I'm technically a baby-boomer, I suppose: (1954 is in that sector, I believe.)
I have no degrees that would interest anyone: six years of post secondary education, four of which I paid for by working as a janitor, the last of which I worked as a welder, at bottom-end wages. We married 41 years ago. I lost my welding job to a crash in the economy, a month after we were wed. I worked minimum wage jobs to keep us fed, while searching for something better. I eventually ended up welding again, still at very low wages.
We lived in a single-wide trailer, for the first three or four years we were married, not because we wanted to, but because that was what we could afford. We had chosen to avoid debt, and the real estate interest rates were right at 12%, at that time. We had decided that we simply would not be able to afford a house, and were planning to heavily modify the trailer, simply because we owned it and could afford the remodel, provided I did all the work. (Modifying single-wide trailers is an exercise in "pouring good money after bad," for the most part, but we didn't seem to have any options.)
About that time, my mother-in-law (bless her!) spotted a genuine "Fixer-upper" which we could afford. For $19.5K. (Yeah, it wasn't much...) So we bought it and moved in. Through Ann's parents, we managed a "secured loan" which had a much lower rate (8% as I recall) and we paid off that little house in eight years, while living in it and heavily remodeling it. I put as additional $50,000 in materials and 14 years of work into it.
Meanwhile, we homeschooled our children, which was frowned upon at the time (still is today, I guess) and quite costly. They grew up, far advanced in schooling, and partway through, my mom died; so we sold the first house, and got enough for a downpayment on her home, which we bought from the estate. The kids finished growing up, all went to college, and left. (That house was paid off in ten years.)
The eldest child has consistently earned about three times what I made in my best years, working as some sort of computer wizard. (Hardware, not software...and I do not understand his work!)
Second child earned a doctorate, is debt-free, and lives in Switzerland...making more than double my best years..and I can't say what the job is...it has to do with project management, and documentation of cutting-edge medical machinery. I honestly only barely understand it when it is explained to me.
Youngest became a luthier. Doing ok, financially, but most importantly, he followed his passion for creativity, and is happy in his work.
I really don't feel that I had any special "privileges:" I worked at the lowest sort of jobs to pay for what little education I managed to accrue (from low-cost schools.) I had no student loans...We paid our way, every step of the way, and have been debt-free for ages.
I realize that prices have gone to incredible levels, but, in many cases, so have wages. Had I stayed with the only skills I possessed, fifty years ago, I would still be living in a single-wide trailer, or something comparable. But I kept pushing for higher skills, higher credentials and a better life for my family. That also meant I did not "party," I did not buy myself "toys," and we did not go on vacations, as a rule. The only boat I ever had, I built from scratch, hoping to "start a business." But, I had nowhere to store it, and it rotted to pieces in a few years. That was a bitter loss. (Now I build violin-family instruments. They don't sit out in the rain.)
What is the point of all this rambling? I guess only to say that I believe the opportunities are still there, but they just don't look the same. Different skills are needed, today, for instance.
But I don't believe that it is appropriate to blame a previous generation for the realities we face today, nor is it appropriate to project my goals, values, or lifestyle on my kids.
None of them share my lifestyle. And all of them had a better start than I did. That was our goal.
