I didn’t realize it went that far back, time wise.
Best job I never took was an entry-level engineering position with Exxon in 1982. I’d have been on the street in less than 6 months looking to break an apartment lease in Houston. The offer money was great, though!
I never bought a new vehicle, always paid cash for used and if need be, fixed it up as I went (I have a pretty large collection of manuals and a lot of tools, now). Similarly, my budget (back when I worked for others) was always set on how much unemployment would pay in the event I got laid off.
I have lived modestly, but have never had to default on a loan or refinance, and never had to sell the vehicle to save it, and I still always keep enough set aside to buy out of cell phone contracts if the need arises.
I saw too many people lose everything they had.
Sadly, many folks out there who never thought it would happen to them in other industries have had a bitter taste of what hits the oil industry every decade or so.