Jun 14, 2013
Infographic: The consumer economy at a glance
Before we answer the question of whether we can afford the consumer economy, we have to know how much we're spending.
According to the current Consumer Price Index, the inflation rate is zero percent. But for many people, their cost of living doesn't reflect the data's averages.
401(K) 2012 / Creative Commons
Throughout our week-long series, Consumed, we’ve looked at the state of the consumer economy and whether we can afford it.
Here’s a quick glance at how much money we spend, what kind of debt we’re in, and what’s changed about the economy since the financial crisis five years ago.