What the average family in America has. Living in an American family. Personal experience. home and family
In America, a small nuclear family (a family consisting of parents (parent) and children, or only of spouses; in this case, the relationship between spouses (representatives of the same generation) is highlighted, and not relations between representatives of different generations (parents and children)), in the center of which are children. A large family of several generations and distant relatives is rare, even on farms and in an immigrant environment. The number of families from the total number of households is about 70%. Family values \u200b\u200bplay a huge role for Americans. Advertising, TV shows, serials and soap operas are based on the idea of \u200b\u200ba good family. Even children's shows portray the family as the greatest good. Hollywood films cultivate the idea of \u200b\u200ba Home to Protect and a Family where joy and pain are the same for everyone. In terms of their demographic indicators, they are the leaders among the Western countries, which is largely due to the high standard of living, the country's dominant position in the world and ample opportunities to attract migrants. Since 1995, the country has seen the highest birth rate in developed countries - 2.07 children for every woman of fertile age in 2003, which is close to the level of simple replacement of the population. This suggests that in 15-20 years they will be able to meet labor needs from domestic resources, while Western European countries will need to import about 40 million migrants by 2025.
However, over the past 30 years, the family has undergone a significant transformation and is playing a less important role than before - it is shrinking specific gravity complete families. For several decades, the country has been the leader in the number of divorces. The average age at marriage is steadily increasing - 25.1 years for women and 26.8 years for men (as of 2000). In one generation, the attitude towards the institution of the family has changed: recognizing the importance of marriage, Americans consider divorce the best way out for a family that has not been able to solve their problems. The birth rate is declining, although the majority expresses a desire to have children. Social roles in the family have also changed. The rights and obligations of men and women have become more homogeneous (due to the growing popularity of the feminist movement). In the upbringing of children, the emphasis is placed on the "autonomy" of the latter than on obedience to elders. As of 2010, the number of married Americans has reached an all-time low. According to Pew Research Center polls, 39% of Americans in 2010 believed that marriage was becoming an old-fashioned institution.
The destructuring of the American institution of the family occurs for a number of reasons. First, this is an increasing proportion of same-sex marriage... According to statistics, 66% of same-sex families are female and have children over 18 years old. According to a survey in 2000, there were 594,000 registered same-sex families, with 72% of them having children. Secondly, it is an increasing number of Incomplete families... The proportion of children living with one parent has grown from 4% in 1960 to 42% in 2001. Currently, of all single parent families, 83% are single mothers. Also, a big problem is hard rulesconcerning adoption of children - the family must go through multiple instances to adopt a child (currently 2% (1.5 million) of all children in the United States are adopted).
In addition, it significantly worsens the situation declining welfare American citizens. “Because of the course, and the promises to create a lot of jobs sound almost like a mockery in the light of previous results. Obama won the election as a candidate for the hope of millions of people for change. However, in 2008-2011, it provided only support to banking groups, but not economic rescue. His rule (as admitted by both left and right opponents) was marked by enormous costs; government spending has not benefited ordinary Americans. Even in the “prosperous” 2010, consumer spending on goods exceeded the 2005 level by only 5.7%. But the cost of gasoline decreased, amounting to 93.3% of the 2005 figure. This is despite the fact that oil prices in 2010 increased significantly. Exports and imports increased, and industrial production increased. However, the construction industry, the engine of past economic growth, remained oppressed. All this was stated by the US Bureau of Economic Analysis. Bloomberg reports that the proportion of people in the United States living below the poverty line in 2010 increased to 15.1% (46.2 million people). This is the maximum figure for 52 years of work of the department. The average household income fell from $ 50.6 thousand in 2010 to $ 49.4 thousand in 2011. This indicator is the lowest since 1996. However, the nominal decline does not reflect everything. Over the past 10 years (since the beginning of 2008, it has fallen by half). In the 1990s, the position of the American currency relative to gold was stable. The 2011 dollar is not at all the same value as before the crisis or earlier. Frighteningly, the data that the number of Americans out of work even one week a year has grown from 83 million in 2009 to 86 million in 2011. holds above 9%. It is clear that at least one third of workers have problems with work: it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a permanent job, and those who occasionally perform contract work are not considered unemployed. Even nominally, according to Bloomberg, household incomes in 2010 were at their lowest level in a decade. The average poverty line for a family of four adjusted for inflation in 2010 was $ 22,314 in annual income. However, any negative statistics on living standards in the United States pales against the background of data on the life of schoolchildren. Research non-profit organizations show that teachers consider the third most important problem in schools is that children come to school hungry. In February 2010, it was revealed that school lunches are a source of food for 65% of students' children. This confirms other evidence that hunger is acute for millions of families in the United States. It is unlikely that in such conditions, achieved in no small measure thanks to Obama's "victories" over the crisis, people are worried about how else to save the banks. And the attempts of the US President to write off all the troubles on debt problems in Western Europe sound fake, ”said Vasily Koltashov, head of the Center for Economic Research at the Institute of Globalization and Social Movements“ Vzglyad ”.
