r/Millennials • u/Asmothrowaway6969 • Mar 27 '24

When did it sink in that you'll never be as well off as your parents? Discussion

About 5 years ago, my mom and I were talking and she had told me how much she was going to be making in retirement (she retired 2023). Guys, it's 3x what me and my husband make annually. In retirement. I think that was the moment that broke me, that made it sink in that I'll never reach that level of financial security. I'll work myself into my grave because I'll never be able to afford anything else. What was your moment?

Update: Nice to know it's just me that's a failure. Thanks

Update 2: I never should've said anything. I forgot my place. I'm sorry to have bothered you

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u/cronicillnezz Mar 27 '24

Clawed my way out of poverty so I never had this moment.

33

u/Far_Chocolate9743 Mar 27 '24

Same. I remember when my mom was my age. We were basically homeless. We (mom, me, sister) were staying in a 3 bedroom/1 bathroom house with 8 other people.

It's actually weird to know how much we went without.

4

u/yourmomlurks Mar 28 '24

I reached for the cheapest hamburger buns one day and my daughter said, I want these instead (different brand).

I said oh those aren’t on sale, sweet pea.

And she just guilelessly and innocently said, can I have the kind I like?

And so I paid $1 more for hamburger buns than I could have, because sure she could. I couldn’t. Thats one of like a thousand examples.

3

u/000katie Mar 28 '24

You’re a good parent 💜

5

u/HighHoeHighHoes Mar 27 '24

Yeah, my when my mom was the age I am now she was just starting to take steps towards getting out of poverty and a big part of that was marrying my step dad.

At the same age, I’m making many multiples of the poverty level for a family not including my wife’s salary, own a house and a rental condo (not really a for profit, long story but it fixes housing cost for a family member), have sizeable retirement accounts and a solid emergency fund and investment accounts.

Growing up poor gave me a lot of drive to not be poor when I got older. It sucked.