Posted on 05/28/2026 11:50:55 AM PDT by ProgressingAmerica
For many millennials, the economy can feel like a game of musical chairs where previous generations already grabbed the seats, refinanced them at 3% interest and now insist there are still plenty left if younger people would just "budget better." Somewhere along the way, the American dream started feeling less like a finish line and more like one of those carnival games rigged just enough to keep people throwing money at it.
That frustration spilled into Reddit's r/economy subreddit when one millennial who grew up in the 1990s posted a blunt message about the growing disconnect between younger Americans and boomers over money, housing and financial expectations.
"I'm a millennial who grew up in the 90s and what boomers don't understand about us is that we're working three times as hard for a third of what they had at our age," the Redditor wrote. "And the milestones they want us to hit weren't postponed by laziness, they were priced out of reach by the economy they voted for."
(Excerpt) Read more at finance.yahoo.com ...
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You are both hitting on the right reasons, along with massive increases in government spending and regulations for completely terrible outcomes.
The winners are tradies - plumbers/electricians etc. who veered away from that debt and earned from day one.
but its their money they earned, or won, or inherited.
It’s theirs to spend.
appreciate everything and expect nothing. don’t be an entitled douchebag waiting for your parents to die.
Why blame an entire generation for what politicians, usually Democrats, have done to our country? It’s not like it’s any better in Canada, eh?
I’ve never heard a boomer do such mocking. Most of us have kids and grandkids. We certainly don’t want them to suffer.
On the other hand, some younger people want their parents or grandparents to just hand over everything they’ve scraped together all their lives, when they might need that money for a nursing home someday.
I agree young people’s futures have been sold out. But ALL generations have been lied to and sold out. The Greatest Generation and Silent Generation were told, “Oh, this immigration act won’t change the demographics of the country.” What could any of us have done to prevent this? It affects all of us, and I wish we could all work together to fight against it, instead of the younger generations blaming one former generation. Honestly, they sound like Feminazis who blame men for everything, or TDS people who blame everything on Trump. They’re insufferable.
“rough lumber shelves”
I splurged on Redwood Planks.
Still have the planks AND the “cinder” Blocks.
I very much agree with your assessment. When I think back to how I grew up in the sixties and seventies in a modest home in a modest neighborhood, I grieve that is not possible today. That same home (1500 sq feet) that my parents paid 12K for in the sixties is now valued at $1 mil.
Growing up, we had small business owners, teachers, retailer workers and nurses living on our street. No way is that possible now. The homes are still modest, but the price point to purchase them is anything but.
How do we get back to that reasonable level of access to a home? What is driving this? I don’t want people to lose what they have invested, but I don’t feel this is sustainable. I fear this frustration will turn people towards the far left of socialism.
Anybody who thinks named “generations” are actually meaningful is an idiot.
Yes; and these complainers are members of probably the most materially privileged generational cohort in known history.
“I splurged on Redwood Planks.”
Lucky you. I had MDF cut from 4x8’s.
“Interest rates so high.”
6.5%.
1980 - 14%
The “Boomers” are a large cohort.
There are ‘Rat Boomers, Commie Boomers, RINO/GOPee Boomers and some America 1st/MAGA Boomers.
You paint with way too broad of a brush.
Perhaps you should be listing names or sub-classes or philosophies.....
The generation may be sensing that they are missing something that the boomers aren’t missing as much and that is a strong relationship with Jesus Christ, a commitment to their Church, and a commitment to their community.
When I was in college in 1975, I lived on Green Giant sweet buttered corn in a bag that you boiled. It cost 50 cents & I ate it almost every night for dinner. Good times, lol.
I’ve talked with many boomers and you cannot convince them to support bringing spending back to what is affordable. I’ve tried. No success.
Polticians are evil, which is why the Founding Fathers did what they could to minimize what politicians could do.
Yup.
This thread makes me sad — as similar threads in the past have done. Overall, I think it is unfortunate to blame a whole generation (”Boomers are greedy”) or, conversely (”Gen Z is lazy and irresponsible”). There is always a mix. There are always people of any age who work hard, make sacrifices, and do all the right things that lead to success. And some people don’t do those same things.
But what really makes me sad is a general lack of empathy. Some people did manage to buy a house for $12K. Some people did get a good union job. Some people joined a company that offered an actual pension. Some people did put themselves through college by working a construction job in the summer.
But things have changed. Our politicians have given us out-of-control spending and decades of inflation. Many good manufacturing jobs went overseas. There are very few union jobs left in the US. College is outrageous. Home prices are outrageous. I think anyone with a little empathy should see that things are different now, and not in a good way.
We can blame boomers and say that they are all “greedy”.
We can blame Millennials and say that they spend too much on avocado toast.
I think the problem really boils down to decades of bad politicians and fundamental changes in the US which have weakened our Middle Class greatly. Young people cannot counteract this just by brewing cheap coffee at home.
But things have changed. Our politicians have given us out-of-control spending and decades of inflation. Many good manufacturing jobs went overseas. There are very few union jobs left in the US. College is outrageous. Home prices are outrageous. I think anyone with a little empathy should see that things are different now, and not in a good way.
Globalism Uber Alles!
“William Charles Ayers (/ɛərz/; born December 26, 1944)”
Bill Errs is at least adjacent.
Unfortunately, it’s true.
My dad is an ASE certified mechanic and made $26-36/hr when I was a kid in the ‘90s, and I’m making $23 as a hospitalist-certified pharmacy tech when stuff is two to five times as expensive as it was when I was a kid.
Wages not keeping up with inflation is only part of the problem.
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