Do you find it amzing that at one time men could raise a family well on one income?

Question

Why does it seem harder for me and my wife to collectively make ends meet that it was for my father in the 70's, singlehandedly, to?

What my dad paid for on one income in the 70's:
HOME MORTGAGE
GROCERIES
CLOTHES
TUITION
TWO YEARLY VACATIONS
RV PAYMENTS
TWO CAR PAYMENTS
REVOLVING LINE OF CREDIT AT SEARS
5-6 FAMILY SPORTING EVENTS LIKE
BASEBALL A YEAR
3-4 HOUSE PARTIES A YEAR FOR WHOLE EXTENDED FAMILY(30+)
PEOPLE A YEAR(BIRTHDAYS AND SUCH)


and now, people can't survive on two incomes. In our neighborhood, working people can't afford the same house they
grew up in themselves(tri-levels here sell
for 250 grand, and they are from the 70s and tacky)

Its not just upsizing to mcmansions...again, working people out here cannot afford the 250-260K it takes to buy the same bungalow or tri-level they grew up in.......blame it solely on women
entering the workforce, after which the price of homes found a new, higher level to take advantage of the new, higher family incomes........now no one can afford everything.......go figure

Don't think i'm saying working women are BAD or anything of the sort. It's just the reality that sellers took advantage of the initial higher incomes. I remember when it started, in the late 70's. Almost overnight, home values increased by 20-50%. The
housing inventory was too small for the onslaught of baby boomers buying their first homes, and the ones with two-incomes simply outbid the others with one, and brought all the home values up....
like they say, a rising sea lifts up all boats.

mumluv, you make your own happiness.
I live in yuppie-heaven, a place called Naperville in Illinois, and every house here
is a mcmansion.
I never saw so many miserable people in my life. The mothers are materialistic b i t c h e s that cut you off the road with their SUV, the men are just as bad, and kids
themselves here are just as bad as the parents. First thing kids out here ask each other is what do your parents do?
Beyond sad.........and no one is happy cause there is always someone outthere with a bigger or better something.
Envy and spite are the names of the day
here..............................................

Be very happy cutting costs, cause you guys make your OWN happiness.
It somes from within, which almost all the people here in Naperville have evidentally forgot about...

here is a link to Naperville it you want to read about it

http://www.naperville.il.us/

Answer 1

Yeah my father supported a family of five for less than I am making now and I can barely afford my half of a 2 bedroom apt and a car payment. The trend with woman entering the workplace altered the economy so that families can no longer survive on single incomes. Sorry I don't have a source to back that argument up, but I read it once and it makes a lot of sense.

Answer 2

We do it, we have a tiny house at 150 grand. Trilevels sell for 400,000 dollars here. It is crazy! It is because many families have 2 incomes and the prices of everything is sky-rocketting. People are greedy and charge way more than they are worth. I'm talking TV, cars, mortgages, real estate. The world is a much greedier place than it used to be. We have lots more overseas technology coming from Japan and other countries. So the influence to jack prices up is more so. We decided to beat the system by simplifying. We dropped our cable to minimum--mostly just for the cartoons otherwise we would have peasant vision, we paid off our vehicles and promise not to upgrade unless we have the cash. We bought a very small house and got rid of luxeries we did not need like an extra bathroom, extra storage. We do not have a garage or a dishwasher. But we have a yard for the kids to play and enough toys. We play games instead of watching movies. We go to the pool, we don't have a pool. We make our own pizza and special meals for special nights. We clip coupons and shop at discount and thrift stores. We want to be confortable and happy. We decided we don't need big ticket items to be happy and enjoy family time. Everything we do we do together and we enjoy because it is family time without breaking the pocket book.

Answer 3

because people lived life simpler then than they do now.... I am 21 yrs. old... I am from a family of 9 children. the oldest being 28 and the youngest is 10. My dad worked, and my mom was at home with the kids... We all grew up fine, we didn't have what all the kids from smaller families had... but I was always warm, fed and happy... :) there are still 4 kids that live home... :) it is possible.

Answer 4

I work my tail off, and I am tired all the time, but if I want to keep my computer, and be able to get stuff for my grandbabies, and my pregnant daughter things for her new baby, I have to work....My grandmother is a millionare, but she only does for the 2 favorites like she always has...I work so I don't owe a repeated thank you, I earn what I have, and it is a proud feeling..even though I am exhausted...My grown childrens work ethics are a direct result from watching their parents work hard....times have changed, and it takes two unless its handed to ya'.....

Answer 5

Because people think they need to keep extending their standards of living, living in bigger homes, having more vehicles, etc. Please don't think that men are the only ones out their raising families. Many women are supporting families alone for various reasons as well, and for less pay than men are getting. I know. I did it.

Answer 6

it is all the extra luxury items that people buy now that erodes our spending power, playstations, cd's, ipods, lunchables, all this expensive and unnecessary stuff we purchase is putting us in the poorhouse. A lot of Mormons in Utah are able to live with multiple kids on one income because they have more prudent spending habits.

Answer 7

I have no idea. Yes, it is amazing, but our kids have much more than we did. Not a whole lot more, but heck, even the price of a trip to the amusement park isn't what it used to be!

Answer 8

Cost of living like 120 dollar par of shoes

Answer 9

as the Song goes
"Those were the days my friend""......

Despite the Cold,Korean,Vietnam conflicts ,
you have WITNESSED mankind's GOLDEN
ERA . NOW we need a few MIRACLES....

Good Luck....