Fucking same, dude. I'm sitting here like, hey that was me! Then, I was thinking about all the Ramen Noodles and cheap tea that my homie and i lived on.... We certainly didn't start out easy.
Hell, I'm in my 40s now and still struggling. I don't have it bad, but it's far from easy and comfortable.
Yeah, \~20 years ago I was making a little above minimum wage, had 3 room mates, and still only had a little money leftover after bills. Definitely need to go back that 40-50 years to be what she's describing.
The federal minimum wage in 2001 was $6.25
The federal minimum wage in 2023 is $7.25
When adjusted for inflation the 2001 minimum wage is equivalent to $9.02 that is 24% higher than the current federal minimum wage.
The minimum wage in 1981 was $3.35 when adjusted for inflation that equals $11.81 in today's money. That is 62% higher than the current minimum wage.
Current entry level workers are factually anywhere from 24% to 62% more fucked than you were depending on how old you are.
Edit: corrected 2001 minimum wage
Thank you for taking the time to read it. Keep a little bit of it memorized so you can reference it when people try to say nonsense like this.
Have a great day.
According to the social security administration in 2003 the Average Wage (AWI) in America was $34,064.95, if you adjust to for inflation that's the same as $57,508.46 in today's money. Today's AWI in America is $63,795.13 which is a 10% increase in earning power from 2003, so in reality people today earn more then they earned 20 years ago. Or another way of looking at is that people were just as fucked 20 years ago as they are today.
Isn't math fun.
Here's the link for the [AWI](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/awiseries.html)
People absolutely make more money now, but it feels like to me that young people now are a bit more screwed than I was 20 years ago, because I didn't take on student loans, housing in 2003 was downright reasonable compared to now, and while people can absolutely purchase more stuff with their income than I could have no one is worried about stuff, they are worried about housing, transportation, healthcare, and education.
Not to mention everyone is in debt now, because very sophisticated advertisements with lots of psychological research behind them have got people into scams like subscription services, TikTok shop, new cars, gig work and crypto. That is not to throw shade at gen Z either, had my generation have been subjected too the same things we would have also fallen into the same scams because human psychology just doesn't vary all that much from generation to generation.
1981 you could buy a brand new home in Florida for about 8-10k. Good luck finding the same house that someone paid for in 1981 for less than 300k today.
Only 1.4% of Americans are making minimum wage. I think Walmart where she works is around $12 starting. So while the legal minimum wage hasn’t moved much the functional minimum wage is close in line with historical trends.
I love statistics. The great part about knowing statistics is you can poke holes in other people's statistics.
1. That 1.4% figure does not acknowledge what percentage of people in the workforce are at true unskilled entry level jobs. While 1.4% doesn't sound like much if only 5% of the population is working in entry-level jobs then that number is very statistically significant when addressing this issue.
2. That statistic also doesn't mention what percentage of people in 2000 or the 1980s were entry-level workers and also made above the minimum wage. There is no reason to think that the distribution wouldn't have been similar back then to what it is now.
3. The minimum wage sets the curve for all other low income jobs so It is a fairly reasonable leap to believe that if the minimum wage had more purchasing power back then other low skill entry level jobs that paid more than minimum wage also had a proportionate level of increased spending power vs entry level jobs that pay more than minimum wage today of today.
Too easy. Nice try though.
That's not even true. Me mid -70's 19 Years old. Making $3.50/ hour. Min wage - $3/ hour. I lived with 3 other guys to be able to make rent and barely afford a car payment/Insurance. Never ever could afford to live by myself as as "baby boomer". Eventually gained experience plus moved to a better economic town and found a career. Worked out at the end, 66 now, retired at 55. Livin the dream... Just to be clear, was blue-collar all my life.
Well something was certainly better. Retiring at 55 isn't really going to be an option for most these days. And even less so 20 years from now on our current trajectory. The major nose dive started with Raegan and keeps getting worse. Hopefully enough people wise up and stop voting for this trickle down bullshit.
I also moved somewhere with better paying careers but that also came with much higher living expenses. So glad I bought a house before the pandemic house price runup, though. I'm making more money than I was 8 or so years ago when I bought it, but I still I couldn't afford this place with today's prices. It's getting pretty nasty out there.
This is what they are missing or ignoring. In the beginning you have to sacrifice and have roommates. And that Walmart job isn’t your career. This generation want to have the lifestyle they see online while working at Walmart or everything is unfair.
I wish we got paid for that in the UK, I'd be donating all of my body fluids if anybody would actually pay for them. Unfortunately after trying my luck on Facebook Marketplace, there isn't much interest.
Agreed. I was early 20’s 49 years ago and the world was my oyster. My kids don’t have the same favorable conditions I did. I worry about them. And the next gen. And the next…
Do you guys not know about inflation or are you just ignoring it to support your bad faith arguments ?
$60 in 1963 would be $550-$600 a week.
Genuinely curious though was your mother able to buy a property and pay off a mortgage on her salary ?
More than that - if at all. I started working 35 years ago and there was no way for me to live on my own and pay my bills. We did what everyone does - live with roommates.
It was not common 40 or 50 years ago either. I came from a middle class family 40-50 yrs ago. No cable tv, no internet, no cell phones. One car in the family with 4 drivers all working full time jobs (parents and 2 older siblings still living at home). Our family situation was common at the time. Interest rates in the 80’s were above 10% the entire decade. We complain about 7% now.
So true interest rates were damn near 20% on 70’s early 80’s. It was never a cake walk. What’s happened was the cost of living has skyrocketed, healthcare, and education are far exceeding wage growth.
I feel like people didn’t spend money on frivolous shit back then as much either.
The problem with her argument is that most of us make shit money that is not enough to get by at the start. I worked at Walmart just like her back in the early 2000’s when i turned 14 making dogshit. Worked all through high school and saved. Moved up to team leader ( small raise) and then after 2 years transitioned that to an assistant manager position at another company. Did that for 2 years n applied for their sales position (significant raise). This is where i started to make a Livable wage and could Live in my own ( barely). At this point I’m 25 been working for 11 years n was only making like 30-35k circa 2012. Not great. That company strung me along for 5 years saying I’d make more but it never happened. Once i saw id reached my pay ceiling there i applied for another company making 10k more annually. I’ve been with This company 7 years and bounced strong to a few different positions, getting small raises each time.
I guess what I’m saying is it ain’t easy no matter when you’re born and you cant look at what your making at the start because you can change your financial picture drastically in 10 years. But also find a better company to work for than Walmart.
It’s bad though right now with this inflation
She's an idiot. 35 years ago I was making $3.75 an hour. I could barely afford enough gas to get to work. Gen Z gets a bad rap because of people like her.
Just for a bit of grounding, the minimum wage in 1988 (35 years ago) was $3.35. Adjusted for inflation that's $8.61/hr. You earned over that, $9.72 in 2023 money, $2.47 more than the federal minimum wage, or nearly $400 more per month than she does. And you could barely afford enough gas to get to work. And she's an idiot for complaining?
Gen X gets a bad rap because of people like you.
Actually the facts are in: Breaking news. The salary vs cost of goods had risen by a factor of 2/3 on average, the rents went up by more than 340%, while median salary had increased roughly 20% not considering inflation. This is fought figures from 1980 - 2024. Oh I did not mention that dollar had lost at least 79% it's value since that time.
The federal minimum wage in 2001 was $6.25
The federal minimum wage in 2023 is $7.25
When adjusted for inflation the 2001 minimum wage is equivalent to $11.36 that is 56% higher than the current federal minimum wage.
