My parents had three kids and owned a 150 m² house in the countryside. I earn more than they used to and I’m renting a single room in a house with four flatmates.
Happier, maybe. My dad is an okay guy but they weren’t happy together, my mom wanted out of the marriage for decades. Financially I’m so far behind, it’s not even close.
Lol, no. They were able to have a house and multiple kids on one salary.
Better in what regard? Fiscally all things adjusted and accounted for? Fuck no,
Progress as a person and self growth and development? Absolutely.
Also I will never breed, so always will be one up in my parents there,
Absolutely same
I would say same standard of living but the difference is they had a kid and my wife and I don’t. We simply could not have the same lifestyle if we had children.
Same.
That’s partly why I never married or had a family. I wanted all my time and money to myself and to have more freedom.
Yeah, kids are darn expensive. I’m damn happy my parents decided to have me despite that fact. :)
To answer OP’s question, also doing better than them at the same age. Big part of it was investing early (time-value of money is a massive deal) and keeping the same car forever. My parents have spent quite a bit on cars over the years, it is probably their largest reducible expense. I bought a lightly used crossover a long time ago, and it’s got a long life ahead of it.
Nope.
Hell no, but physical disability… I live in the USA where disability seems like a homelessness death sentence
When my parents were my age, they left their country to move to the US in search of opportunities. Now that I’m that age, I’m leaving my country to move to another because of literal Nazis
I cannot own my own house. Something about I don’t earn enough.
I am allowed to pay rent at nearly double what a mortgage would be and this is financially allowed.
My parents had a mortgage; car loans; and 4 children at my age, while I struggle to maintain employment and don’t qualify for any type of financing because of it and all this despite having a very high demand skillet in tech; I’m not only doing worse than my parents, but worse than most of my peers.
To be fair: I don’t fit the stereotype of an autistic person so people presume I’m neurotypical that that keeps long term employment out of reach for me.
In some ways, sure. I’m not religious, and I don’t have children. In terms of finances, no.
Yes.
I have a home, a good job, and am able to save enough that it’s possible I may be able to retire in my fifties.
The only responsible decision my parents made was to pay off their house. They had over a dozen kids and my dad literally roofed houses until he couldn’t anymore physically. They’re now in their 80’s and driving for DoorDash, in a car they’ve “borrowed” from me for almost a year, that I’m certain I’m never getting back.
And, somehow, despite having no mortgage or car payment, they still aren’t paying their bills on time. (But, to be fair, that’s also a referendum on the US economy and capitalism in general, and none of us can get actual progressives elected.)
Sounds like my parents. I am younger but my dad is a alcoholic and drug addict that pissed away his retirement. He’s 63 and just getting out of rehab for the 50th time.
Yeah, mine was an alcoholic for 25 years but inexplicably quit cold turkey one day when I was a teen.
I think it’s just a ton of undiagnosed, untreated mental illness. My mom’s mother was abusive and her loving father died when she was a teen. My dad’s dad died when he was eleven and he became the breadwinner for his mom and siblings, and didn’t stop working for another sixty-five years.
I actually feel a little bad for my dad. He worked his ass off his whole life and has almost nothing to show for it, but somehow, could never put his foot down when it came to my mom and adding more kids to the family.
Yeah, by a long shot. We didn’t have a lot growing up but my parents made sure I went to school.
Mentally, yes. Financially, no.
No, not even close.
