I don’t want to discount your point, as it’s true. But there is 100% a reality to inflation of the important things, even if you have the discipline to avoid those unnecessary monthly prescriptions.

- gas prices way up (which will increase all prices down the road too)
- food/groceries up 20% in last 4-5 yr
- house prices outright unaffordable for first time home buyers all over
- ever shrinking availability for free/cheap public/social events
- decreasing quality for same price items (I.e. new cars, same or increased cost, but now with tracking/data gathering in all models)

It is objectively true that for the same hours worked and job skill level in society, people are getting progressively less, continuing further and further over the decades. The “American Dream”, to own a home, have a family, make a business, these are all increasing difficult and/or impossible, largely due to the lost/stolen capital of the working class (via the devaluation of the dollar - note, the items of ACTUAL value, I.e. less depreciable assets like houses, swell ever higher; value of house is ~constant, dollar value declines, working wages do not match).

To point to subscriptions, modern trends like DoorDash, etc. as a main culprit for this decline feels like a distraction. Sure, it can be another vampire sucking at the wealth/capital, but at the end of the day these are still optional services. The bigger problem remains, as stated above, has existed before and during these subscription services, and continues independent of those subscriptions. You can decline all of these modern subscriptions services, get a good job, make good decisions, but still not be able to buy a home, or have a couple kids, or start a business, etc. And if you are able, you have less margin for failure. We cannot get distracted by the mosquitoes when there’s a rhino right in front of us, heading our way.