The 7 things Americans have to fund on their own as adults [View all]

1. Food
2. Clothing
3. Healthcare (Even if your jobs covers some of your premiums, you still have co-pays.)
4. Housing
5. Transportation (Most of America is highly car dependent. Public transportation is either unreliable or non-existent.)
6. Higher education (Even if you choose not to go to college, you need some sort of post-HS educational training to make a middle class wage.)
7. Retirement

The median American income is $31K. The median household income is approx. $65K. Americans cannot afford to be debt-free, independent adults. It's not mathematically possible to do so. No matter where you live. No matter what you do. Chances are, you will live your 20s, 30s, possibly 40s, possibly beyond in debt. Even if you don't eat avocado toast or subscribe to Netflix.

This more so than anything else explains our political, cultural, racial, and gender divides in this country. In Europe, four of those items are paid for collectively. Yes, you may pay somewhat more in taxes, but you're not in debt which forces you take jobs that you may not want to do, but do because of healthcare.

Oh, one last thing. Did you notice? I didn't even include childcare on that list. I left it off on purpose because including it would belabor the point.