The Economic Reality
The Numbers Behind the Parody
We got your attention with gross-out humor and chef parodies. Now here's the part that should actually make you sick. These are real numbers about economic inequality in America — the kind of stats that explain why a cookbook called "A Broke Bitch's Plan for Eating Well on a Government Budget" needs to exist in the first place.
Real median wage growth since 1985
While the cost of housing has increased over 300% in the same period.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Share of U.S. wealth owned by the top 1%
A record-breaking concentration of wealth at the very top.
Source: Federal Reserve
Median home price-to-income ratio
Up from 3.5x in 1985. Housing is now further out of reach than ever.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau / Federal Reserve
Average cost of childcare per child
It is now virtually impossible for a single parent to raise a child on median income without government assistance.
Source: Economic Policy Institute
Americans living paycheck to paycheck
Nearly two-thirds of the country is one emergency away from financial disaster.
Source: LendingClub / PYMNTS
Projected dependence on state assistance by 2035
If current trends continue, nearly half of all Americans will rely on some form of government assistance.
Source: Congressional Budget Office
How Did We Get Here?
The Year Garbage Pail Kids Peaked
A median-income family could afford a home, a car, and groceries on a single salary. The home price-to-income ratio was 3.5x. Childcare was manageable. The American Dream was still within reach for most working families.
The Dot-Com Bubble and Beyond
Housing costs began their meteoric rise. Wages stagnated while productivity soared — the gains went to shareholders, not workers. The wealth gap started accelerating. Two incomes became necessary for what one used to cover.
The Great Recession
Millions lost their homes while banks got bailouts. The recovery that followed was a recovery for the wealthy — stock markets soared while median wages barely budged. The gap between the haves and have-nots became a chasm.
Pandemic Economics
Billionaire wealth increased by $1.8 trillion during the pandemic while 8 million Americans fell into poverty. Essential workers — the ones keeping society running — couldn't afford rent. Food bank lines stretched for miles.
The Current State of Things
64% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. The top 1% owns nearly a third of all wealth. A single parent working full-time at median wage cannot afford childcare, housing, and food without government assistance. And we're told to just "budget better."
So What Do We Do About It?
We start by talking about it. We make art about it. We write cookbooks for people who only have a mini fridge and a microwave. We create parody trading cards that make you laugh — and then make you think. Because sometimes the best way to face an ugly truth is through ugly art.
Collect the cards. Cook the recipes. Know the numbers.