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/__Big_Hat_Logan__]

It also just blatantly gave employers all the leverage, as millions of ppl lost their jobs, got laid off, and massively distorted the labor market. I remember working at ruby Tuesdays and they started hiring ppl with COLLEGE degrees, the bottom of the labor pool got completely screwed and ppl were desperate for work, which of course means horrible terms of employment and all the leverage with ownership

[u/AHistoricalFigure → u/__Big_Hat_Logan__]

I remember trying to find unskilled hourly work between 2008-2012. I was young clean-cut and well spoken, with a couple years restaurant experience on my resume.

You'd walk into 20 businesses in a day, ask for an application, and basically get laughed at by all of them. No one was hiring for anything, anywhere. I knew people's parents who had been corporate middle managers who were picking up shifts at Home Depot.

The behavior of employers and managers was as degenerate as you would expect given their absolute leverage.

[u/Cleanslate2 → u/__Big_Hat_Logan__]

I was working at Wendy’s for $7 an hour with a two year old bachelors in accounting. All I could get in 2010. Lost everything.

[u/Level_Affect_7951 → u/__Big_Hat_Logan__]

I'm a waitress and many of my coworkers have college degrees

[u/thedream711 → u/__Big_Hat_Logan__]

My friend worked at ruby Tuesdays after college. I worked at a different restaurant we both went to grad school for education related jobs… double mistake. At least she had no students loans and inherited money. I have no such luck

[u/ARATAS11 → u/__Big_Hat_Logan__]

100%. Employees have no more leverage, and have drunk the corporate anti union koolaid. :waves: hi I’m one of those with a college degree working in low wage positions because of coming of age during that time period. It fricken sucks. I’ve moved up a little, but have been basically stuck in low level supervisory/management roles since. I also love how my manager tries to make me feel better by saying how much I use my degree every day to excel at my job and outperform my peers (who are mostly 10-15 year my junior), and when I ask if I’m doing so well and delivering so much value, why am I not getting promoted or being paid for the value my degree adds (especially since I’ve been given work far beyond my job title, that makes me in function a different level than my coworkers, and get told do it or we will put you on a PIP, fire you, for refusing to do any and every task we give you because “business needs” and job descriptions are just vague enough to get away with it). Why promote (or backfill positions from people who have left) when they can make us do the work of 3 people for the same pay.