[Theoria]

'In 1986, I was working for $3.35/hr-20 hrs a week- and going to school. With that income, I paid for my apartment, a car payment on a new Honda Accord, my school tuition (in cash, no loan) and for all of my essentials and utilities.'

You were making in todays money, $9.85 an hour, working 20 hrs a week and doing all of that?

Kinda obvious that the world has changed and that prices have inflated themselves out of the youth to be able to pull that off again.

Anybody you know working 20hrs a week, paying off college in cash, affording rent and utilities $200 a week?

[TheWriterTX]

Unless you live in the ghetto or rent a single bedroom in a house, no one is getting by on $200 per week.

Insurance alone on a car (basic liability) is at least $70 a month. A shared space room in my area is $500 per month. WiFi is $25 per month. We haven’t even touched food, gas, water, electric, oil changes, toiletries, or medical.

A decent apartment in a non-ghetto area is DOUBLE the mortgage payment on my first home. Unfortunately, the salaries are NOT.

When Gen X was looking at housing, it was roughly 25% of our net pay. Young people are paying 35% of their gross pay.

Huge difference.

[Cowgirl of Justice]

You are exactly right. This seems intentional to cause as much sadness, despair and hopeless as is humanly possible.