How Americans spend their money

[bank5]

This is an interesting chart - The New York Times > Opinion > Image >

I'm most surprised by how much is spent on transportation, especially when compared to how much is spent on housing.

 

[W2R]

Interesting! Also I was surprised at the bottom chart, which showed that more people own cars than own microwaves.

 

[freebird5825]

The curve for the automobile in the bottom chart was surprising - it showed a decrease/increase fluctuation in the years surrounding WWII.
I can understand a decrease after the US was fighting in WWII, but not prior to. Any thoughts?

 

[haha]

The curve for the automobile in the bottom chart was surprising - it showed a decrease/increase fluctuation in the years surrounding WWII.
I can understand a decrease after the US was fighting in WWII, but not prior to. Any thoughts?

My guess is it was the cumulative effect of the depression on American households. I can remember my Dad telling me that they were in the soup until the War started and America started staffing factories first for Lend-Lease, for beefing up the Navy and later for our entry into the war.

People had savings, it took a long while to bring some of them down.

Looked at now, it's like a feeble old man looking back on what he could accomplish in his youth. How the mighty have fallen!

 

[W2R]

The curve for the automobile in the bottom chart was surprising - it showed a decrease/increase fluctuation in the years surrounding WWII.
I can understand a decrease after the US was fighting in WWII, but not prior to. Any thoughts?

The Great Depression - - plus I may be wrong but I think that car loans were not commonly available until later in the 20th century.

 

[freebird5825]

Yes, the Great Depression economic effects for years prior to 1941.

My history lessons said we were also helping Britian with transatlantic goods shipments. Were we shipping metal overseas prior to 1941?

Eureka ! A metal shortage for autos due to the demand for war machinery after the Pearl Harbor attack.

 

[FinanceDude]

Yes, the Great Depression economic effects for years prior to 1941.

My history lessons said we were also helping Britian with transatlantic goods shipments. Were we shipping metal overseas prior to 1941?

Eureka ! A metal shortage for autos due to the demand for war machinery after the Pearl Harbor attack.

Actually, Japan was buying all the scrap metal from us they could in the 30's..........wonder what they were up to?