The problem with the fixed costs for things like housing and health care is that they are, well, fixed. They are very difficult or impossible to lower. Housing, health care and education are all expensive -- and necessary; coffee, even good coffee, is not.
So go ahead, cut out the coffee if you want. But that's a trifling issue and won't make much difference; the big things -- income, debt, economic mobility, inflation -- matter much, much more. Unfortunately, they are things that are beyond our ability to control.
This column was provided by Bloomberg News.