I’m early GenX and must admit I don’t get the obsession some GenXers have with Boomers. My sis falls into the Boomer years and I worked with some older musicians in my youth so maybe I have some weird crossover mentality. I just don’t get it.
Boomers, must be nice
- Thread starter BlIIlken2
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Me too. Gen X is actually the only age demographic that Trump won. Must have also been the biggest in voter turnout, because I think we’re actually the smallest of the voting age generations.
it's more like millennials have an obsession. gen X like myself, who fall more in the parameters of boomer.... we just say, "call us whatever but don't call us late for dinner"
yes but we lived thru reagan and stuff. carter. ford. two bushes. obama. we got way more experience at voting and politics. millennials are too green still. even though they are like 40 something now. they act younger. I even think JD vance acts a little young for his age.
And my parents were luckier than me. It's not that boomers don't recognize the price of things have gone up, we're just living life. What baffles me is that people like you are so stuck on trying to blame the boomers for what you perceive is a raw deal. My kids are doing just fine, maybe you need to be mad at yourself or your actual parents, not at all boomers.A piece of crap 585 sq foot trailer is now $69k in Iowa City. It's baffles me why boomers don't recognize how lucky they got with housing.
2018 Waterfront Dr TRAILER 58, Iowa City, IA 52240 | MLS #11379587 | Zillow
This 585 square feet Mobile / Manufactured home has 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom. It is located at 2018 Waterfront Dr TRAILER 58, Iowa City, IA.www.zillow.com
I absolutely have my issues with Boomers, and in many ways they are the worst generation.
However, this is the stupidest part of the discourse right now. The interpretation of what life and the economic position of boomers or Gen X is so far overboard and reflects very little of reality. The lifestyles people are describing as "average" reflect like the top 5% households in like Orange County or suburban Boston. You know, the same people that basically have it made in the shade now, or at any other time in history.
The vast majority of boomers scraped by, had one car, didn't buy a home until they were well into their 30s, had one pretty old car, worked a manual labor job, etc.
Both my boomer parents were college graduates and my father was a white collar worker and my mother was a stay at home mom. We didn't own a house until I was 13, it was a very modest house, we only ever had one shitty car. My mother clipped coupons like her life depended on it (because it did), and sewed all of her own clothes and most of our clothes. We all had to take loans out to go to college. My father is still working at 70, and won't retire to any wealth or a pension.
There are some very legit economic access issues, needless obstacles around credentialing and requirement of college degrees, that make things more challenging today. But also, none of the people complaining about this want to go work on the assembly line, in the carpet store, for the utility company, etc. They pine for the never-were days when anyone could just go get a job as a journalist or a screen writer or a "financier" etc. Those days never existed.
You know how many people born in 1960-1964 have a college degree? 16%. Pretty remarkable when supposedly anyone could get a degree for the university of their choice for $150.
In all times ever, 80% of 20-35 year old people have had to hustle, scrape, sacrifice, put in heavy hours, work jobs they don't like, etc for a very unremarkable standard of living. That's what your 20s and 30s are.
I definitely feel like we need to reckon with some things, but let's not completely fantasize about the world was like.
However, this is the stupidest part of the discourse right now. The interpretation of what life and the economic position of boomers or Gen X is so far overboard and reflects very little of reality. The lifestyles people are describing as "average" reflect like the top 5% households in like Orange County or suburban Boston. You know, the same people that basically have it made in the shade now, or at any other time in history.
The vast majority of boomers scraped by, had one car, didn't buy a home until they were well into their 30s, had one pretty old car, worked a manual labor job, etc.
Both my boomer parents were college graduates and my father was a white collar worker and my mother was a stay at home mom. We didn't own a house until I was 13, it was a very modest house, we only ever had one shitty car. My mother clipped coupons like her life depended on it (because it did), and sewed all of her own clothes and most of our clothes. We all had to take loans out to go to college. My father is still working at 70, and won't retire to any wealth or a pension.
There are some very legit economic access issues, needless obstacles around credentialing and requirement of college degrees, that make things more challenging today. But also, none of the people complaining about this want to go work on the assembly line, in the carpet store, for the utility company, etc. They pine for the never-were days when anyone could just go get a job as a journalist or a screen writer or a "financier" etc. Those days never existed.