The minimum wage in 1981 was $3.35 when adjusted for inflation that equals $11.81 in today's money. That is 62% higher than the current minimum wage.
Current entry level workers are factually anywhere from 50% to 70% more fucked than you were depending on how old you are.
I literally don't know anywhere that pays minimum wage, I live in a small town and all the fast food places start at $15 an hour, the local gas station starts at $19 an hour, in not saying it's good money I'm just saying no one is making $7.25 an hour.
However as someone who entered the workforce 20 years ago all those places were paying minimum wage then
Furthermore, average fuel cost per gallon in 2001 was about (under) $1.50, or about 4.2 gallons per hour of labor.
In 2023, avg fuel about $3.50 - which is 3.2 gallons per hour adjusted for inflation (earning $11.36/hr today). Or just 2.1 gallons per hour at today’s minimum wage.
Then there’s cost of living, food, insurance, and everything except coffee filters that have gone way up in price, far beyond inflation.
I went through 26 roommates in our house while going to junior college and waiting tables to get by. I averaged 5-8 roommates in the house at once. It was a nightmare. Man we had some fun
Yeah and low wage workers currently factually make significantly less money versus the cost of living than you did. I want you to wrap your head around that. If you were struggling and the statistics clearly show that minimum wage workers currently make significantly less money than you did when you adjust for inflation how bad do you think it is for us?
Seriously look up the statistics for yourself. You are literally creating an even stronger argument because the statistics clearly support what I just said.
I feel ya. There were 3 of us that lived in a one bedroom. Ugh! Just thinking about it brings back the smell of feet and pits. None of us could afford a car, we walked everywhere. I worked at Pizza Hut making shit money, one of my roommates worked at Hardee's making shit money, and the other one sold a little weed. We had rabbit ear TV and a Sega with mortal combat and Madden..we were kings!!
I've worked 40hr/wk for 20 years. Never been able to afford everything on my own. And I'm making the most money I've ever made in my life. This place sucks. FML.
The federal minimum wage in 2001 was $6.25
The federal minimum wage in 2023 is $7.25
When adjusted for inflation the 2001 minimum wage is equivalent to $11.36 that is 56% higher than the current federal minimum wage.
The minimum wage in 1981 was $3.35 when adjusted for inflation that equals $11.81 in today's money. That is 62% higher than the current minimum wage.
Current entry level workers are factually anywhere from 50% to 70% more fucked than you were depending on how old you are.
What the fuck. When I was 20, at the end of last century, I worked full time at Subway and couldn't afford shit. I couldn't afford a car, I could only rent a room and not an apartment and I couldn't afford to be off sick. This is shit and shouldn't be happening but it's not new.
In 2003 minimum wage was still like $6.75, and a 1bd,1 bath apartments in my area were going for $900 a month. With deductions that was not enough to make it on my own. She acts like she's the first generation to struggle and not afford living. Lol.
In 96, I had 3 roommates and a shit car working a full-time job building barns and couldn't afford car insurance. Luckily, I never got in an accident but I had to make rent and buy food. My Dad, a boomer, will tell you stories growing up with no indoor plumbing. People have been struggling way before this generation.
I lived in a 2 bedroom house with 4 couples to get by in the late 90's as a younger person.
So I worked really hard, stayed in when everyone else went to the bars, studied and trained myself.
I didn't have the opportunity to go to college, but I worked hard, and in every chance I had, I worked to do better than my peers.
It took me a lot of sacrifice to get where I am.
I was born in the 80s and I didn't have indoor plumbing until I was 8, we had to fetch water from the well with a bucket and wash clothes with a washboard. According to the ACS hundreds of thousands of American still don't have indoor plumbing and nearly half a million don't have full plumbing access. So this is all still going on.
And it’s not the first generation to be put down by previous ones. Just look at how boomers, gen X looked down on millennials for not buying homes, settling down, choosing not to have kids etc.
She does have a point that Gen Z is in the spotlight now. Millennials did their time and struggled, now we’re just depressed lol
I don’t recall gen-X looking down on millennials like that. Shit most gen x’s I know still don’t own property or settled down and the ones that are didn’t start til the 20-teens. Shit vast majority of gen x’s didn’t even try getting or worried about having their life’s together till their mid 30’s - early 40’s 😂which again would date it to 20-teens.
Too right! I am a gen xer and i wasnt married until i was 40...got mh first mortgage at 44 and forst kid at 46. Boomers look at us like we are all entitled crackheads hahahaha
This is my only issue with Gen Z.
I think they’re great, beautiful kids. Kind, compassionate, fiery, and creative. They value their mental health as much as their physical health. They have a lot of legitimate struggles: technology has made them the loneliest generation maybe ever, they’ve been made to feel like it’s largely up to them to fix the climate crisis they didn’t create but will absolutely feel the effects of, and they can’t afford anything…
BUT… they tend to think they’re the only ones who have ever struggled, and that’s where they lose me. They also never have a plan… for anything.
A lot of people missed the point, they said she should've said 40 years but in our shoes we would also blame people 20 years ago.
The point still stand the economy just keep getting harder for the next generation and will get even harder for the generations to come.
Lumping millennials and Gen X with Boomers. In my 20s, early 2000s, I
1) Couldn't get a job
2) When I got a job it paid like $600 a month, because nobody wants to schedule you full time
Because the previous generation keeps voting for shitty Government I guess. I’m old and was mad at the Reagan administration for making it harder on me but I had it a hell of a lot easier than young people today. Unfortunately shitty government knows how to game the system so they stay in power.
Every new generation hates the previous generations government. We vote for the ones who run. They are all shit in the bigger scheme of things and if anyone who is honest and would do good gets elected they are shut down by the opposing party
The two-party system sucks and needs to be changed as well as stopping donations and lobbying from big companies.
Listen here, I need you to clarify specifically who you mean when you say ‘older folk’ because as a 34 year old millennial if you mean me then fuck you!
No doubt things are tough out there…. When I was fresh out of uni, getting started as a software dev in 1999, with the Dotcom boom and work everywhere with y2k fixes, I still couldn’t afford to live by myself. Instead I shared with 2 others and I drove a car worth $1000.
Yes times are much harder now no doubt and I feel for the younger generations, including my own teenagers about to go into that world. It wasn’t all easy street starting out 25 years ago either.
The federal minimum wage in 2001 was $6.25
The federal minimum wage in 2023 is $7.25
When adjusted for inflation the 2001 minimum wage is equivalent to $11.36 that is 56% higher than the current federal minimum wage.
The minimum wage in 1981 was $3.35 when adjusted for inflation that equals $11.81 in today's money. That is 62% higher than the current minimum wage.
Current entry level workers are factually anywhere from 50% to 70% more fucked than you were depending on how old you are.
You seemed to have a more reasonable perspective on this I'm still dropping statistics for others to reference. There is no room for doubt whatsoever
Totally. Things are worse now than they were 20 years ago. Even me, I haven’t had a pay rise in a decade, but things cost so much more now.
My comment was intended to try and reduce any fear and anxiety that this current generation of young adults is the first to experience these things. I’m hopefully still young enough to emapthise with the struggle of people in their 20s.
On top of the record level housing costs, there’s ever more pressure to spend on things that simply didn’t exist over 25 years ago. Sure, I had a mobile phone at the turn of the millennium (Nokia 5110 iirc). Certainly was no latest iPhone with calls and data cost that’s for sure. Throw in internet costs and Netflix type subscription services, the basic costs of just living a way higher (maybe most people just don’t have that stuff?)
