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https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MEHOINUSA672N

Real median income has been increasing over the years of course, according to the Fed.  

It drops in recessions of course.

Of course, and it’s not as if corporate greed just appeared suddenly.  It has been part of the economy for 250 years.

the damper is competition. 

Exactly. 

Seems OAM (or anyone else) could make a ton of money opening a sandwich shop and undercutting Subway's prices while still enjoying great profits. Probably even at better taste / higher quality b/c Subway is pretty "meh". 

I guess the world's businessmen must be collectively stupid that they're missing this amazing opportunity that only OAM has spotted. 

Exactly.

Seems OAM (or anyone else) could make a ton of money opening a sandwich shop and undercutting Subway's prices while still enjoying great profits. Probably even at better taste / higher quality b/c Subway is pretty "meh".

I guess the world's businessmen must be collectively stupid that they're missing this amazing opportunity that only OAM has spotted.

Markets, how do they work???

I suspect the $5 footlong was always a loss leader.

or lack there of, "monopolies" anyone? Wink-wink,nudge-nudge

There's a monopoly on sandwich joints?  Is the monopoly here in the room with us?

Me and my son were looking at some land for him this week. I got to thinking about all the deals I could have made in my youth, but decided they were too much.

When me and my wife got married in 2001, we looked into building a home a few years after we got married. Now this was no custom job, but it was new, and decent sized. I think it was 1800 sq ft. I want to say it was around $120,000. For a brand new home.  3 BR, 2 Ba. The land was extra. $10k for a 1 acre plot. To put things into perspective our combined income at the time was around $80,000. The upgraded home, about 2400 sq ft, about 160k, I think.

1999.  My father in law made an offer on 40 acres just outside of town. $80,000. He had the deal made, but got cold feet after he learned about an electric easement in the front. Land now goes for 20k an acre here, minimum. Maybe $40-60k per acre.

In 2000, my last year of college, my old 1988 truck was done. Bought a brand new Chevy truck.  Silverado, single cab. V6, 4x4. Base trim, manual roll up window, no cruise control. Drive out for $18,600.  No trades.

10-12 years ago.  10 acres across the street from my parents, for sale by owner. Called the number. They wanted $60k. I said no way, way too much. Same land now would be $300k or more.

When I was living in Round Rock and working in College Station, there was a few acres for sale in Hutto where I turned off 79 to get home to RR.  It was primed to be segmented for business development.  That road may have been turned into the 130 tollway now, but looking at a map, I think 130 may cross 79 at a different point and the intersection I remember is a little further into town.  Anyway, I forget how much it was, but I believe it was around $80k.  I drove by the realtor sign every Friday on my way home and remember thinking I'd like to do something with that.  I talked myself out of it for all kinds of reasons.  The last time I went through there it had all predictably blown up, as places like Hutto get pulled into the general greater-Austin mish-mash.  Somebody made a heck of a lot more than 80k off that land and no telling what the value of it is now.  

People I knew in College Station also told me back then that CS was expected to double in some amount of years....I forget how many.  15, or something like that....pretty sure we're past it now, I don't know if the population wound up doubling or not.  I knew a tenured chemistry professor at the university there who was from my hometown and knew all my family, who was quite wealthy from a number of ChemE patents he held, and he used his money to buy up real estate in CS and turn it into more money.  The new Walmart in CS....he owned the land and sold that to WM, made a killing off them.  I wish I'd have asked him for some guidance when I could've afforded to take more risks and was healthy enough to hustle.  

When I was living in Round Rock and working in College Station,

about a 2 hour drive

my brother did the 3 hr commute from Round Rock to Arlington for a few years - same mondays & fridays