Normal? It used to be “normal” to only go out to eat at once in a while on special occasions, not buy what you couldn’t afford and live within your means with few luxuries.
Marketing has duped everyone into believing expensive, luxurious lifestyle is base line normal.
The middle class has a new financial strategy:
Don't buy it.
Need a new car? Keep the old one.
Want a bigger house? Stay where you are.
Thinking about eating out? Cook at home.
Need new clothes? Wear what you have.
It's not that people suddenly became frugal.
They simply realized their income can't keep up with the cost of being normal.