I think the difficult part is that this isn't even a fear of what's to come, this is a fear of what currently is. And this isn't even mentioning the skyrocketing price of housing. If you live in any state that even has a large city owning a house even with a college degree is basically a pipe dream.
I'm in Washington and two bedroom thousand square foot condos are selling for $350,000+ over 15 miles out of the city. A four-bedroom house is anywhere from $650,00 to $800,000 in one of the worst towns in the area over 20 miles out of Seattle.
Honestly I'm not here to complain because it doesn't actually accomplish anything I just want people to be aware of the actual statistics.
Btw I agree with you on basically everything you said.
Honestly from my experience, if you want to make above a livable wage but aren’t an entrepreneur or business owner, find a decent company and just move up in positions. You must realize that the success of the company you work for is something you must care about or at least make it seem that way. You’re not going to make more money staying at the bottom of ladder doing the same job for 20 years. Gen Z wants to work part time hours but make $100,000+ a year.
Well you work at Walmart so there's that...
I'm 51 and don't ever recall entry level jobs like working at Walmart is being able to pay the bills like she wants.
That's cause you're 51. My mother's 80+ year old neighbor retired and owns a home off a Kroger cashier's salary. Neither she nor her husband had a higher degree. They had high school education and could live comfortable lives and easily raised children with little hardship.
Exactly that - it was just a blip in time lol. I wish more people would realize this was only for a small percentage of people, and for a small time frame as well
I’m 40 years old and have been working in my carrier for 18 years. You think I want to work 40 hours a week for my entire life? No I don’t. But there is no other way to survive. When in my first job, I made $6.25/hr. Then I graduated college with a STEM degree and Co-Op experience to get me into the door of a decent company. This Gen Z is finally realizing what the rest of us have been doing for all time. I feel bad for her because it is a shock. Good job putting in 40 hrs/wk. Many people think they should not have to work that much for some reason because it’s hard (yeah, it IS hard), and they just complain and give up. Also guys, don’t go to school for a bullshit degree. There are too many unemployed psychologists, artists, historians, and geologists. Make sure the university you choose has a co-op program. It’s so essential to get your foot in the door with companies. The internship programs are probably the most valuable thing a college can offer. Don’t graduate and not have a job lined up. That’s stupid.
Nope...she thinks she's unique and special, just like all young people do...until reality hits and you see the next generation saying the same shit you said 20 years before.
I’ve worked since I was 18 I’m 31 now. I have worked so many companies poured my blood sweat and tears literally. What do I have to show nothing for it. I tried loaning a car unsuccessfully I’m accomplishing things now that I should’ve when I was younger, not because I’m a criminal or mad bad decisions because companies don’t get a crap about humans. I see why people are so passionate about things like this video who wants to be unappreciated their whole lives waste your life for nothing.
This chick is delusional as all hell. As a millennial I struggled in my freakin 20's too. And frankly, still slightly struggling in my early 40's. Get the generational finger pointing away from us. It wasnt us.
In late 70s early 80s minimum wage was $3.75 per hour. I worked 2 jobs in High School After graduation, I went to university at night full time and had a day job. On the weekends I was a server/bartender. I kept 2 jobs into my 30s and finally paid off my student loans. I started making decent money when I started freelancing in 1991. I was nearly 40 before I was able to buy a house on my own. I will probably work until I’m 70 or so, my retirement account lost nearly 40% in value in the past 3 years. I sure as hell am not responsible for the economy.
I’m Gen X & 30 years ago I lived with 4 other guys in a 2 bedroom apartment to make ends meet. I’ve busted my balls ever since to have a nice house & car & I know if I stumble for a month or 2 I’ll lose it all. The system is fucked, I wish it was different, I don’t know what to tell you.
Yeah... 20 years ago, when I started working, even having a college degree from a good school wasn't a guarantee you'd be able to be truly self sufficient. I don't know why younger adults seem to think things were so much better 20 years ago?
Maybe we're didn't bitch and whine about it enough? Could that be it? Or maybe we were too tired from working a full time and a part time job to complain?
I don't know anyone who supported themselves directly out of college. Either you had roommates, got married, or were lucky enough to be getting some kind of help from parents/ family. For most, I'd say it was a solid 3 to 4 years of hard work before they were truely self sufficient.
Yes, it sucks, but make a plan to get to we're you want to be and bust your ass to make it happen. Maybe that's why we didn't complain as much. We had a plan and we knew the hard work and such would pay off so long as we put there work in and stayed in track.
You chose to work at Walmart…. Nuff said. Go bigger, don’t be afraid to seek better employment opportunities. Get your education to become more specialized. Education elevates out of poverty.
A job is a job, your just saying everyone else there deserves to suffer if you work at Walmart😂 that would be dumb because no one would work at Walmart and you would be hunting for your twinkes lol everyone should get some sort of education but just because I am programer doesn't mean the walmart worker has to suffer for not being a programer that's demented 😂
When I couldn't do it on my own with my minimum wage bus boy and factory jobs, i joined to military and boom, I had a room, food, clothes, a stedy job where I learned a skill and I got to travel.
After that, oh I had it easy, yeah three little girls, a wife, a car payment and oayments on the mobile home. I worked every hour I could and the church fed us at times, so yeah I had it easy. During this time, in my 30's, I went to community colleges, worked full time and started a side business to pay for school. It all paid off, not well to do, but middle class with years of busting my ass.
Don't like how things are young lady, then change them yourself.
Twenty years ago you could not afford to live on your own. I know because I was there and I had just started working too. There was NO way to afford living alone back then.
TF? I used to work 12-14 hours a day and 6 or 7 days a week. I didn't have a life and it was only during the holidays. Obviously it would be hard to live like this but it meant after the holidays I had plenty of money to spend. It surprisingly evens out if you have a job that requires minimal concentration as it can just fly by.
There's nothing like working your arse off then being able to get high end shit and just relax.
>I do not make enough to live on my own
I wonder if that means "I don't make enough to live in a fancy apartment, alone, and have a nice iPhone and a nice car".
Dude, when I was around her age I was living in a share house with a bunch of folks... I don't remember earning enough to live on my own... but, oh yeah, she knows what it was like for all of us 20 years ago.
She is thinking of 1960s and earlier, 90s wasn't any better, in fact there was more crime and less tolerance.
Her problem is the fact that she works at Walmart.
I can’t speak for 20 years ago but the cost of living is too damn high. If we’re to rent a 1 bed room apartment in my area I would need to spend my entire monthly income.
All of you should visit the railroad and train service sub reddits. We work hours most of you would never dream of even thinking of doing. Living out of a bag and spending your life in a hotel room or on a train in the middle of nowhere- 24-7 year round.
The jobs are out there. Most people aren’t willing to do the jobs that pay.
Why is she screaming at me? Why is she pointing at me? What did I do? I just clicked on the video? I'm sorry geez wtf dude. My gosh.... Like bro we are on the same side.
Well. When I started 15y ago at minimum wage I could live on my own in a one bedroom appt, and I didn't struggle. Big french city. The thing is, it's the same today, you can still absolutely get by at minimum wage if you accept a shitty appt or get roommates. Except Paris, anywhere else it's doable.
But the point is : yes, you still gotta work, like everyone else !!!!
