More important was the fact that Americans didn't have a latte problem -- at least not a big one. They had an everything-else-they-couldn't-control problem. Olen shows that housing, healthcare, and education cost the average family 75% of their discretionary income in the 2000s. Just three decades earlier, the figure was 50%. In other words, the average family spent 50% more in the last decade to go about their same daily business.
Oh waah, waaaah, poor Americans have no control over where their money goes! It's always someone else's fault, isn't it? Yes, healthcare and education are expensive, but why not focus on what you can control instead of whining?
I love the point about a $5-a-day savings amounting to "only" $173k. THAT'S A LOT OF FUCKING MONEY! And the average American can certainly cut much more than that out of their spending.
That said, I completely agree with DocCyane - as people blessed with the means and desire to take control of our finances, we owe it to others to share what we've learned...if they're willing to hear it.
