Ping!!!
But the last nomadic Lost Generation didn't turn out too bad, if Truman and Eisenhower are any indication.
I’m right at the end of Gen-X, and I hung on for a while, I was working in defense contracts. Now that seems to have all dried up. Now I’m a struggling business man.
GenX bump for later...
Why did “Generation X” only last 9 years? I thought a generation was 20 years. Maybe people realize that “generation X” was a bunch of losers and decided to put an end to it...
I am Gen X. Most of my friends are doing well. The only thing I can’t stand is paying more taxes during the last year. I guess it will get worse for us.
Gen-xers: we should be called the Rodney Dangerfield generation — we get no respect. Unlike the boomers, we will not get to collect social security even though we have been paying for it all our adult lives. The Millenials like the Gen-xers won’t get to collect social security either, but they will not have to pay for it very long as this gravy train will soon derail. After that we will all be adversely affected.
They voted overwhelmingly for obastard. To those who did: NO pity or sympathy.
Yet the majority voted for, and support 0bama, they got what they wanted and deserve and must be a generation of morons.
I find it doesn’t do a lot of good to complain. I certainly don’t find my financial future particularly bright, but I don’t have anybody depending on me either, so it doesn’t matter much. The old farts grumble at me and say “Why don’t you do this?” and I tell them “With what money?” The young fools just giggle, smoke another joint, and make another baby that my taxes will keep up. The worst part is, being the smallest generation, Gen X will not really get a chance to set things right- numbers matter, and as soon as the Boomers are dead, the Millenials and their ilk will hold the balance of power.
I’m not Shery - I’m her daughter. I’m a gen. X’er myself. I only have student loan debts, but because of the difficult time trying to hold down enough employment while trying to go to school on my own, since I was 19, has meant that I NEVER had anything saved towards retirement. My parents couldn’t afford to send me to college, and the cost of living in my state is fairly high. That being the case, I couldn’t afford to move to a cheaper state. Plus, I’m from a college town, where you can’t get a job that pays more than minimum wage, most of the time - because they can get college students to that will take minimum wage, so why should they pay anyone else more than that? - that was their mindset. Even with working two or three jobs that paid minimum wage, what little I was able to save toward school always ended up going into my beat-up car to keep it running (repairs, etc.), or to the doctor when I’d get strep throat or something like that. So, I was never able to save anything for college. That’s when I took out student loans, which I had to wait till I was 24 to do. That got me a real late start in school, compared to my fellow peers whose parents were able to help them through school - or my other peers who were not white and therefore able to get all kinds of scholarships or grants that I didn’t qualify for - even though I had excellent grades. They were all able to graduate from college at 22 or 23 or were getting their master’s degrees the following year. So, I went to school sometimes and then had to stop and work a few semesters to get back on my feet financially. Then I’d go back to school and then have to stop again to work a whole lot, again to get caught back up. Each time I was in school, I was still working too. I FINALLY got my lowly A.A. in 2006. STILL working on my B.A. and it’s 2013!!! And by the way, I’m a go-getter type of person. I don’t slack off, and I’m not at all stupid. Finally, I said “forget this!” and went to get an LPN license (to see if I’m any good at nursing). I’m back to working on my B.A. again, and also working on my RN at the same time. Now, I can’t find a nursing job because guess why? I don’t have at least one year’s experience yet. Talk about feeling real frustrated at 40, with not a penny aside for retirement and still all these student loans to pay. Good thing I never had kids! I’d never be able to afford them. So, yes, this is one frustrated gen. X’er who can vouch for the legitimacy of this article - for at least some of us.
Late GenX here.
I didn’t have any credit card or student loan debt but I delayed buying a home until 2007 because at first I didn’t have enough money(first real job in ‘96), and by the time I did have money I could see that a huge real estate bubble had formed(circa 2004). I waited as long as I could hoping a crash would happen but eventually I had to by something to retain my sanity since renting was not working, and of course the crash happened only a few months later...
I literally lost about 1/3rd of my worth in the crash because I put 20% down(being responsible HAH) near the peak.
I guess the “good news” is that I was able to avoid forclosure and the bubble is slowly re-inflating, but it certainly hasn’t been a fun ride for my generation.
Those younger were still able to move back in with the parents.
Those older usually were not "upside down" on their mortgage having bought before the run-up and lacking small children they were able for both adults to go out and work if necessary.
They were earning more and had lower expenses. Ergo they suffered less.
The Gen-Xers were earning less and had higher expenses. Ergo they suffered more.
My brother is a Gen X. He is 47 — & still unable to hold or find a real job. He has repeatedly hit on me for money.
My half-sister is 31; although a licensed social worker, she keeps drifting from job to job. Now she is thinking of getting either a PhD in Social Work or an MBA to make more money. At one point she moved back in with her mother.
I can’t blame society totally; perhaps our indifferent, self-absorbed parents. Which is why I strongly feel that if you can’t raise kids properly, don’t have them. My brother & I needed role models; we didn’t get. Looking at the spoiled millennials, I don’t think their parents have done much better.