7 tips to help you survive the cost of living crisis
America is in the middle of a cost of living crisis. The median sale price for a home in 2026 is $410,700, according to the Federal Reserve. Even if you’ve already bought a house, Zillow estimates that the median monthly cost of homeownership is approximately $3,558—with the average American paying around $2,226 in mortgage payments, $912 in maintenance costs, $167 in homeowners insurance, and $253 in property taxes each month. Unfortunately, renting isn’t more affordable, either. According to Apartments.com, the current median monthly rent is $1,667, with an average apartment size of 695 square feet. In 2026, the U.S. Department of Agriculture anticipates the cost of beef will increase by 9.4%, fresh vegetables by 5.7%, sugar and sweets by 6.6%, and nonalcoholic beverages by 4.2%. (All of which makes it much more difficult to eat our feelings about the affordability crisis.) And the median price for a gallon of gasoline is currently $4.465, while a gallon of diesel costs an eye-watering $6.382, on average. Other than packing it all in to live on a yurt off grid, what can we do to survive this cost of living crisis? While there is no single strategy that will magically make life i…
