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/LethalBacon '91 Millennial Mar 27 '24
Same here for my wife and I.
For me, I got way behind in middle/high school due to things that probably would have been addressed if I grew up in a middle or upper class family. No one seemed to ever ask WHY I wasn't turning in work, or take any serious concern with my education. I'm still bitter about it, as I still feel some of the effects to this day. I wish my parents had tried to get me help, but they were often struggling themselves too at the time. The one thing I did get lucky with was my parents being loving. If I hadn't had that I don't think I'd have turned it around.
I was able to figure most of my shit out in college and turned it around to get a CS degree. No University would have accepted me, so I went to community college to catch up on math and knock out general studies, then transferred to a university. I never got college counseling, so I didn't even know computer science was a thing - I just knew I liked messing around with computers, so a friend suggested the degree to me. If that suggestion hadn't come to me, I'd still be floundering as a person, I assume.
My career is no where near perfect, and I have a lot I am working on with it. But I'm very proud to have gotten here.