecdotes are a terrible data point. Personal experiences shared tend to be drenched in personal bias and lacking contextual frameworks needed to meaningfully understand what's being conveyed.

But let's, in a careful and deliberate way, ignore the pitfalls for a moment.

12 mos have passed since Trump was voted out of office.

How is YOUR life demonstrably better, or worse?

Don't share how Fox or CNN is coloring your experience. 

How has your salary changed? How have your expenses changed? Reflect on your hard numbers, not how you feel about them.

Just curious.

FWIW my IRA (not my 401k, so this is pure market not reflecting additional contributions) is up about 23% since Nov 2020. My earned income is up significantly as well, though there are transitional circumstances dictating that so I expect it will drop in the next year. I pay more for gas but I don't drive much, so I don't care. My electric bill (house is 100% electric) has not changed. 

That is, roughly, my frame of reference.

Portfolio is up. Stock market is soaring.

Cost of living has increased somewhat. Most noticeably groceries and gas.

For the most part, I'd say slightly better than a year ago.

 

Stocks up big, 401k up big, salary has been awesome for the past several years and continues to grow. Gas prices never phased me. Only annoying thing is the low inventory on groceries.

Anyway, aside from dealing with the pandemic's effects life is great.

Kz always dreamed of having a zero turn mower and now he has one, so things are definitely looking up for him.

My wife and I are both retired collecting SS and we both have nice pensions.  Have 401k which like everyone else is doing well.  Bought a new home when we retired putting 1/2 down.  Been paying extra on it and have half balance payed off in the 6yrs we’ve been retired.  Haven’t seen much difference between Trump and Biden as far as finances.  Inflation is concern, but nothing we need to worry about right now.

In my experience you can’t rely solely on data driven evidence or anecdotal evidence. They both go hand in hand. Anyone can shape evidence to fit their viewpoint. If you think something because of data driven evidence, you need to get out in the field and see it happening for yourself. 
 

Also since November 2020, My salary is up 45% because I lateraled into another department at a higher salary, got two pay increases in six months, and then got promoted, then got an annual. So I’m doing ok, just had to get out of the ish department I was in. 

Expenses are always a fluctuating thing but expenses haven't been an issue for 15 years.....All investments, real estate and income have have been great the last few years.

Been doing pro bono financial planning for struggling young families, military and debt riddled people...... Unfortunately, it's a huge group.

 

Raises for my wife and I balance out the cost of daycare and increased bills from doing laundry 37 times per day...so I guess it's a wash?

Thanks a lot Joe Biden 

The plural of "anecdote" is not "data."

Also, my income does not depend on Trump or Biden. To the extent a president can influence the economy, you sure won't see it in his first year in office.

Fun topic anyhow. Covid has made many poor and some rich. It's hurt us even more than Trump did, but of course covid would have been less severe with competent governance at the outset.

6 hours ago, TomatoPie said:

The plural of "anecdote" is not "data."

Also, my income does not depend on Trump or Biden. To the extent a president can influence the economy, you sure won't see it in his first year in office.

Fun topic anyhow. Covid has made many poor and some rich. It's hurt us even more than Trump did, but of course covid would have been less severe with competent governance at the outset.

When do you foresee an onset of competent governance?

Asking for a friend.

I don't notice gas prices anymore, first hand anyhow. I'm retired and the wife works from home. Obviously, I am noticing the increases on food and other products in the stores. Meat is way up. Like someone else said, availability on items week to week is touchy and annoying.

7 hours ago, TomatoPie said:

The plural of "anecdote" is not "data."

Also, my income does not depend on Trump or Biden. To the extent a president can influence the economy, you sure won't see it in his first year in office.

Fun topic anyhow. Covid has made many poor and some rich. It's hurt us even more than Trump did, but of course covid would have been less severe with competent governance at the outset.

Mostly interested in contrasting people's actual experiences with the impression they're getting from media (be it traditional, partisan, social, etc)

Consensus from conservative media is that the world is going to hell, the economy is cratered, people are resorting to eating their pets, all because of liberals.  

To be sure similar hysteria reigned on CNN et al, and to down extent does even now because hysteria sells better than "things aren't perfect, but they're good in many ways, manageable in others, and there are some specific economic issues that will present challenges for Powell"

But from talking to people I find most on the right have the impression "well, I'M doing well, but everybody else is really suffering." 

There are some handful of lower income blue collar types in my family, but I live amongst the suburban elite. Some of whom, as evidenced by what I share from school board meetings, are convinced that Democrats are the enemy of the state (wonder where they might have gotten that impression) and are spewing vitriol at their very neighbors.

In taking the temperature of my small network though, I haven't seen anybody claim they're demonstrably worse off than they were 1 or 2 years ago despite the "let's go Brandon" pics they share at the gas pump.

