Hey youngins, old-fart, Gen X here…
Just a reminder that in the early 2000s (let alone the 90s) rent was maybe $900/mo in my way-over-priced, tech-loving part of the country.
That meant you could work 3 or 4 really low key side hustles and make rent and food.
I cannot stress enough, the “low-key” element of those side gigs. Do a few things, here and there. All together you calmly worked… maybe a week and you'd make rent.
Nobody did only that… people worked real jobs too, but you could pull it off… it was possible. And it would not pay for everything. You'd still have a car payment (r/fuckcars), you'd still want to rent dvds from blockbuster, you probably had to buy your own health insurance, but…
A quick round of pet sitting, write an article for a local newspaper, work part time at the coffee shop… you'd have a roof; your fridge would have food in it.
That world got erased in the past 20 years. Sure, this new world we all hate can buy alcohol now, but only just. It still gets carded.
GenX hates this new shit too. Happy Thanksgiving you wonderful little punks.