US consumers remain unimpressed with this progress, however, because they remember what they were paying for things pre-pandemic. Used car prices are 34% higher, food prices are 26% higher and rent prices are 22% higher than in January 2020, according to our calculations using PCE data.
While these are some of the more extreme examples of recent price increases, the average basket of goods and services that most Americans buy in any given month is 17% more expensive than four years ago.
So you're making 200k+ a year and can't afford to pay your debts? Sounds like a money management issue with that kind of salary. To put it in context a modest rent of $2000 a month would be about 24000 a year out of your 138000 take home pay. So either you're not in the top 2 percent or something's fishy.