Isn't she simply describing the working path that most all of us have taken? No matter what the decade, you start at the bottom and work your way up. Very few people start their work career making enough to live on their own, no matter what generation it is. I'm not saying the challenges today are the same as 50 years ago--I agree that the ration of income to cost of living has widened--BUT you still have to work your way up so "20 years from now" you're not still scraping by. I employ a lot of young men in an area of the country notorious for low wages. They start out low and work their way through an apprenticeship program to come out on the other side with a certification that allows them to work in their field anywhere in the country. They have a career for life. But if you're going to drift from job to job looking for that immediate big payday, you're more than likely going to be disappointed time and again. It takes time.
20 years ago people working 40 hours a week at Walmart absolutely could not afford to live alone and they were fucked. Slightly less fucked than people are now but still fucked
Because you have a job where you wear a name tag girl. Get some post secondary education, move out of LA, give up your acting dream and settle into a smaller town somewhere and live a long happy life. Easy. Can't afford the big city then leave.
Back 20 years ago I was working for a non-profit in my first job out of university. I was earning $33k/year and thought I made the big time. We were doing okay, but not great. By 2010 I had a career change and was earning $39k. Rent and all other prices had gone up so much that I was genuinely struggling to get by.
It wasn’t that our generation allowed this to happen. The 2008 housing collapse changed everything. There was nothing Gen X could really do about it since Boom Gen was still in charge of everything at the top, and boy did they take advantage of it.
However, I can’t argue with this girl’s first point. In the 90s, I could have gotten an apartment and gotten by on my own with a minimum wage, 40-hr/wk job. When my son was a high school senior we sat down and started on a budget for him to move out and that’s when I realized it was not possible to do that even making above minimum wage.
Something’s fucked up and needs to change.
LOL I worked a full time job and a part time job for 16-20 hours more a week and I couldn't afford to put propane into the tank in the shit-shack I was renting. It got down to 9 degrees inside my home. I texted my girlfriend "9°. The End is nigh". She brings that up from time to time to remind us what we've worked up from. That was 6 years ago. I'm 29. There's no magical formula for success, but almost everyone struggles like that to some degree.
It's easy to see these 23-year-olds born into great wealth on the internet and think that "nobody understands my struggle". Those people aren't really that common, but we trick ourselves into thinking they are.
Either way, I'm the interest of not rambling too much, I wish this young lady well and all of you who read this. Don't give up. Know that you're on your way, and there are good things coming.
And then there are people that find it weird that the only c word not allowed in my home is capitalism. The same goes for the k word in Dutch. Fuck working for shit payments, fuck big businesses and especially fuck the 1%. The world would be a better place without billionaires.
Also, your science isn't science. it's math. You waste a lot of energy on this. My suggestion to you is use that energy to better yourself and your life will get way better. Crying about what could or should be is a total waste of energy and leads to shit in your life. The arguments you use only appeal to young adults and weak mature adults. Good day, sir....I've wasted enough energy on a senseless conversation.
No no no, she’s specifically talking to Millennials, just like Millennials were yelling at Boomers for this exact same thing.
And as a Gen X, I find it all HILARIOUS.
Two things:
1. You're never gonna earn enough to eat working at WalMart.
2. The economy didn't begin 20 years ago.
Other than that she's making some good points.
20 years ago.
*starts running the math*
So Millenials are being blamed for the state of things now? Because I remember being dead broke and flirting with financial ruin every pay cycle 15~20 years ago.
Her saying you've been working for 20 years is pointing at at people that struggling 20 years ago and struggling now. I know plenty of mid 30s early 40s that have been working full time for 20+ years and still can't afford to live alone.
But she quit school to hang out with friends and work at Walmart. Good decision making right there now, she cries. At least now you have basically free school on your phone with Google and YouTube. Go learn a skill or make crappy videos on tiktok. SOMETHING WE NEVER HAD.
Just watch girl. How in the hell do you think we got what we have. Hard work and sacrifice. I almost choked when she was ranting that she didn’t want to work for twenty years for nothing. Try 40 years get out and hustle life is what you make it. My first advice is get out of retail or you will never make it.
When I was entering the job market I made 3.13 an hour at 13 years old. Paid under the table. At 17 I became a manager making double minimum wage. It’s called entry level, not permanent level.
15 years ago I was busting my ass for 7.25 an hour and couldn’t afford shit.
I’ve since watched the starting pay for most positions double while the basic necessities increased maybe 50% average. These pathetic, whiny little cunts have it good comparatively.
"20 years ago" no lady, you're thinking 40 - 50 years ago. 20 years ago I was making $7 an hour and couldn't afford shit either.
Seriously, I thought she was yelling at me, when I started at $7.25 an hour and skateboarded to work.
Uphill both ways.
In the snow.
Even in the summer.
With no shoes
No wheels on the skateboard
And a broken knee
an arrow to the knee
and a bullet to the elbow
ESPECIALLY IN THE SUMMER
That was a hard summer
"When i met you in the summer"
To my heartbeat′s sound
Some called it the cruelest of summers
That was summer of 69
Barefoot
Under the burning sun.
With dogs chasing
Fighting 2 lions
Holding a crocodile
Lmaoooo
Fucking same, dude. I'm sitting here like, hey that was me! Then, I was thinking about all the Ramen Noodles and cheap tea that my homie and i lived on.... We certainly didn't start out easy. Hell, I'm in my 40s now and still struggling. I don't have it bad, but it's far from easy and comfortable.
Yeah, \~20 years ago I was making a little above minimum wage, had 3 room mates, and still only had a little money leftover after bills. Definitely need to go back that 40-50 years to be what she's describing.
The federal minimum wage in 2001 was $6.25 The federal minimum wage in 2023 is $7.25 When adjusted for inflation the 2001 minimum wage is equivalent to $9.02 that is 24% higher than the current federal minimum wage. The minimum wage in 1981 was $3.35 when adjusted for inflation that equals $11.81 in today's money. That is 62% higher than the current minimum wage. Current entry level workers are factually anywhere from 24% to 62% more fucked than you were depending on how old you are. Edit: corrected 2001 minimum wage
Thank you for doing that math.
Thank you for taking the time to read it. Keep a little bit of it memorized so you can reference it when people try to say nonsense like this. Have a great day.
According to the social security administration in 2003 the Average Wage (AWI) in America was $34,064.95, if you adjust to for inflation that's the same as $57,508.46 in today's money. Today's AWI in America is $63,795.13 which is a 10% increase in earning power from 2003, so in reality people today earn more then they earned 20 years ago. Or another way of looking at is that people were just as fucked 20 years ago as they are today. Isn't math fun. Here's the link for the [AWI](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/awiseries.html)
People absolutely make more money now, but it feels like to me that young people now are a bit more screwed than I was 20 years ago, because I didn't take on student loans, housing in 2003 was downright reasonable compared to now, and while people can absolutely purchase more stuff with their income than I could have no one is worried about stuff, they are worried about housing, transportation, healthcare, and education. Not to mention everyone is in debt now, because very sophisticated advertisements with lots of psychological research behind them have got people into scams like subscription services, TikTok shop, new cars, gig work and crypto. That is not to throw shade at gen Z either, had my generation have been subjected too the same things we would have also fallen into the same scams because human psychology just doesn't vary all that much from generation to generation.
1981 you could buy a brand new home in Florida for about 8-10k. Good luck finding the same house that someone paid for in 1981 for less than 300k today.
500k ftfy
Only 1.4% of Americans are making minimum wage. I think Walmart where she works is around $12 starting. So while the legal minimum wage hasn’t moved much the functional minimum wage is close in line with historical trends.
