New Yorkers Shift Socializing Home as $40 Nights Out Outrun Stagnant Wages
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 19
New Yorkers Shift Socializing Home as $40 Nights Out Outrun Stagnant Wages
2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 19
Summary
$40 can "easily" disappear on a single night out, pushing some New Yorkers to skip restaurant and bar plans and socialize at home instead.
Yenilet Rodriguez, 27, turned down three birthday invitations in July, while friends Shea Dunlop, 26, and Nick Lamberti, 26, replaced outings with a home gathering built around about $20 of nachos, fridge drinks and card games.
The pullback reflects a broader squeeze: Federal Reserve data shows the bottom 40% of U.S. earners have little to no discretionary income.
In New York City, stagnant low-wage pay and rising costs for food, gas, education and housing are making routine leisure spending—from movies to dive bars—feel increasingly out of reach.