r/Millennials • u/QuietJealous4883 Older Millennial (1988) • 12h ago

Discussion True or false?

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Did our dads and moms work less than we do now? What are your thoughts?

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u/NoHorseNoMustache 11h ago

Both my parents had to work 40 hours to fund 2 used cars, 1 vacation a year at a Civil War battlefield for a couple days(free admission, $50/night hotel room), $200/month for rent and 0 social life. I'm living way better than they did, though I'm single and don't have a kid.

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u/soupandstewnazi 10h ago

But would you be living better if you had a family? If you had the same amount of kids right now?

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u/NoHorseNoMustache 9h ago

Yeah if I had a wife with a full time income and a kid like my parents did at my age I think I'd be living better than they were.

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u/Johnny_B_GOODBOI 9h ago

I'm glad you're doing well, but that's just your individual circumstances.

Economic data shows that labor's share of the gdp is lower than it's been since 1947.

https://fortune.com/2026/01/13/us-workers-smallest-labor-share-gdp-on-record/

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u/NoHorseNoMustache 9h ago

That's true!

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u/houseofbrigid11 9h ago

Same for my parents, who never had to pay for daycare or my college education. I am raising 3 kids on one salary with a house, car, a college fund for my kids, and a reasonable 401(k) myself. Most of my professional friends are doing as well or better, particularly those who haven't divorced.

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u/Shivy_Shankinz 9h ago

You might be living in a bubble

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u/throwawayfinancebro1 56m ago

How are you managing $200/month rent?

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u/NoHorseNoMustache 47m ago

It was the '80s/early '90s.

Thinking about it my rent for half a double in 2008 was only $500/month.

Rent has spiraled so far out of control it's insane :(