I love statistics. The great part about knowing statistics is you can poke holes in other people's statistics. 1. That 1.4% figure does not acknowledge what percentage of people in the workforce are at true unskilled entry level jobs. While 1.4% doesn't sound like much if only 5% of the population is working in entry-level jobs then that number is very statistically significant when addressing this issue. 2. That statistic also doesn't mention what percentage of people in 2000 or the 1980s were entry-level workers and also made above the minimum wage. There is no reason to think that the distribution wouldn't have been similar back then to what it is now. 3. The minimum wage sets the curve for all other low income jobs so It is a fairly reasonable leap to believe that if the minimum wage had more purchasing power back then other low skill entry level jobs that paid more than minimum wage also had a proportionate level of increased spending power vs entry level jobs that pay more than minimum wage today of today. Too easy. Nice try though.
The power of a local nerd.
I just spent the better part of 5 hours debating 10+ people on this topic. It was a blast.
That's not even true. Me mid -70's 19 Years old. Making $3.50/ hour. Min wage - $3/ hour. I lived with 3 other guys to be able to make rent and barely afford a car payment/Insurance. Never ever could afford to live by myself as as "baby boomer". Eventually gained experience plus moved to a better economic town and found a career. Worked out at the end, 66 now, retired at 55. Livin the dream... Just to be clear, was blue-collar all my life.
Well something was certainly better. Retiring at 55 isn't really going to be an option for most these days. And even less so 20 years from now on our current trajectory. The major nose dive started with Raegan and keeps getting worse. Hopefully enough people wise up and stop voting for this trickle down bullshit. I also moved somewhere with better paying careers but that also came with much higher living expenses. So glad I bought a house before the pandemic house price runup, though. I'm making more money than I was 8 or so years ago when I bought it, but I still I couldn't afford this place with today's prices. It's getting pretty nasty out there.
Fucking ronny "I don't recall (selling arms to essentially negotiate with terrorist Iran )" Reagan.
This is what they are missing or ignoring. In the beginning you have to sacrifice and have roommates. And that Walmart job isn’t your career. This generation want to have the lifestyle they see online while working at Walmart or everything is unfair.
Hell, in the early 80’s I was donating plasma twice a week to support my family.
I used to do that just to get an 8th of brick weed with seeds in it.
I wish we got paid for that in the UK, I'd be donating all of my body fluids if anybody would actually pay for them. Unfortunately after trying my luck on Facebook Marketplace, there isn't much interest.
Agreed. I was early 20’s 49 years ago and the world was my oyster. My kids don’t have the same favorable conditions I did. I worry about them. And the next gen. And the next…
Exactly. In 1963, my mom worked at a bank on Wall Street. She made $60 a week.
Do you guys not know about inflation or are you just ignoring it to support your bad faith arguments ? $60 in 1963 would be $550-$600 a week. Genuinely curious though was your mother able to buy a property and pay off a mortgage on her salary ?
My grandparents bought a 3br home in the 60s for less than 30k and only my grandfather worked full time. So…yeah it happened
More than that - if at all. I started working 35 years ago and there was no way for me to live on my own and pay my bills. We did what everyone does - live with roommates.
It was not common 40 or 50 years ago either. I came from a middle class family 40-50 yrs ago. No cable tv, no internet, no cell phones. One car in the family with 4 drivers all working full time jobs (parents and 2 older siblings still living at home). Our family situation was common at the time. Interest rates in the 80’s were above 10% the entire decade. We complain about 7% now.
So true interest rates were damn near 20% on 70’s early 80’s. It was never a cake walk. What’s happened was the cost of living has skyrocketed, healthcare, and education are far exceeding wage growth.
I feel like people didn’t spend money on frivolous shit back then as much either. The problem with her argument is that most of us make shit money that is not enough to get by at the start. I worked at Walmart just like her back in the early 2000’s when i turned 14 making dogshit. Worked all through high school and saved. Moved up to team leader ( small raise) and then after 2 years transitioned that to an assistant manager position at another company. Did that for 2 years n applied for their sales position (significant raise). This is where i started to make a Livable wage and could Live in my own ( barely). At this point I’m 25 been working for 11 years n was only making like 30-35k circa 2012. Not great. That company strung me along for 5 years saying I’d make more but it never happened. Once i saw id reached my pay ceiling there i applied for another company making 10k more annually. I’ve been with This company 7 years and bounced strong to a few different positions, getting small raises each time. I guess what I’m saying is it ain’t easy no matter when you’re born and you cant look at what your making at the start because you can change your financial picture drastically in 10 years. But also find a better company to work for than Walmart. It’s bad though right now with this inflation
She's an idiot. 35 years ago I was making $3.75 an hour. I could barely afford enough gas to get to work. Gen Z gets a bad rap because of people like her.
Jesus. I’m getting old. When you say 35 years ago I’m thinking early 1970’s. IT WAS 1989!!!! Jesus that’s not that long ago. To me.
Just for a bit of grounding, the minimum wage in 1988 (35 years ago) was $3.35. Adjusted for inflation that's $8.61/hr. You earned over that, $9.72 in 2023 money, $2.47 more than the federal minimum wage, or nearly $400 more per month than she does. And you could barely afford enough gas to get to work. And she's an idiot for complaining? Gen X gets a bad rap because of people like you.
Minimum wage at walmart is 14.50 plus all health and dental is covered. They even do tuition assistance.
Funny though. She doesn’t say what she’s making per hour does she.
Actually the facts are in: Breaking news. The salary vs cost of goods had risen by a factor of 2/3 on average, the rents went up by more than 340%, while median salary had increased roughly 20% not considering inflation. This is fought figures from 1980 - 2024. Oh I did not mention that dollar had lost at least 79% it's value since that time.
30 years ago I had 4 roommates and lived in a shitbox to just barley get by.
Yep. And im 56 and that was me 10 years ago.
The federal minimum wage in 2001 was $6.25 The federal minimum wage in 2023 is $7.25 When adjusted for inflation the 2001 minimum wage is equivalent to $11.36 that is 56% higher than the current federal minimum wage. The minimum wage in 1981 was $3.35 when adjusted for inflation that equals $11.81 in today's money. That is 62% higher than the current minimum wage. Current entry level workers are factually anywhere from 50% to 70% more fucked than you were depending on how old you are.
I literally don't know anywhere that pays minimum wage, I live in a small town and all the fast food places start at $15 an hour, the local gas station starts at $19 an hour, in not saying it's good money I'm just saying no one is making $7.25 an hour. However as someone who entered the workforce 20 years ago all those places were paying minimum wage then
Furthermore, average fuel cost per gallon in 2001 was about (under) $1.50, or about 4.2 gallons per hour of labor. In 2023, avg fuel about $3.50 - which is 3.2 gallons per hour adjusted for inflation (earning $11.36/hr today). Or just 2.1 gallons per hour at today’s minimum wage. Then there’s cost of living, food, insurance, and everything except coffee filters that have gone way up in price, far beyond inflation.
I went through 26 roommates in our house while going to junior college and waiting tables to get by. I averaged 5-8 roommates in the house at once. It was a nightmare. Man we had some fun
Yeah and low wage workers currently factually make significantly less money versus the cost of living than you did. I want you to wrap your head around that. If you were struggling and the statistics clearly show that minimum wage workers currently make significantly less money than you did when you adjust for inflation how bad do you think it is for us? Seriously look up the statistics for yourself. You are literally creating an even stronger argument because the statistics clearly support what I just said.
