A big factor is that it was hammered into kids minds by parents that they "had" to go to college, to take on this massive debt - and that working a trade in any way was a failure. This was and still is parroted by parents who don't know better.
Imagine not having crippling debt coming out of school - or investing that money instead , even conservatively. While there are jobs that require degrees, many don't and companies simply aren't going to pay people enough to sustain school debt as it continues to increase. Now the narrative is that four year degrees aren't enough and all the push is into further education MBAs etc because these schools want their money.
There are more school commercials on the TV than ambulance chasing lawyers or pharmaceuticals at this point.
Ivy league schools are even worse, commanding ridiculous amounts of cash to enter if you can't get a scholarship and it's basically a networking opportunity - only to be afforded by those with the money to do it.

I'm all for higher education, but we have to start realizing that it's not for everyone and it's not worth getting into a lifetime of debt over in most cases.

Aside from all that - here is a good video around the cyclical nature of currency and where the US fits in.

I agree with the sentiment of your comment here and goddamn, huge kudos to your mom (and you)! I just really like to point out we have to be careful talking about anecdotal experiences when we need to be talking about the overall sum of something. Obviously, there will be exceptions to every rule. You're absolutely correct though, back when our parents were buying homes, yeah they were technically making less money but a dollar went a hell of a lot further. I wish I could remember the statistic I recently read but it was something like buying power at minimum wage in the year 2000 was equivalent to $20 an hour now. The further we go back the crazier that statistic gets!

Well said gjm7777.

I'm currently suffering under 150k for an in-state branch-campus.

I got a degree in digital art.
I work in Construction Project Management.

My folks bought into the you MUST go to college, and they frankly didn't have the financial literacy to understand what they were signing me up for with this parent plus shit.

The orphan-crushing machine turns!

So the home thing kinda works out, right? They made less, homes cost less -

My parents split up when I was 8 - I picked up the pieces and made a life. But I was raised to work hard and prosper by my single mom, who did the same.

You just keep complaining how everyone else made things so hard for you - sounds like a Gen X thing. You guys cornered the market on that.

Love, Boomer

Honestly shocked it took fifty pages for this to become a generational econ bloodbath. Mods I guess we're finally done here.

Get those Venom LEs. Almost sold out.

As Millenials my wife and I will be the only ones in the nursing home without tatoos... Its that or we'll be the only ones in the villages with spinners on our golf cart wheels.

Yeah just pull yourself up by your bootstraps, who cares if everything is demonstrably and exponentially harder for your generation vs mine? Come on man.

Nah man, its just finally getting good now!

Why start then? Thats the problem with milenialZ. Always putting shit off!

If the word "back in my day" come out of Roost in the next 5 posts I will do a flip.
You'll just have to take my word on it.

LMAO

this Fkn thread.

Yep, it works on my end.

Or even better yet - police yourself and if you don't like a thread = don't read it.
Very simple.

Is it tho? we have yet to see.

The only difference now for NiB is that there is supply again, so people can't just acquire a machine and sell because of the delay to buy NiB and massive price hikes blamed on supply.

Prior to 2020, when buying NiB you could count on losing 5-10%.. then after production has stopped, depending on how the code and desirability worked out, maybe you ended up with an asset that held more value but more often not.

Now that $$Stern has ramped the pricing to what seems a bit past the ceiling, in general, these machines are much more of a liability for everyone... but there will always be some that will gain massive demand after production has stopped, and people will pay whatever they need to for it.

True.. I was just thinking about that as I sent it.

It's a crazy world, because they not only cranked the price up substantially without adding any visible value.. but at the same time, greatly decreased the scarcity by ramping production. It's crazy.

Quick, someone get this guy Metamucil and some avocado toast!!