1 hour ago, sameaglesfan said:

When do you foresee an onset of competent governance?

Asking for a friend.

My family is doing well financially, despite COVID.

I really feel the shortages at work. Ordering servers, computers, switches, firewalls, etc. Part shortages make people make hard choices. Wait, or install 'lesser' equipment.

 

At the stores, For the past two years it has been interesting watching what is gone from the shelves. I cannot say it has caused any hardship, except when the wife can't find her preferred TP. That bugs her. but she is choosy about that, they way I am about coffee or some other things.

 

We do all our meat shopping at a butcher, which was always more expensive, and the bills there are not so much larger that I have to go "WTF?"

 

Not being able to find Patron Espresso bugs me. I mix it half and half with Irish cream and keep it in the freezer. Tastes like a mocha milkshake.

The one price that stands out is gasoline, but despite what people pretend, this is a global issue, not a US one.

 + 

Yeah, you could say it's been a big year for me.

58 minutes ago, Toastrel said:

the wife can't find her preferred TP.

Tell her to come to Austin!

signed,

TP

2 hours ago, sameaglesfan said:

When do you foresee an onset of competent governance?

Eisenhower was POTUS when I was born. In my lifetime, we've had competent governance always except from Jan 2016 through Jan 2020.

Nixon was a crook, Carter was way over his head, Dubya was not quite bright enough for the job, and Uncle Joe is a much better Senator than a POTUS. I loved Reagan (still do, warts and all) and I have 20/20 hindsight respect for JFK & Obama. But all of them were competent and posed little threat to undo 250 years of democracy through avarice, ignorance, directives from Putin, or relentless incompetence.

39 minutes ago, TomatoPie said:

Eisenhower was POTUS when I was born. In my lifetime, we've had competent governance always except from Jan 2016 through Jan 2020.

Nixon was a crook, Carter was way over his head, Dubya was not quite bright enough for the job, and Uncle Joe is a much better Senator than a POTUS. I loved Reagan (still do, warts and all) and I have 20/20 hindsight respect for JFK & Obama. But all of them were competent and posed little threat to undo 250 years of democracy through avarice, ignorance, directives from Putin, or relentless incompetence.

You are much more of an optimist than I - I am afraid.

1 hour ago, Kz! said:

 + 

Yeah, you could say it's been a big year for me.

Did you make it to that Train concert?

1 hour ago, TomatoPie said:

Tell her to come to Austin!

signed,

TP

1 hour ago, Paul852 said:

Did you make it to that Train concert?

I thought you were getting the tickets. We'll catch the next one.

Speaking of concerts, though, I actually did miss one that I wanted to go to because of a vaccine requirement. The venue didn't have a negative test option, because, you know, science and stuff.  

20 hours ago, JohnSnowsHair said:

Generally speaking anecdotes are a terrible data point. Personal experiences shared tend to be drenched in personal bias and lacking contextual frameworks needed to meaningfully understand what's being conveyed.

But let's, in a careful and deliberate way, ignore the pitfalls for a moment.

12 mos have passed since Trump was voted out of office.

How is YOUR life demonstrably better, or worse?

Don't share how Fox or CNN is coloring your experience. 

How has your salary changed? How have your expenses changed? Reflect on your hard numbers, not how you feel about them.

Just curious.

FWIW my IRA (not my 401k, so this is pure market not reflecting additional contributions) is up about 23% since Nov 2020. My earned income is up significantly as well, though there are transitional circumstances dictating that so I expect it will drop in the next year. I pay more for gas but I don't drive much, so I don't care. My electric bill (house is 100% electric) has not changed. 

That is, roughly, my frame of reference.

Nobody care about your personal finances jacktard. Just like nobody cared that I’ve been robbed of my tools (4 times In 2021 so far) and 2 work trucks

Kindly, carefully, and deliberately go pound sand.  Thank you byebye

22 minutes ago, SNOORDA said:

Nobody care about your personal finances jacktard. Just like nobody cared that I’ve been robbed of my tools (4 times In 2021 so far) and 2 work trucks

Kindly, carefully, and deliberately go pound sand.  Thank you byebye

We cared. We made memes about it and everything. 

3 hours ago, Kz! said:

I thought you were getting the tickets. We'll catch the next one.

Speaking of concerts, though, I actually did miss one that I wanted to go to because of a vaccine requirement. The venue didn't have a negative test option, because, you know, science and stuff.  

Which concert?

2 hours ago, SNOORDA said:

Nobody care about your personal finances jacktard. Just like nobody cared that I’ve been robbed of my tools (4 times In 2021 so far) and 2 work trucks

Kindly, carefully, and deliberately go pound sand.  Thank you byebye

I mean, at what point are you no longer a victim and just an idiot?