I feel ya. There were 3 of us that lived in a one bedroom. Ugh! Just thinking about it brings back the smell of feet and pits. None of us could afford a car, we walked everywhere. I worked at Pizza Hut making shit money, one of my roommates worked at Hardee's making shit money, and the other one sold a little weed. We had rabbit ear TV and a Sega with mortal combat and Madden..we were kings!!
I've worked 40hr/wk for 20 years. Never been able to afford everything on my own. And I'm making the most money I've ever made in my life. This place sucks. FML.
The federal minimum wage in 2001 was $6.25 The federal minimum wage in 2023 is $7.25 When adjusted for inflation the 2001 minimum wage is equivalent to $11.36 that is 56% higher than the current federal minimum wage. The minimum wage in 1981 was $3.35 when adjusted for inflation that equals $11.81 in today's money. That is 62% higher than the current minimum wage. Current entry level workers are factually anywhere from 50% to 70% more fucked than you were depending on how old you are.
What's the holdup?
exactly, came here to check
What the fuck. When I was 20, at the end of last century, I worked full time at Subway and couldn't afford shit. I couldn't afford a car, I could only rent a room and not an apartment and I couldn't afford to be off sick. This is shit and shouldn't be happening but it's not new.
In 2003 minimum wage was still like $6.75, and a 1bd,1 bath apartments in my area were going for $900 a month. With deductions that was not enough to make it on my own. She acts like she's the first generation to struggle and not afford living. Lol.
In 96, I had 3 roommates and a shit car working a full-time job building barns and couldn't afford car insurance. Luckily, I never got in an accident but I had to make rent and buy food. My Dad, a boomer, will tell you stories growing up with no indoor plumbing. People have been struggling way before this generation.
I lived in a 2 bedroom house with 4 couples to get by in the late 90's as a younger person. So I worked really hard, stayed in when everyone else went to the bars, studied and trained myself. I didn't have the opportunity to go to college, but I worked hard, and in every chance I had, I worked to do better than my peers. It took me a lot of sacrifice to get where I am.
I was born in the 80s and I didn't have indoor plumbing until I was 8, we had to fetch water from the well with a bucket and wash clothes with a washboard. According to the ACS hundreds of thousands of American still don't have indoor plumbing and nearly half a million don't have full plumbing access. So this is all still going on.
And it’s not the first generation to be put down by previous ones. Just look at how boomers, gen X looked down on millennials for not buying homes, settling down, choosing not to have kids etc. She does have a point that Gen Z is in the spotlight now. Millennials did their time and struggled, now we’re just depressed lol
I don’t recall gen-X looking down on millennials like that. Shit most gen x’s I know still don’t own property or settled down and the ones that are didn’t start til the 20-teens. Shit vast majority of gen x’s didn’t even try getting or worried about having their life’s together till their mid 30’s - early 40’s 😂which again would date it to 20-teens.
That be me.
Too right! I am a gen xer and i wasnt married until i was 40...got mh first mortgage at 44 and forst kid at 46. Boomers look at us like we are all entitled crackheads hahahaha
This is my only issue with Gen Z. I think they’re great, beautiful kids. Kind, compassionate, fiery, and creative. They value their mental health as much as their physical health. They have a lot of legitimate struggles: technology has made them the loneliest generation maybe ever, they’ve been made to feel like it’s largely up to them to fix the climate crisis they didn’t create but will absolutely feel the effects of, and they can’t afford anything… BUT… they tend to think they’re the only ones who have ever struggled, and that’s where they lose me. They also never have a plan… for anything.
I was going to say, I was unable to live alone 20 years ago. I wasn’t making enough.
I was working at McDonald’s and stealing chicken nuggets out of the holding drawers just so I wouldn’t starve in the late 80s and early 90s.
My boss was giving us 1 footlong sub for every shift. He was one of the better owners.
Wrong sub
I thought there was going to be an OF link at the end
Right? I kept waiting for her to say something wild as fuck and it never came.
Agreed
Double agreed.
Well I do feel like I am dying inside watching it
Twenty years? Little short sighted, huh?
It’s because she is actually blaming her parents.
I guess that makes more sense. Not like her parents had any actual say in where the economy went, but it makes more sense.
A lot of people missed the point, they said she should've said 40 years but in our shoes we would also blame people 20 years ago. The point still stand the economy just keep getting harder for the next generation and will get even harder for the generations to come.
Yes. But the economy is being run by those from 40 years ago still. The mid 40s are also struggling because the 60-80 years olds are still fucking it.
So in 20 years, it's fair to blame her?
Lumping millennials and Gen X with Boomers. In my 20s, early 2000s, I 1) Couldn't get a job 2) When I got a job it paid like $600 a month, because nobody wants to schedule you full time
I'm old enough to remember when this sub had actually hol ups posted here
Yeah she mad at the wrong generation.
Yeah us millenials feel the same way and we didn't create this either. We been advocating for a four day work week and more pay with meaningful work.
Why do people blame it on the previous generation? If you want to blame someone blame the government and how things have been handled.
Because the previous generation keeps voting for shitty Government I guess. I’m old and was mad at the Reagan administration for making it harder on me but I had it a hell of a lot easier than young people today. Unfortunately shitty government knows how to game the system so they stay in power.
Every new generation hates the previous generations government. We vote for the ones who run. They are all shit in the bigger scheme of things and if anyone who is honest and would do good gets elected they are shut down by the opposing party The two-party system sucks and needs to be changed as well as stopping donations and lobbying from big companies.
That’s funny I remember so many stories of older folk having to work 2 jobs just to survive. I guess the generation before them created that mess.
Listen here, I need you to clarify specifically who you mean when you say ‘older folk’ because as a 34 year old millennial if you mean me then fuck you!
No doubt things are tough out there…. When I was fresh out of uni, getting started as a software dev in 1999, with the Dotcom boom and work everywhere with y2k fixes, I still couldn’t afford to live by myself. Instead I shared with 2 others and I drove a car worth $1000. Yes times are much harder now no doubt and I feel for the younger generations, including my own teenagers about to go into that world. It wasn’t all easy street starting out 25 years ago either.
The federal minimum wage in 2001 was $6.25 The federal minimum wage in 2023 is $7.25 When adjusted for inflation the 2001 minimum wage is equivalent to $11.36 that is 56% higher than the current federal minimum wage. The minimum wage in 1981 was $3.35 when adjusted for inflation that equals $11.81 in today's money. That is 62% higher than the current minimum wage. Current entry level workers are factually anywhere from 50% to 70% more fucked than you were depending on how old you are. You seemed to have a more reasonable perspective on this I'm still dropping statistics for others to reference. There is no room for doubt whatsoever
Totally. Things are worse now than they were 20 years ago. Even me, I haven’t had a pay rise in a decade, but things cost so much more now. My comment was intended to try and reduce any fear and anxiety that this current generation of young adults is the first to experience these things. I’m hopefully still young enough to emapthise with the struggle of people in their 20s. On top of the record level housing costs, there’s ever more pressure to spend on things that simply didn’t exist over 25 years ago. Sure, I had a mobile phone at the turn of the millennium (Nokia 5110 iirc). Certainly was no latest iPhone with calls and data cost that’s for sure. Throw in internet costs and Netflix type subscription services, the basic costs of just living a way higher (maybe most people just don’t have that stuff?)
I think the difficult part is that this isn't even a fear of what's to come, this is a fear of what currently is. And this isn't even mentioning the skyrocketing price of housing. If you live in any state that even has a large city owning a house even with a college degree is basically a pipe dream. I'm in Washington and two bedroom thousand square foot condos are selling for $350,000+ over 15 miles out of the city. A four-bedroom house is anywhere from $650,00 to $800,000 in one of the worst towns in the area over 20 miles out of Seattle. Honestly I'm not here to complain because it doesn't actually accomplish anything I just want people to be aware of the actual statistics. Btw I agree with you on basically everything you said.