You know how many people born in 1960-1964 have a college degree? 16%. Pretty remarkable when supposedly anyone could get a degree for the university of their choice for $150.
In all times ever, 80% of 20-35 year old people have had to hustle, scrape, sacrifice, put in heavy hours, work jobs they don't like, etc for a very unremarkable standard of living. That's what your 20s and 30s are.
I definitely feel like we need to reckon with some things, but let's not completely fantasize about the world was like.
Proud to be a boomer as we learned from the best, even if we didn't pass it down so well. Didn't know beans about technology (because there wasn't any), but our music was way better than any subsequent generation.
Socrates, an ancient Greek philosopher, for those generations who don't recognize the name, complained that the youth in his day had bad manners. How would you convince me that any generation is going to believe their generation is worse than the next.
Socrates, an ancient Greek philosopher, for those generations who don't recognize the name, complained that the youth in his day had bad manners. How would you convince me that any generation is going to believe their generation is worse than the next.
I know the "X-games" do not mean genX but I always thought genX should be into x-games, grunge rock, hand held vid games controllers, not the stand up kind....and late 80's or 90's toys and 90's cars and such. millennials were right after that. I have trouble relating to a lot of what millennials think and do, but then,so did my grandparents probably have trouble with my mindset.
This! This is the blueprint for Making America Great Again!
Just curious why you consider yourself a boomer but “they” (conventional wisdom?) call you Gen X. I was born late 60s. My brothers were born late 50s. They don’t really fit the mold of either boomers or Gen X. They were “disco ducks” who became “urban cowboys” a few years later.
55-60 range . closer to 60. man, I always thought I was 14 years old inside-even when in my 40's. I was crazy and youthful. getting close to 60 really freakin' makes me feel old.
my wife has 38 years with the same freaking company. 38 gosh dang years!!! crazy. next year will be 40 years since I got my first insurance license. 40 freaking years. making me feel old. we definitely talk about retiring all the time.
yes this me too, born in the late 60's. I think "they" are the people who make this crap up. wiki says 1946-64 for boomers. I do not think anybody cared to make the next generation have a name. until later like in the 90's then they called us X or something. I dunno who these people are, probably college professors. if you don't fit either - do you just consider yourself a non conformist or outlier? I have felt that before
A piece of crap 585 sq foot trailer is now $69k in Iowa City. It's baffles me why boomers don't recognize how lucky they got with housing.
2018 Waterfront Dr TRAILER 58, Iowa City, IA 52240 | MLS #11379587 | Zillow
This 585 square feet Mobile / Manufactured home has 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom. It is located at 2018 Waterfront Dr TRAILER 58, Iowa City, IA.
Because while housing has increased at a higher rate than inflation, the interest rates still made homes less affordable back when many of us were purchasing homes. My first two homes held 12% mortgages, and I was happy to get that rate.
Look at the math. In 1980 the median price of a home was $64,000. Today it's $426,000. Yowza! Right? That's nearly a seven-fold increase. But let's consider the monthly payment on a 30 year, $64,000 mortgage (to keep it simple, no down payment). It would be $658. The monthly payment on a 30 year $426k mortgage would be $2554. That's only about 3.7x higher.
The REAL difference is college. College today compared to the 1970's and 1980's is ludicrous. However, this also means that a lot of us boomers not only paid our own way through college (our parents didn't see it as their responsibility) we are now paying for most of our children's inflated college prices.
Yep. There is definitely a housing shortage, especially at the moderate range, and a ton of problems in the country could be improved by building more middle class housing.
But home ownership today is essentially the same as it was in 1980. And that house in 1980 averaged 1600 sf, and that house today averages 2200 sf, and families are smaller.
So home ownership rate is the same as it was, and the houses are better. Again...we do have a housing problem in this country, but this fantasy idea that all Boomers were issued wonderful cape cods on tree lined streets for $30k when they turned 25...it's just not part of lived reality. I guarantee a shitload more Gen X and older Millennials remember their Boomer parents renting, remember sharing a bedroom with siblings growing up, and having one bathroom for the house, etc. Good lord, it wasn't that long ago, a lot of us were there, it makes no sense to try to paint a picture that obviously doesn't portray the reality.
