Now, when you add up the lifetime cost of:

* Raising children

* Healthcare

* Buying and maintaining a home

* Buying cars

* Paying for weddings

* And all the traditional milestones tied to “the American Dream”

…the total now exceeds $5 million over the course of a typical adult life.

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Homeownership is the biggest cost spike of all.

Mortgage rates doubled. Housing prices are at historic highs. A lifetime of mortgage + repairs + interest easily crosses $1.2M–$2M.

Now, I’m not saying that you cannot have the life you want.

But it will COST YOU.

It’s about the fact that the old formula isn’t financially sustainable anymore:

* Go to school

* Get a stable job

* Buy a home

* Raise kids

* Retire at 65

That model was built on a different economy:

* Slower inflation

* Cheaper housing

* Lifetime employment

* Strong pensions

* One income covering a household

You will need to think about how the American values relationships and balance. Are they interested in the model of the marriage? Or the well-being of those in the marriage? This is why you need to think about your own cost of living and how you must live going forward.

If you’re going to be in America, you’ll have to learn how to be here.

xo -

Jai

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