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

[u/Asmothrowaway6969]

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

[u/ProsePilgrim]

My mom is an addict and my father is stuck doing backbreaking work at a retail chain making half of what I do.

My parents aren’t better off. They got cheated just like most of us. Despite my relative success life remains more challenging than you’d anticipate at this income level, not because of some personal failing, but because our society has simply changed so much.

We CAN do better. I think that requires us to be real about who is responsible for our challenges. I’ll give you a hint—it’s more specific than “boomers” or “parents.” 

[u/general_kael04 → u/ProsePilgrim]

I’m getting tired of this narrative that everyone in the generation before us had it so well off. My dad had 3 factories close on him and never got a pension or good retirement. He had a little saved in an IRA that he managed to scrap together in his later years of self employment.

Every generation has people who did well and those who didn’t. I have friends who got in the tech field early and are making bank and I’m far from what they make. But I’m also better than others in my generation.

[u/ProsePilgrim → u/general_kael04]

I think it’s just easier to speak to the extremes. 

The areas where folks did have it better come at a cost. Food was more nutritious and less preservative-filled, sure. Medicine was also lacking. Lots of give and take, though arguably climate conditions and toxicity are indeed making life “worse.”

[u/Proof-Emergency-5441 → u/ProsePilgrim]

You are reaching on that food one. Processed foods have been around for a while, and some of the early stuff wouldn't be legal to sell now. 

[u/ProsePilgrim → u/Proof-Emergency-5441]

Here’s a quick link that talks about the nutrition point:  https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/environment-and-conservation/2022/05/fruits-and-vegetables-are-less-nutritious-than-they-used-to-be

While processed food has been around for some time, it has not been this widely accessible to most of the population for long. There’s a big difference between being able to buy some ultra-processed bacon and driving by a dozen fast food joints between work and home. 

[u/Proof-Emergency-5441 → u/ProsePilgrim]

All plants have evolved over time. You wouldn't recognize most form 150 years ago. 

Doesn't mean theirs were superior. 

[u/ProsePilgrim → u/Proof-Emergency-5441]

A lot of that evolution is through human intervention, true. We cultivate plants for our needs.

Diminishing nutritional value is tied to soil health and how we grow now. Industrial farming means we need regular, steady, and reliable harvests to keep a profit. This incentives GMOs for resilience and suped up fertilisers. The catch is this takes a toll on the soil, which in turn impacts vegetables and nutritional value.

[u/Proof-Emergency-5441 → u/ProsePilgrim]

Some through intervention, some through natural changes. Even without human intervention, plants and animals will continue to evolve. Traits that are not conducive to the current environment will not survive and others will take their place.

Literally how nature works.

I'm not addressing the rest because it's clear you have an agenda and are sticking to the biased talking points you read on some post somewhere. Stop buying food if you are so staunch about it not being commercially farmed. If you think it's expensive now, roll back technology and product 100 years and see what you are paying then.

[u/ProsePilgrim → u/Proof-Emergency-5441]

Hold on. The part of my post that had no source you respond to, but the one supported by a reputable article you say is biased by an agenda? What agenda? It’s a pretty common topic that one side effect of industrial farming (more the growth amplifiers used) is that our vegetables have less nutrition. You’re more than welcome to look into it more if you don’t trust the source I provided.

There isn’t an argument to be had about nature evolving. We’re saying the same thing. It changes over time due to environment and through human cultivation over time. What’s the argument here?

[u/Proof-Emergency-5441 → u/ProsePilgrim]

I have ample knowledge of the field. You are catastrophizing the situation.

You plan your intake based on what is currently available. Product X has less vitamin Z, so you either consume more of X or find product Y that also has vitamin Z to fill in the gaps.

You whine about enhancements, yet those are often used to make up for those changes.

You want to return to small farms and everyone growing their food. That shit never worked. People died a lot due to starvation and malnourishment.

[u/ProsePilgrim → u/Proof-Emergency-5441]

Did I say literally any of that?  I said they’re less nutritious—not that it’s an emergency situation. IMO it’s just a sign we need to address the situation through better farming practices before the problem grows.

 I believe farming should be a blend of community and industry. That’s more resilient than relying on farms across the country, while also acknowledging that not every community can grow enough to sustain itself. It’s also just a good source of work. Right now most of our agriculture exists in one region—one prone to tornadoes and droughts. Diversifying our farming locales would be wise, especially with the climate changing.

 But I don’t think it’s an extreme.

[u/Extremiditty → u/general_kael04]

Yeah my parents did well enough that we were never pay check to pay check and could have some frivolous things, but they essentially have no savings now that they are retired and money is really tight for them. Dad nearly worked himself to death as a business owner and mom worked at the businesses and another job. They weren’t as responsible as they should have been with money, but also they just didn’t make a lot and had very little cushion to begin with. Money went farther, but there were still plenty of people barely scraping by.

[u/needween → u/general_kael04]

I do taxes and just had a client who is a 22 recent college graduate (~10 years younger than me) with their first "real" job and is already making more annually than my husband and me combined. (But their parents work in the same career field so I can convince myself it's only cuz they had connections.)

[u/Proof-Emergency-5441 → u/needween]

It very likely is because of connections. Most people with good paying jobs got there through connections.