That have dramatically increased the past 20 years. Things they're giving you no choice to pay including mortgages themselves. Health insurance is equivalent to a mortgage or more. Student debt, car payments, car insurance, property taxes, income tax, gas prices etc... Obviously if you are financially astute some of these can be mitigated but even highly educated people are and some expenses cant be reduced. The powers that be want it this way and I mean both Dems and Republicans, policies and mandates have made everything unaffordable and it's about to get worse.