The only way to retire now is to have started working when you were 7.

Remember this the next time Forbes publishes some feel-good article about how “household income is keeping up with inflation.”

A few decades ago, only a single wage earner was needed to keep up with inflation. Now the “household income” includes everyone in it except the family dog. So financially, you might be keeping up, but the quality of life for everyone in the household is going down.