Are you financially better off than your parents were at your age?

[Rain Man]

Simple question, multifaceted answer. Do you think you're better off, worse off, or about the same as your parents were when they were your current age?


Poll coming, and I promise not to tell your parents.

[hometeam]

Im doing a little better, but I work a hell of a lot more, at a higher paying profession, and im definitely not doing better than my grandparents where at this age.

[eDave]

Originally Posted by hometeam

Im doing a little better, but I work a hell of a lot more, at a higher paying profession, and im definitely not doing better than my grandparents where at this age.

That's interesting

[Rain Man]

I suspect that global situations are as large or larger than our own abilities. I'm better off than my parents were at my age, but they got caught in a societal vice. They grew up in a rural area and never really had the opportunity to go to college, and then got caught by the move from a blue collar economy to a services economy. They started out strong in the old economy, but then got left behind when the economy changed.

I, on the other hand, grew up in a perfect window of time to have access to a college degree, and to have access to an inexpensive college degree. While I will give myself some credit for career planning and financial planning, I was born into a great window of time in society compared to my parents' time at the same ages.

[hometeam]

Originally Posted by eDave

That's interesting

Grandpa and grandma where both prison guards, both where former military, marine, and seamstress, had an extremely large and nice house (which he built) and a nice chunk of land out by Eldon, and had no debt etc. They even pulled this off with a gaggle of kids running around.

[ChiefRocka]

my fathers $1 was worth way more than my $1

Id say about equal.

[eDave]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

I suspect that global situations as large or larger than our own abilities. I'm better off than my parents were at my age, but they got caught in a societal vice. They grew up in a rural area and never really had the opportunity to go to college, and then got caught by the move from a blue collar economy to a services economy. They started out strong in the old economy, but then got left behind when the economy changed.

I, on the other hand, grew up in a perfect window of time to have access to a college degree, and to have access to an inexpensive college degree. While I will give myself some credit for career planning and financial planning, I was born into a great window of time in society compared to my parents' time at the same ages.

Endorsed. My dad had very stable work, low risk. I do better and Y2K, and daddy funded college, catapulted me but it ain't stable for darn sure. Not many of us have stable employment anymore.

I suspect the next generation will be less fortunate. That's why Sanders is their guy right now. They are rabid over him.

[BigRedChief]

We were poor. It was a low economic bar to jump over.

[Hoover]

I'm kicking my parent's ass

[2bikemike]

My parents divorced when I was young, my pops was never there for any of us. Mom raised 4 kids on her own so we didn't have much of anything growing up. So I am definitely way ahead of where I came from.

[KurtCobain]

probably about the same

[007]

I said about the same. We are probably better off but it sure doesn't feel like we are.

[Hoopsdoc]

Way way ahead.

[Predarat]

A good amount worse, though I was heading for about the same, the person I chose to marry did not help at all. I should have handled it better but I ruined myself financially trying to save the marriage where I should have 'Curly Billed' her years before I actually did. Though it was 'for the kid' if not for that I probably would have. Now I am single income in a double income world and have child support on top of that. Some of it is on me, due to my actions at a previous job that got me on the lay off list in a bad economy, it was hard to catch up much less get ahead. Spent three years in career hell, but am finally coming back from that. Also making the good financial choices I was making before the disastrous marriage, actually probably even better. I have worked hard and done well at my current job, one career step away from making things much better and knocking on the door of the 'about the same' category again.

[Loneiguana]

Depends on the measurement.

My parents got started in careers faster than my wife and I did, so maybe were a bit better off at my current age. But they also had two kids were my wife and I don't have any yet.

I don't know if I'd qualify it as better or worse, but their generation certainly could start quicker than my generation seems to be doing. We'll eventually out earn them probably because my wife will earn more than my mom.

Looking long term, father knew he would retire at 55 when he was 31 (and he did) I know that I'll eventually retire. Point goes to father.

[Why Not?]

I do really well, but the problem in this context anyway, is that unless I had become a pro athlete or actor there was no way I was going to catch my dad financially at this age. He was a business wizard. I make more than he does now, but not by much and he's almost 70 and works like a couple days a week.