The number of single people of all ages is growing in the United States. They get married more and more later and less often. The size of the family is decreasing, the illegitimate birth rate is growing, according to the World Demographic Barometer of the magazine Demoscope Weekly»
The number of households has increased, the size has decreased
Over the past half century, the average household size in the United States has decreased 1.3 times. In the early 1960s, it was 3.36 people, in 2012 - already 2.55 people. This decline is explained by the "epidemic" of loneliness - the proportion of people living without relatives or partners is growing. So, for the 1960-1970s, it more than doubled (from 3.7% in 1960 to 8.0% in 1980), and in the 2000s it exceeded 10% (Fig. 1), writes "Demoscope Weekly ". There are 117 million households in the United States, up from 35 million 70 years ago.
Picture 1. The average size households and proportion of the population living alone in the United States, 1960-2012
Already half a century ago, small farms of 1-3 people prevailed in the United States (about 60%). Now they make up 77% of the total number of households. The shares of large households - 6 or 7 people - fell to 2% and 1.5%, respectively, in the second half of the 1980s. (for families of several generations, see Multigenerational Households: 2009-2011 .)
The number of families without marriage will only grow
Marital behavior of Americans is changing significantly, according to Demoscope Weekly ». The share of family households fell from 85% in 1960 to 66% in 2010, according to the 2010 US Census.
Family households are spouses with children under 18 or without children, a single parent with children, and other groups of relatives living together. Non-family households are single people and civil (unregistered) marriages. However, the magazine clarifies that if a man lives with a woman who has a child and who is listed as the head of the household, then this is a family type household.
On the eve of World War II, more than 75% of households had a married couple (of which 42.9% were spouses with children). Single-parent families accounted for 4.3% of the total number of households. Every tenth household was non-family - mainly at the expense of single people, the magazine specifies.
In 1960, at the end of the postwar baby boom (which spanned about 15 years after World War II), the proportion of households with spouses with children increased slightly. But over the next 20 years, non-family households took revenge. Their share was 26.4%. And the share of “single” households is almost 23% (see Table 1).
Table 1. Distribution of US households by type, according to censuses of 1940, 1960, 1980, 2000 and 2010,%
| 1940 | 1960 | 1980 | 2000 | 2010 | |
| Family households | 90 | 85,1 | 73,7 | 68,1 | 66,4 |
| Married couple with children | 42,9 | 44,3 | 30,7 | 23,5 | 20,2 |
| Married couple without children | 33,4 | 30,5 | 30,2 | 28,1 | 28,2 |
| Single parent with children | 4,3 | 4,1 | 7,2 | 9,2 | 9,6 |
| Other families | 9,4 | 6,2 | 5,6 | 7,1 | 8,5 |
| Non-family households | 10 | 15,1 | 26,4 | 31,9 | 33,6 |
| Living lonely | 7,8 | 13,4 | 22,6 | 25,8 | 26,7 |
| Other non-family households | 2,2 | 1,7 | 3,8 | 6,1 | 6,8 |
A source : Linda A. Jacobsen, Mark Mather, and Genevieve Dupuis. Household Change in the United States // Population Bulletin 67, no. 1 (2012).P. 3
The share of family households has been declining over the past 30 years. According to the 2010 census, their share fell to 66.4%, including households with spouses - to 48.4%. This is due to a decrease in the number of complete families. In parallel, the number of single people and couples living in a civil marriage, as well as single-parent families, grew.
In the next decade, many children of the post-war baby boom will reach retirement age in the United States. This means that the decline in the share of households with spouses and children will accelerate.
"Matriarchy" and the loneliness of pensioners
Among family households without a married couple, female-headed households predominate. In the early 1950s. the share of such families was about 8%. By 2012, it had reached almost 13%.
