Most of everyone's yearly spending is on housing, transportation and food. There is certainly no clear excess to the lives at the bottom.
This one is the most obvious from looking at the contents of the bars. The bars rise as we grow in income (as expected), with the size of the "all other" and entertainment boxes larger for those who make more.
Households making under $20,000 are around the same total spending as those making less than $5000 (which I'll call the dependents).
This is the conservatives worst nightmare. People who work are having the same lifestyle (plus the dignity and self-esteem of having a job) as those who are dependent on the government. This is why the minimum wage increase and the earned income tax credit are so important, since we want a greater incentive to work. The earned income tax credit should be extended and increased to not only families, but single workers.
Look for the light blue box- Until we hit $15,000, personal savings and insurance is unheard of, while higher incomes save much more of their income.
This fact is why food stamps and unemployment insurance are great stimulus for the economy. The American working class has no ability to save on their own most of the time. This is also troubling. Even with all the assistance we are giving, our workers are still not being paid high enough to save for retirement and think of the future. Social Security was never supposed to be THE savings plan, but a supplement.
What else can you see from this graph? Comment and we can explore... I also just added a Facebook follow button on the right panel - click and get this blog to your feed! Thanks.