My dad's best friend was able to survive in a small apartment and pay for/go to college working part time at a grocery store. My mom stayed home after I was born in the mid 80s and only went back to work part time 15 years later after my youngest sibling was in kindergarten. We grew up middle class, each having our own bedrooms most of the time and my parents having 2 cars the whole time. My parents mortgage on their 3rd home, which is where I mostly grew up, was 2/3 what my wife and mine was for twice the space. Oh, and we had a week long vacation somewhere almost every summer.

Wage stagnation has robbed milleniums and younger from being able to live normal lives, let alone fulfilling ones.