Non-family households are also often headed by women. However, in last years the ratio is leveled. In 2011-2012. the share of non-family households headed by a man has reached almost 16% of the total number of households. Women head 18% of non-family households.
The increase in the share of non-family households is associated with an increase in the number of elderly people living alone, mainly women. Separate living spread with the development of systems pension provision and social support.
The proportion of women over 65 living alone increased significantly in the 1960s and 1970s, from 23% in 1960 to 41% by 1980. Nowadays, among the lonely living heads of households under 25 years old make up only about 4%. And at the age of 65 years - 35%.
Partnerships try to 'compete' with families
The number of non-family households increased largely due to the popularity of civil marriages. Their share among households in 2010 was about 7% - seven times more than in 1970. And this is a somewhat underestimated figure in view of the difficulties in accounting for such farms.
The number of informal marriages in which partners raise children is also growing. In 2010 in the United States, according to the census, 7 million couples of different sexes lived without marriage registration. Moreover, 40% of them had one or more children under 18 years of age. That's almost as many as married couples.
Partnerships are for young and less educated people. In 60% of civil marriages, the woman is under 35 years old. The woman in them is more likely than among married couples to be of African American or Latin American descent. In civil marriages, the level of education of partners is on average lower than in formal marriages, and is usually limited to secondary school. “Despite the fact that both partners can make an economic contribution to the upbringing of a child, such unions are less stable than marriages, and their children are at a higher risk of poverty and other social deprivation,” comments Demoscope Weekly ».
Same-sex partnerships - less than 1% of households with a couple. In 2010, there were 594,000 same-sex couples in the United States, with one in five of them having at least one child under 18.
There are fewer households with children
The share of families with children under 18 in the total number of family households is declining, notes Demoscope Weekly ". In 1950, children under 18 were in 52% of households in the United States. In 2012, this figure fell to 43.5%. This is due to the reduction in the proportion of families consisting of married couples with children - from 51.8% in 1960 to 29.4% in 2012. The share of single-parent families rose to 14% last year (see Fig. 3).
Figure 3. Share of families with children under the age of 18,% of the total number of families, USA, 1950-2012
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In 1950, almost 93% of families with children were full families. 6.3% were incomplete families - mother plus child. By 1980, the proportion of families of single mothers had risen to 17.5%. In 2012, it has already reached 25.3% of families with children under 18 years of age (families of single fathers - 6.9%). The share of complete families with children decreased to 67.7% of all families with children under 18 years of age.
Marriage “grows old” and fails
Another manifestation of "mutations" in the marriage (and with it reproductive) behavior of Americans is the postponement of marriage. "Aging" of marriage or abandonment of it, the increasing prevalence of divorces and partnerships have significantly changed the marriage structure of the population, the magazine emphasizes.
Over the past 40 years, the proportion of young people aged 20-29 who have never been married has steadily increased. The percentage of never married men aged 25-29 in 1970 reached only 19.6%, and among women - 12.2%. And in 2009 - 61.1% and 46.3%, respectively.
Now the share of "chronic" bachelors among men aged 30-34 exceeds one third. More than a quarter of their peers have never been married.
Divorce became commonplace for generations born in the United States in the second half of the twentieth century. The share of divorced and dispersed people (who did not file a divorce) significantly exceeds the share of widowed people in all age groups of men and women, except for the oldest (over 65). Most of those divorced and dispersed are among 50-54-year-old men (17%) and women (21%).
The trend of postponing marriage has been gaining momentum for almost 40 years - since the mid-1970s. The average age of marriage “debut” - the first marriage is growing (see Fig. 4). By 2012, it had reached 28.6 years for men and 26.6 years for women.
Figure 4. Median age at first marriage, USA, 1890-2012
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The more educated the woman, the more stable the marriage.
Changes in marital behavior are also closely linked to “the growing involvement of women in education and economic activity,” the magazine explains.
Long training leads to later marriage. According to the National Survey of Family Formation, in 2006-2010, only 37% of women with a bachelor's degree and above married before the age of 25, and among women with secondary education, 53%.
However, the marriages of more educated women are more stable, says Demoscope. Among women aged 22-44, 58% of women with a bachelor's degree or higher were in their first marriage, and 40% of women who graduated only from high school.
