What is the middle class? Why would you want to be in the middle class? And why does the middle class matter? These are all questions that you might have and all questions that I’m going to talk about here. First off a brief history of what is meant by middle class, at least according to what I’m laying out here.
When I say middle class here is what I mean. I don’t mean that you can afford the latest “keeping up with the Jones” sort of thing, that you’ll live in a nice upscale place with a coffee house on every corner, or things of that nature. That’s not middle class, that’s upper middle class if we want to get technical.
What I mean by middle class is where you live in an area that’s relatively safe, meaning if you forget to lock your car door one night it won’t be robbed the next day. Where you can live in relative peace and support a wife (who will also have to work but not necessarily a life consuming career job, could be a side job), and two or even three or four kids. They can play sports, grow up in a community, and do most things considered normal fifty years ago.
For many people middle class seems like a dream and that’s because it is.
Middle Class, Marketing, & Lies
The reason that the middle class seems like a dream to most is because of the changes to costs of goods and cost of living. Things like inflation and shrinkflation (depending on how you want to categorize this) and much more. For example in the United States with two people working even decent level jobs, for example teacher and police officer or librarian and maintenance worker, this sort of living could be attained. You could live in a relatively safe neighborhood, support kids, and have some for retirement and general living.
However to afford this safe lifestyle now you’ll need in excess of six figures. And no I’m not talking about having expensive things, brand name coffee everyday, all the latest electronic gadgets. I’m talking about a decent house in a decent place with some money so the kids aren’t starving and so on and so forth. I think calculated it’s something around 90,000 pounds a year or roughly 120,000 dollars. Of course that skyrockets if you live in a major or even a minor city.
Which brings me to my point.
The ‘basic life’ that most Westerns have come to expect is going to exist for less and less people as time moves forward. There may come a day when having two kids is a luxury only the uber-rich or those supported by the state can afford. Which brings me to my other point. Regardless of what you think or even really what you want.
What you need is to figure out ways how to make more money and give yourself a life. Because the basic schoolteacher, nurse, LEO, firefighter, things of that nature may not cut it in the future. You can think this is crazy, and it is, but it’s still the way things are going. More and more money is required for less and less. Shrinkflation not just of potato chip packaging but of life itself.
The Paths To Wealth
Now with that being said let’s look at what career paths and jobs are viable. Looking above for example nurse, that could be viable depending on what kind of nursing you do and if you’re willing to work gobs of overtime. But we want to give you the biggest bang for your buck. Entrepreneurship is always a good idea but you need to be rich to start that. Not millionaire rich but “I have enough money to spend hundreds/thousands of dollars on a side business until it becomes viable” rich. Which can be reached with a few choice fields.
Nothing here is new. I’ve talked about it many different times but it’s a message that I think bears repeating. Three viable paths are STEM, sales, and trades. All three paths when done right can lead to good money. I have a bias for sales but that’s because sales is my thing. STEM (science, technology, engineering, medical) jobs are things that do not line up with my natural strengths. Sales does.
Same with trades, they can work for many people. Choose between the three. Are you more intellectually focused? Then STEM is probably right. Are you more charismatic and a talker? Then sales. Are you more hardworking and keep to yourself? Then a trade is a good route to take. You have to find what matches with you.
STEM, sales, and trades.
And by trades I mean plumbing, electric, contracting work, things of that nature.
Most other things just won’t cut it anymore.
It’s a shame.
But it’s also true.
Thanks for reading.
-Charles Sledge
