I can assure you all that my idea of middle class involves vacations close to home, no air travel, and a used car.

I left a sales career in preparation for law school and now work in a non-sales role where I barely break 50k. I know others who have strong resumes from fortune 500 companies in my same position that only negotiated salaries around 38-40k. I have 1 car payment on a 5 year old car. I live in a 2 bed apartment that is WAY below market rent @ $1150. These days we struggle to make it.

I don’t think my worldview of middle class is much (if any) different than my father’s was in 1970. He managed it on one income, and he is a Farmer. I can’t accomplish half what he did financially by my age, even with a bachelors degree and a professional position. They didn’t have Ipods back then, but I don’t either. I guess the only thing I can think of that I “need” that they didn’t is a computer and an internet connection.

I don’t think it’s all that easy out there for the average American these days. If Americans outside the professional class make less in inflation adjusted dollars than they did in 2000, just think what it would look like if the govt. included housing and energy in the CPI.