Fertility is falling, the proportion of births out of wedlock is 40%
The proportion of women who gave birth to 3 children in the United States has been steadily declining, while the proportion of women who have given birth to one child and not given birth to a single one, on the contrary, has increased. As a result, for women 40-44 years old, born in the 1950s and later, the values \u200b\u200bof these three indicators approached, accounting for about 19% ( Mary Mederios Kent. U.S. Fertility in Decline)
As a result, the total fertility rate (the average number of births per woman of reproductive age is from 15 to 49 years old) dropped to the level of simple reproduction (replacement of generations) - 2.1, and due to the economic recession - to 1.9 at the end of 2000 -s.
The share of births out of wedlock has grown eightfold in half a century - from 5.3% in 1960 to 41% in 2010. The youngest mothers are in the lead in terms of illegitimate births: 86% of those who gave birth in 2011 at the age of 15-19, 62% at the age of 20-24. Women under 30 years of age and older are more likely to give birth to children in marriage (see Fig. 5).
Figure 5. Distribution of births by age and marital status of the mother, and the proportion of those born out of wedlock, USA, 2011,%
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A source : By Rachel M. Shattuck and Rose M. Kreider. Social and Economic Characteristics of Currently Unmarried Women With a Recent Birth: 2011. / American Community Survey Reports ... IssuedMay 2013. ACS-21
Out-of-wedlock births are common among women with lower levels of education. Among women with at least a bachelor's degree and having given birth in 2011, only 8.8% were unmarried. And among mothers who did not graduate from secondary school - 57%.
Extramarital fertility is directly related to the level of monetary income of households, says Demoscope Weekly ". Among women who gave birth to children in 2011, the share of unmarried was highest in the group of households with the lowest income (less than $ 10 thousand per year) - 69%, and the lowest - 9% - in the group of households with an annual income of 200 thousand dollars and above.
Arina, I completely agree with you! I myself am not going to give birth to more children, and this statement causes very significant glances from acquaintances, especially those who have more than one child.
Nevertheless, all newspapers and magazines are full of articles about how difficult and expensive it is to raise a child in the modern world. Read the last issue of Working Mother about parents who work different shifts? This is some kind of horror - not only is the child's whole life a tumble, but also not to see each other for months!
What newspapers! It is worth looking around - at my work there are so many mothers who are like a devil, trying to balance a career, several children, a husband, a household ... Thank you, I don't need this.
College is a difficult question. Of all my American acquaintances, only one girl was paid by her parents for education, the rest either worked and paid or took student loans. By the way, I don't see anything wrong with that. I believe that the most important thing is to give the child a solid MORAL base so that he has the desire to study at a good university. How to do this is a problem that can be solved in many ways. 07/31/2001 20:39:59, Elle
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08/01/2001 04:57:19, irina
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Sushestvyet ochen "mnogo vsevozmojnyh scholarships ne universitetskih a ot raznyh organizacii. Coca-Cola naprimer freshmanam davala okolo $ 1000, potom byli vsyakiye minority scholarships tipa" Scholarship for American Indians "," Scholarships for women ", mothers" Scholarship
Byli daje takiye rediculous scholarships kak "Scholarship for Natural Redheads"
Ko vsemu etomu obichno davalsya FEDeral and State Student Aid esli semeinyi dohod byl malenkii.
I konechno je prakticheski vse "nebogatye" studenty rabotali.
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Pro universitety: dorogie oplachivayut roditeli, na deshevye zarabatyvayut sami. Po krainei mere u menya takoe vpechatlenie slozhilos ".
Delo v tom chto studencheskie zaimy na undergraduate ne prevyshayut neskol "kih desyatkov tysyach tak kak professii (i zarplaty v blizhaishem budushem) oni ne dayut, a dlya oplaty dorogogorab universiteta etogo ne hv 08/01/2001 04:56:37, irina
P.V. Ivanova; S.V. Shishonkov, Art. teacher
(Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education Ivanovo Institute of State Fire Service of the Ministry of Emergencies of Russia, Ivanovo)
American family today
Compliance with common family traditions, as an integral part of family life today, guarantees the preservation and further development American culture. American family is building block nation, because this is the place where the process of the formation of a personality that will live and work in a given society takes place.It is in the family, through love, support, tolerance and care, that family members are raised to first become good people, and then good citizens of their country.
The typical American family model is the nuclear family, consisting of two parents and their children. This trend has its historical roots from the time of the resettlement of the colonists, in whose families the responsibility for housekeeping, cooking and raising children lay entirely with wives and mothers who did not receive any help from other female relatives due to the fact that they remained on another continent. And nowadays, after marriage, couples form their own householdseparate from their biological families.