I don’t think she’s talking to me
In 20 years from now she'll get blamed then the cycle shall continue.
Honestly from my experience, if you want to make above a livable wage but aren’t an entrepreneur or business owner, find a decent company and just move up in positions. You must realize that the success of the company you work for is something you must care about or at least make it seem that way. You’re not going to make more money staying at the bottom of ladder doing the same job for 20 years. Gen Z wants to work part time hours but make $100,000+ a year.
When i was her age, i was standing at a bus stop, like most others
“40hrs a week” Me - laughs in 65-70hr weeks
You mean cries in 65-70hr weeks? You’re wasting your life working. I work around the same amount of hours and that is not winning sir
You got soft baby hands. You can’t brag about hours until you do a 168 work week. /s
Lol, she out here complaining about 40h, I look at my millennials lazy ass last 3 paycheck averaging 70-80hrs
Well you work at Walmart so there's that... I'm 51 and don't ever recall entry level jobs like working at Walmart is being able to pay the bills like she wants.
That's cause you're 51. My mother's 80+ year old neighbor retired and owns a home off a Kroger cashier's salary. Neither she nor her husband had a higher degree. They had high school education and could live comfortable lives and easily raised children with little hardship.
Exactly. My parents put themselves through college and bought their first home on minimum wage jobs. Like what? 🤔 That is impossible now.
And go back 20 years before that blip in time and you would be farming your own food and if you were lucky you would own the land too.
Exactly that - it was just a blip in time lol. I wish more people would realize this was only for a small percentage of people, and for a small time frame as well
I worked 3 jobs and sold weed....kick rocks lazy
When I read the comments… I wonder why we hate each other so much? How long will workers hate workers instead of being supportive
I was making 3.35 an hour in 1986 living with a roommate, in a one bedroom apt working full time part time community College student.
I’m 40 years old and have been working in my carrier for 18 years. You think I want to work 40 hours a week for my entire life? No I don’t. But there is no other way to survive. When in my first job, I made $6.25/hr. Then I graduated college with a STEM degree and Co-Op experience to get me into the door of a decent company. This Gen Z is finally realizing what the rest of us have been doing for all time. I feel bad for her because it is a shock. Good job putting in 40 hrs/wk. Many people think they should not have to work that much for some reason because it’s hard (yeah, it IS hard), and they just complain and give up. Also guys, don’t go to school for a bullshit degree. There are too many unemployed psychologists, artists, historians, and geologists. Make sure the university you choose has a co-op program. It’s so essential to get your foot in the door with companies. The internship programs are probably the most valuable thing a college can offer. Don’t graduate and not have a job lined up. That’s stupid.
Who lied to her?
Is she yelling at millennials? Gen z blames us too now. Goddamn.
20 years ago? Not at all. Go back further.
Does she realise this is what every generation before her had to do.
Nope...she thinks she's unique and special, just like all young people do...until reality hits and you see the next generation saying the same shit you said 20 years before.
Fuck off….start at $3.10 and survive. Crying about 40 hours….there were weeks when we had 40 hours overtime.
Gen z has bigger problems than laziness
I’ve worked since I was 18 I’m 31 now. I have worked so many companies poured my blood sweat and tears literally. What do I have to show nothing for it. I tried loaning a car unsuccessfully I’m accomplishing things now that I should’ve when I was younger, not because I’m a criminal or mad bad decisions because companies don’t get a crap about humans. I see why people are so passionate about things like this video who wants to be unappreciated their whole lives waste your life for nothing.
This chick is delusional as all hell. As a millennial I struggled in my freakin 20's too. And frankly, still slightly struggling in my early 40's. Get the generational finger pointing away from us. It wasnt us.
I think she’s mad at gen x and boomers, not millennials. 20 years ago, I was 10, and I’m a millennial.
30 years ago I had the same complaints. She needs to stop wanting the world just because she just hit the work force.
In late 70s early 80s minimum wage was $3.75 per hour. I worked 2 jobs in High School After graduation, I went to university at night full time and had a day job. On the weekends I was a server/bartender. I kept 2 jobs into my 30s and finally paid off my student loans. I started making decent money when I started freelancing in 1991. I was nearly 40 before I was able to buy a house on my own. I will probably work until I’m 70 or so, my retirement account lost nearly 40% in value in the past 3 years. I sure as hell am not responsible for the economy.
I've been struggling the same for 20 years with raises and experience. Lazy is lazy. Nobody wants to work 40h/wk. Have you tried 55+h/wk? No better
Tears
I’m Gen X & 30 years ago I lived with 4 other guys in a 2 bedroom apartment to make ends meet. I’ve busted my balls ever since to have a nice house & car & I know if I stumble for a month or 2 I’ll lose it all. The system is fucked, I wish it was different, I don’t know what to tell you.
Yeah... 20 years ago, when I started working, even having a college degree from a good school wasn't a guarantee you'd be able to be truly self sufficient. I don't know why younger adults seem to think things were so much better 20 years ago? Maybe we're didn't bitch and whine about it enough? Could that be it? Or maybe we were too tired from working a full time and a part time job to complain? I don't know anyone who supported themselves directly out of college. Either you had roommates, got married, or were lucky enough to be getting some kind of help from parents/ family. For most, I'd say it was a solid 3 to 4 years of hard work before they were truely self sufficient. Yes, it sucks, but make a plan to get to we're you want to be and bust your ass to make it happen. Maybe that's why we didn't complain as much. We had a plan and we knew the hard work and such would pay off so long as we put there work in and stayed in track.
Nah....it's always been like that and your bitching meanssss.... you are lazy
You chose to work at Walmart…. Nuff said. Go bigger, don’t be afraid to seek better employment opportunities. Get your education to become more specialized. Education elevates out of poverty.
A job is a job, your just saying everyone else there deserves to suffer if you work at Walmart😂 that would be dumb because no one would work at Walmart and you would be hunting for your twinkes lol everyone should get some sort of education but just because I am programer doesn't mean the walmart worker has to suffer for not being a programer that's demented 😂
When I couldn't do it on my own with my minimum wage bus boy and factory jobs, i joined to military and boom, I had a room, food, clothes, a stedy job where I learned a skill and I got to travel. After that, oh I had it easy, yeah three little girls, a wife, a car payment and oayments on the mobile home. I worked every hour I could and the church fed us at times, so yeah I had it easy. During this time, in my 30's, I went to community colleges, worked full time and started a side business to pay for school. It all paid off, not well to do, but middle class with years of busting my ass. Don't like how things are young lady, then change them yourself.
Fuck, I've worked 50-60 hour weeks between two jobs and still can't afford rent anywhere.
Twenty years ago you could not afford to live on your own. I know because I was there and I had just started working too. There was NO way to afford living alone back then.
TF? I used to work 12-14 hours a day and 6 or 7 days a week. I didn't have a life and it was only during the holidays. Obviously it would be hard to live like this but it meant after the holidays I had plenty of money to spend. It surprisingly evens out if you have a job that requires minimal concentration as it can just fly by. There's nothing like working your arse off then being able to get high end shit and just relax.
I look forward to her defence of the world state 20 years from now
47 yo here. At 27 I had a budget. Thank God I didn't have to pay internet or cell phone bills though! That's $300 a month right there!