The housing market depends on where you live in this country. Some area's there maybe a shortage but in areas like Eastern Iowa that's not the case. Just go to Realtor and put in Cedar Rapids for instance and there are a lot of houses under $200k available.
A 3/2 1400 or 1500 sq ft house for a family of four was the norm in the 70’s. Now my son lives in a 2700 sq ft house with two kids and it seems too small but it has a lot more “bells and whistles” than his Mom (me!) and Dad had back in the late 70’s.
And I grew up in a 4/2 with 1600 sq ft in a family of four kids. The big deal was a fenced yard and a two car garage. When I was in high school Mom finally convinced my Dad to install a Kenmore dishwasher from Sears. Before that yours truly was the dishwasher. 😂
Here in Jacksonville the City has begun a push to create “infill housing” to provide more affordable housing on smaller parcels of six or seven acres where 80-90 year old homes that were built “on the edge of town” back in the day have been sitting empty. It’s getting pushback in some neighborhoods but is welcome in others. It’s needed for growth and in bringing in young first time buyers.
And I grew up in a 4/2 with 1600 sq ft in a family of four kids. The big deal was a fenced yard and a two car garage. When I was in high school Mom finally convinced my Dad to install a Kenmore dishwasher from Sears. Before that yours truly was the dishwasher. 😂
Here in Jacksonville the City has begun a push to create “infill housing” to provide more affordable housing on smaller parcels of six or seven acres where 80-90 year old homes that were built “on the edge of town” back in the day have been sitting empty. It’s getting pushback in some neighborhoods but is welcome in others. It’s needed for growth and in bringing in young first time buyers.
How many blueberries and bushels of wheat did that house and dishwasher cost?
I mean true, but it's all reflective of the market. My guess is that is pretty high historically and relative to the economic opportunities. That doesn't do a lot for the majority of people who can't live in Eastern Iowa.
That said, I'm all for the idea of decoupling employment centers from the same dozen major metros and figuring out a way to leverage work from home tech to create a lot more opportunities in non-traditional areas. There is a lot of opportunity for a more affordable and enjoyable quality of life.
Wut? If you’re trying to be funny I’d suggest you stick to aviation…your humor misses on takeoff.
Yep... Why people use anecdotal evidence to try to prove a point vs actual statistics is beyond me.
For African Americans, you're correct. 1975 is when they passed HMDA. Dodd-Frank passed in 2010 which made your second sentence completely wrong.
I'd love for you to provide a link though, would be interested where you're getting your details.
When the costs are low, high rates don't mean shit. I always see people try to justify this despite the metrics showing the opposite.
As a banker, I notice that roughly 1/10 people have a mortgage rate below 3%. This includes all types - portfolio loans, FNMA, FHLB etc..
Yep... Why people use anecdotal evidence to try to prove a point vs actual statistics is beyond me.
Reminds me of the disparity between wages and rent in Upton Sinclair's The Jungle. The regression is becoming uncanny.
I can't believe how many times I ask somebody in their 20s or 30s if they know who Tom Arnold is... And they have no clue.
My first job in town paid me .65 cents per hour. I would work with a crew during the summer baling hay for $1.00 per hour. When I got out of the Army I moved home for a while. I managed to save $1,050.00 by the day I got married. We lived in a drafty $50 a month rental for the first two years. We we finagled a place in the country I started out by buying one Holstien bull bottle calf for $50 - I sold him at #500 and bought 4 Holstien bull bottle calves the same day for $160...I was a 23 year old father of one married to a beauty queen living on a 4 acre rental and owned 4 head of cattle...what more could a guy want?
I don't think there is anything such as productivity since covid. People began giving up and just staying home... Working from home , quiet quitting.... Now all of a sudden there's a Stanley cup craze to make everybody rich. They are free -just run in the store and grab a bunch of free cups and then go on tik tok and say they're worth 10 grand each.
Result of the fiat dollar and 'financialization' of the economy.
It's more critical to be able to borrow newly created money that to be able to make something in this fiat funhouse economy.
https://wtfhappenedin1971.com/
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