The nuclear family is the ideal of American culture, but it is not always achievable in reality. Studies have shown that families andmigrants, married couples rely in their family life on the support of relatives. A similar situation occurs in African American families, where an adult male husband is often absent and family support is critical for women raising children alone.
Americans consider blood kinship more important than family ties. Arising after marriage. Family ties are closer among nuclear families than among members of extended families. Adoption or adoption is a common practice in American families, but reproductive technologies are highly valued to enable infertile or gay couples to have children. This reflects the importance of the concept of biological relationship in culture.
There is much talk about the decline of the American family today. Social conservatists argue that traditionalamericanthe family is under constant attack, for example:
1) influence e MEDIA, which feed alarmed by stories about women,choosinga lonely life, without a family, marriage, children. This can be explained by the fact that women do not want obligations, they want independence, a career, and marriage and children will only interfere. Menin turn alsonot wanting i take on long-term responsibility, do not associate withfucking knots ami marriage and.
2) ntraditional connections: in most states civilmarriages legal only between heterosexualin pairs. However, the number of same-sex marriages grows regardless of whether they are officially recognized by the state.. Certain faiths and churches recognize and celebrate same-sex marriage.
3) Liberals point to economic factors. The first is a slowdown in wage growth. Over the past 30 years average earnings American men rose less than 1% after adjusting for inflation. By the way,women are paid seventy cents for every man's dollarfor the same job. Pink-collar jobs such assecretaryb or administratoropare entirely femininemi... In the world "white collars " women are often in middle management positions.FROMthe system of views in society,called "glassceiling", not admittingem womenwith rare exceptions,to poststop management. This situation is justifiedis the fact that women, doing household choreseconomy and while raising their children, they cannotgive away work so muchthe sametime as men.Professions requiring skills educatei, such as theteachingat schoolandkindergarten are still femininemi. The blue collar sector does not have a very high proportion of women in occupations that by definition require physical strength, such as the construction industry and firefighting.
The second most important economic factor is the lack of satisfactory childcare facilities.The problem of giving up the child in the daytimeaffects all sevenand, most of whom are participants in day care programs.Bogatese thisthey are tryingto find elitee Centres day care for children; less riche thisslooking for scarcee placesand infederalfinancedx institutions... Day care for all working familiesfor childrenmay be a cause for concern. Media stories of child abuse in these centers only increase this concern.The statecreates few conditionsfor taking care of small childrengiven the fact that most mothers work outside the home. Wealthy parents often hire nannies to care for their little ones. Some employers provide short maternity or paternity leave.
Family aboutrelationships are becoming more chaotic, not the same as they were before. But the institution of marriage does not disappear and is not going to do it. Stepping aside, we can consider the indicators of the number of marriages since the 50s. There is a decreasequantity conclusions earlymarriages, this is due to the desire of Americans to get an education, make a career.However, to At 45 years old, 89% of women and 83% of men have tied the knot at least once. 67% of American families still have married couples, and the vast majority of Americans still believe marriage is the best foundation for personal intimacy, economic stability, and parenting.
Of course, it cannot be denied that the character of the family has changed over the past 50 years. Although the divorce rate in America has dropped by 21%, still half of all marriages end in divorce. 60% of divorces affect children, 33% of all children are born out of wedlock and 34% of children do not live with their real fathers. These tendencies are most common among African Americans. And it could well be said that the African American nuclear family is on the brink of collapse. Since the 1950s, the marriage rate for black women has plummeted from 62% to 36%. Between the 60s and 90s, the number of African American children living with two married parents more than halved. Today, 54% of all African American children live in single parent families, compared with 23% for white children.
Children living with single mothers are 5 times more likely to be poor than children living in a complete family. Also, such families are more likely to leave school in early age and become parents ourselves. All agree that teenage pregnancy can pose a variety of problems for both mother and child. Since 1990, the teen pregnancy rate has dropped 28%, which is good from any point of view. But adolescents still account for almost a quarter of all children born out of wedlock.
In the 60s and 70s, a family where the mother stayed at home and the father was the only breadwinner was the norm. Today the ratio has reversed. 70% of families are headed by either two working parents or a working single parent. A family in which parents struggle to pay bills, look after children, support the household are called "juggler family". This constant juggling has negative influence for family life. Americans today have 22 less hours a week to spend with their children than in 1969. Working mothers lose nearly an hour of sleep every day trying to cope with everything.
