09/01/2026
# # # QUESTION OF THE DAY: Have wages not kept up—or have our expectations changed?
This is something I've been thinking about lately.
I come from a generation where many of us started working at 15 or 16 years old, earning less than $5.00 an hour. We weren't making much, but we were grateful for the opportunity to have a job, earn our own money, and gain some independence.
Obviously, times have changed. Wages have increased, but so has the cost of housing, groceries, vehicles, insurance, utilities, and just about everything else.
But I've been wondering if there's another side to the conversation.
**Has the cost of living simply outpaced wages, or have our expectations for our standard of living also grown faster than our earning ability? Maybe it's some of both.**
Something happened recently that really got me thinking about this.
I saw a Facebook post from someone looking for additional weekend employment. I reached out privately, told them we could use some weekend help, and provided a link to our employment page.
Within minutes, they thanked me and submitted an application.
The next morning, I invited them to sit down with me so we could talk about what they were looking for, what we could offer, and whether we could find something that worked for both of us.
They were very polite, but declined because our starting wage wasn't enough for what they were looking for.
I respect that decision. Everyone has to decide what their time is worth and what makes financial sense for their situation.
But I'll admit—it made me think.
This individual was specifically looking for **additional weekend income**, yet the opportunity still wasn't worth taking because the starting wage wasn't high enough.
When I compare that mindset with the one many of us grew up with, there's certainly a difference. For many of us, an extra job was exactly that—**extra income**. It didn't necessarily have to support our entire household by itself.
At the same time, as a small-business owner, I also see the other side. Payroll, taxes, workers' compensation, insurance, supplies, equipment, and virtually every other expense of operating a business have increased substantially. There is a point where a business simply cannot continue increasing wages without increasing what customers pay.
So I'm genuinely curious:
**Where is the disconnect?**
Are wages simply not keeping up with today's cost of living?
Have our expectations about what a job should provide changed?
Has our standard of living increased faster than our incomes?
Or is the answer somewhere in the middle?
I don't think there's a simple answer, and I'm not criticizing anyone for deciding what their time is worth.
It's just something this small-business owner has been thinking about.
**What do you think?**
