I (22F) read posts on this sub and others about families growing up in the 80s, 90s, even 2000s who lived middle-class lives on one parent’s salary. The parent could make a very average income, and provide well for their family. I just can’t believe that this was ever possible.
I live in what’s considered an average COL city; I’m a college grad, and I make $47K/year. My fiancé is also a college grad, and makes $43K. We live in a 530 square foot, one bedroom apartment. We both have student loans.
After our student loan payments restart, I have no idea how we’ll be able to ever afford a house. I’ve run numbers again and again, and it looks like we won’t be able to save up a 10% down payment for a cheaper house for at least another 12 years (and that’s assuming home prices don’t go up…). We live frugally. I don’t know what we’ll do if one of our old cars dies, or we have health problems, or rent goes up, or one of us loses our job. I couldn’t support both of us on just my income, I can’t fathom having even one kid. This is normal for us and everyone our age that we know. Did it really used to be that different?