The American Society understands thatyou should keep the marriage alive and try to encourage couples living together to form a more lasting union. And in thishelp, the study showed, seminars on family life. Manythe same American conservatives believe that seminars may not be enough, and it is necessary to return a past in which sexual relations outside marriage entailed punishment and shame, it was much more difficult to get a divorce, and marriage offered not only personal fulfillment, but also clearly delineated social roles for men and women,whenwas considered the norm was a family where there was only one breadwinner - the husband, and the wife was at home and did household chores (everyday life, raising children, etc.).
The federal government takes family values \u200b\u200bseriously. Namely, drawing up programs that will greatly facilitate the "juggling" of work and raising children. We need to start by creating quality day care facilities available to any family that needs it. It is time to modernize schools, not only for the sake of working parents, but also to help prepare children for life in an increasingly competitive world. Countless studies support the benefits of the program preschool education... The same applies to after-school, after-school and after-school programs.
First of all, you need to ensure that employers make their work schedule more flexible. The Clinton administration has taken a step in that direction with the Medical and Family Leave Act. It is also necessary to provide parents with a flexible schedule for their daily needs. Large companies already have flexible work programs and are seeing improved employee morale and reduced workforce turnover.
By combining similar techniques, technical support, and public opinion, government can help keep the American family together. Create favorable conditions for the formation of a social unit and the birth of children as the future potential of your country.
Bibliographic list
Obama B. The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on the Revival of the American Dream / Per. from English. T. Kamyshnikova, A. Metrofanova. - SPb .: Publishing House "Azbuka-classic", 2008.
Barak obama The Audacity Of Hope. Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream. Copyright 2006 by Barak Obama.
http://historic.ru/books/item/f00/s00/z0000004/st10.shtml
There are two myths circulating among Russians about how ordinary people live in America. Interestingly, they are directly opposite to each other. The first can be described as follows: "The USA is a country of great opportunities, where a shoemaker can become a millionaire." And the second myth looks like this: “America is a state of social contrasts. Only the oligarchs live well there, mercilessly exploiting the workers and peasants. " I must say that both myths are far from the truth. In this article, we will not delve into the history of the United States, talk about slavery and racial discrimination that took place a hundred years ago. We will not admire the standard of living of the Soros family or focus on the homeless sleeping at ventilation grilles Metro. We will just follow how ordinary people live in America now. Let's take the average family: two working parents, three kids. The usual middle class. By the way, he makes up the lion's share of all US citizens.
Housing
The United States among all countries in the world can boast one of the highest living standards of the population. But at the same time, quite a few citizens have a house in their full ownership. And Americans prefer to rent even city apartments. But the family, who consider themselves to be middle class, necessarily settle down far from dusty metropolises. White-collar workers get to work by electric trains or cars, spending an hour and a half on the road. The house of an ordinary American family is a one-story (for the high middle-class - two-level) cottage with a green lawn in front and an extension-garage, with a spacious backyard, which houses a playground for children or a swimming pool. House area ranges from 150 to 250 square meters, and its cost is from 500 to 650 thousand dollars. Not everyone can just take and lay out such But ordinary people: the standard of living in the United States is quite sufficient to pay off a mortgage. One third of the amount must be paid in advance and take a loan for thirty years at 5-10 percent per annum. But! The loss of a job for one of the parents threatens the family with a catastrophe - after all, you need to pay the bank at least two and a half thousand "green" monthly for a house.
Communal payments
Now let's consider how ordinary Americans live in America and what they pay for their mansions besides a loan. The so-called townhouses (cottages) are very costly. Although ... how to count. Ordinary Americans don't bother with housing offices. The basement of each house has its own mini-boiler room, which is responsible for heating and water heating. The average utility bill (electricity and gas) is about three hundred dollars. Since the water is cold, the fee is small - about $ 10. In addition to utility bills, you need to pay real estate taxes: $ 500 - municipal and another $ 140 - the so-called community charges (for garbage collection and cleaning the area adjacent to the house). The lawn in front of the house must be well-groomed - this is the custom here. Do not get your hands on cutting it yourself? Hire a student and get ready to fork out $ 60. Mortgage loans are required to insure real estate. This is usually $ 300 per year. Total monthly need to pay for housing about three thousand dollars.
Food expenses
A reservation should be made here. In the US, there is a big difference between so-called “healthy” foods labeled “bio” and regular ones. Since ordinary people live in America, they tend to save on food. Yes, everyone knows about the dangers of chicken stuffed with growth hormones, as well as about unhealthy fast food. But the average middle-class American couple usually shop at the wholesale store, buy red-marked “Discount” food and eat lunch at Starbucks Coffee, McDonald's, or similar fast food outlet. By the way, prices for some products in America are lower than in Russia (especially in Moscow). But eating in restaurants or self-respecting cafes is very expensive. The average middle-class family indulges in this pleasure twice a month. Usually, about four hundred dollars are spent on food - this is if you do not deny yourself anything, and two hundred if you institute austerity.
Car and spending on other devices
How do ordinary people live in America outside the city? They start their day with and then get behind the wheel of a car. Living without a car in the American outback is just suspicious. Every adult must have a car - at least a used one. Leasing helps out. Moreover, in the event of a breakdown, the company assumes the cost of repairs. Thus, monthly payments to a leasing company for two cars are from $ 300 to $ 600, and gasoline is $ 150. Cars must be insured. This is usually two hundred dollars a month for each car. But you can reduce the cost of insurance by using a package with a larger one. For the Internet and cable TV you need to pay about eighty-five "green" per month. No one will tell you how ordinary people live in America who do not have a mobile phone, since there are practically no such people there. Even a child visiting kindergarten, has such a device (with a beacon, just in case). The unlimited calls package will cost about sixty-five dollars a month.
Insurance
Foreigners who observe how ordinary people live in America will probably notice that they have a lot of income going to various funds. They are insured against everything: from disability, from loss of a breadwinner, from weakening of visual acuity, in case of dental problems and even that unforeseen situation if a dog damages a neighbor's property. Sometimes the employer pays for the policy. But after being fired, it ceases to function. In total, you need to spend about five hundred dollars on a family every month, enriching various insurance companies. But in the United States there is a practice ... of transferring a pension by inheritance. Each working person pays a deduction that accumulates on his individual card... The Americans can dispose of these accumulated funds as they please. After the death of a person, money does not burn, but, as with a regular deposit, is inherited.
Clothing spending
Another discovery that foreigners can make by observing how ordinary people live in America is that they do not wear expensive things. They usually dress in a simple and practical way. On the street, you rarely see a woman in high heels. In winter, the typical American wears jeans and a jacket, and in summer, a T-shirt and shorts. But this does not mean that all US citizens do not know how to dress. It's just that it's not customary here to push your income. The casual style reigns here. Branded clothing is worn for the occasion. And they buy it easily. The fact is that sales in America never stop. They are timed to coincide with some holidays, but after them prices drop even more: for a pittance they sell a collection that did not go away during sales. A special excitement reigns during the so-called Black Friday (after Thanksgiving). Then you can buy branded clothing for a price ten times lower than its usual cost. Thus, the average US citizen does not spend too much on clothes: up to a hundred dollars a month.
Education
US high school education is free. And this debunks the myth that in America you need to shell out money for everything, and a lot. By the way, medicine is also free for the disadvantaged population here. But how does ordinary America live? For kindergarten you need to pay about eight hundred dollars per child. Or a baby sitter - $ 10 per hour. An American's income directly depends on his education. Therefore, parents try to make "investments in the child's future" at any cost. To study at a college or institute, they take loans. Particularly highly paid professions in America are lawyers, managers-managers, doctors. After graduating from a university in this profile, a young man can count on twenty thousand dollars a month. Bank employees, civil servants, nurses and teachers earn a little less. But studying at an American university is expensive: from three to ten thousand dollars a year. Although it operates flexible and granting scholarships.
Income
This is how ordinary people live abroad. Huge spending every month. Where do they get this money from? The answer is trivial: they don't drink and work a lot. They don't go out for a smoke break every hour. They are paid not for sitting in the workplace, but for a specific result. And the better it is, the higher the wages will be. This motivation makes Americans work conscientiously. At the same time, the minimum wage is seven and a half dollars per hour. That kind of money is paid to teenagers or students on vacation just to walk your dog when you're at work. Cleaning by a housekeeper will cost a hundred dollars a day. But for that kind of money, you need not just vacuum the carpet: wash, iron, gloss.
How do American entrepreneurs live?
Private activities in the United States can provide good income. the country is so large that, if you wish, you can find a niche in any area. The government encourages and supports the opening of your own business in every possible way, especially if you create new jobs. There should be no bureaucratic delays in registering your business. Doing business in America is easy, as long as it is honest.