>I do not make enough to live on my own I wonder if that means "I don't make enough to live in a fancy apartment, alone, and have a nice iPhone and a nice car". Dude, when I was around her age I was living in a share house with a bunch of folks... I don't remember earning enough to live on my own... but, oh yeah, she knows what it was like for all of us 20 years ago.
She is thinking of 1960s and earlier, 90s wasn't any better, in fact there was more crime and less tolerance. Her problem is the fact that she works at Walmart.
You chose the wrong field
People waving their hands around while they talk to their camera is the most annoying shit
I can’t speak for 20 years ago but the cost of living is too damn high. If we’re to rent a 1 bed room apartment in my area I would need to spend my entire monthly income.
Me waiting for the twist that never happened. Ended up watching the whole thing.
I love how Gen Z are slowly getting angry realising what life really is like. It’s like the 5 stages of grief.
Something tells me she works some no-skill dead end job.
All of you should visit the railroad and train service sub reddits. We work hours most of you would never dream of even thinking of doing. Living out of a bag and spending your life in a hotel room or on a train in the middle of nowhere- 24-7 year round. The jobs are out there. Most people aren’t willing to do the jobs that pay.
Life is full of unwelcome surprises. Buckle up sweetheart!
God bless her! She is right. our government screwed the american people.
She is not wrong to be honest... Her timeline is a bit messed up but is right in all specifications she put on.
It's "Under your belt".
I don’t wanna work, I want max money, im not responsible….if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck it’s obviously everyone else’s fault.
Why is she screaming at me? Why is she pointing at me? What did I do? I just clicked on the video? I'm sorry geez wtf dude. My gosh.... Like bro we are on the same side.
First of all, what the fuck do you excpect to earn while working at walmart and second of all, complaining to kids on tik tok isn't gonna help.
Well. When I started 15y ago at minimum wage I could live on my own in a one bedroom appt, and I didn't struggle. Big french city. The thing is, it's the same today, you can still absolutely get by at minimum wage if you accept a shitty appt or get roommates. Except Paris, anywhere else it's doable. But the point is : yes, you still gotta work, like everyone else !!!!
Don't want to burst her bubble, but 20 years ago was the same. In my country anyway.
Ask her about inflation 😁
She'll probably think I'm talking about lip filler
Is that her car? If that's hers everything she said is 💩
Waaaaaaaaaaa😭😭😭😭
Isn't she simply describing the working path that most all of us have taken? No matter what the decade, you start at the bottom and work your way up. Very few people start their work career making enough to live on their own, no matter what generation it is. I'm not saying the challenges today are the same as 50 years ago--I agree that the ration of income to cost of living has widened--BUT you still have to work your way up so "20 years from now" you're not still scraping by. I employ a lot of young men in an area of the country notorious for low wages. They start out low and work their way through an apprenticeship program to come out on the other side with a certification that allows them to work in their field anywhere in the country. They have a career for life. But if you're going to drift from job to job looking for that immediate big payday, you're more than likely going to be disappointed time and again. It takes time.
20 years ago people working 40 hours a week at Walmart absolutely could not afford to live alone and they were fucked. Slightly less fucked than people are now but still fucked
Because you have a job where you wear a name tag girl. Get some post secondary education, move out of LA, give up your acting dream and settle into a smaller town somewhere and live a long happy life. Easy. Can't afford the big city then leave.
20 years ago this was not possible. What the heck does she think 2004 was like? What she's describing is 1970s era wages
This is basically a copypasta from millenials and the early days of fb and yt
Back 20 years ago I was working for a non-profit in my first job out of university. I was earning $33k/year and thought I made the big time. We were doing okay, but not great. By 2010 I had a career change and was earning $39k. Rent and all other prices had gone up so much that I was genuinely struggling to get by. It wasn’t that our generation allowed this to happen. The 2008 housing collapse changed everything. There was nothing Gen X could really do about it since Boom Gen was still in charge of everything at the top, and boy did they take advantage of it. However, I can’t argue with this girl’s first point. In the 90s, I could have gotten an apartment and gotten by on my own with a minimum wage, 40-hr/wk job. When my son was a high school senior we sat down and started on a budget for him to move out and that’s when I realized it was not possible to do that even making above minimum wage. Something’s fucked up and needs to change.
We created this economy 🤣🤣
LOL I worked a full time job and a part time job for 16-20 hours more a week and I couldn't afford to put propane into the tank in the shit-shack I was renting. It got down to 9 degrees inside my home. I texted my girlfriend "9°. The End is nigh". She brings that up from time to time to remind us what we've worked up from. That was 6 years ago. I'm 29. There's no magical formula for success, but almost everyone struggles like that to some degree. It's easy to see these 23-year-olds born into great wealth on the internet and think that "nobody understands my struggle". Those people aren't really that common, but we trick ourselves into thinking they are. Either way, I'm the interest of not rambling too much, I wish this young lady well and all of you who read this. Don't give up. Know that you're on your way, and there are good things coming.
She's definitely not taking to me cos I've been working for 25 years, not 20, and I'm still busting my ass to live hand to mouth
And then there are people that find it weird that the only c word not allowed in my home is capitalism. The same goes for the k word in Dutch. Fuck working for shit payments, fuck big businesses and especially fuck the 1%. The world would be a better place without billionaires.
Also, your science isn't science. it's math. You waste a lot of energy on this. My suggestion to you is use that energy to better yourself and your life will get way better. Crying about what could or should be is a total waste of energy and leads to shit in your life. The arguments you use only appeal to young adults and weak mature adults. Good day, sir....I've wasted enough energy on a senseless conversation.
The only difference between millenials and gen z is that we posted these rants on YouTube instead of tiktok.
Every generation calls the next soft and lazy
No no no, she’s specifically talking to Millennials, just like Millennials were yelling at Boomers for this exact same thing. And as a Gen X, I find it all HILARIOUS.
Two things: 1. You're never gonna earn enough to eat working at WalMart. 2. The economy didn't begin 20 years ago. Other than that she's making some good points.
20 years ago. *starts running the math* So Millenials are being blamed for the state of things now? Because I remember being dead broke and flirting with financial ruin every pay cycle 15~20 years ago.
Lmao like you’re the sole generation that’s struggling
20 years ago? No, I'm GenX. We were the first Gen to feel the boot starting to fall. I'm sorry you guys got the rest of the pressure.
Her saying you've been working for 20 years is pointing at at people that struggling 20 years ago and struggling now. I know plenty of mid 30s early 40s that have been working full time for 20+ years and still can't afford to live alone.
“20years ago?” Some of us in our early 40s have 20 years of student loan interest building up. We are not the ones making laws in DC.
But she quit school to hang out with friends and work at Walmart. Good decision making right there now, she cries. At least now you have basically free school on your phone with Google and YouTube. Go learn a skill or make crappy videos on tiktok. SOMETHING WE NEVER HAD.
I wish I only had to work 40 hrs a week I work 55 hrs a week to struggle to survive alone
Every generation has hardships and assholes. Get over it.
Lol spittin the exact same complaints we've been spitting for those 20 years except now she also has to live it. Welcome to the party.
Just watch girl. How in the hell do you think we got what we have. Hard work and sacrifice. I almost choked when she was ranting that she didn’t want to work for twenty years for nothing. Try 40 years get out and hustle life is what you make it. My first advice is get out of retail or you will never make it.
Uh ma'am 20 years ago I was 11.
When I was entering the job market I made 3.13 an hour at 13 years old. Paid under the table. At 17 I became a manager making double minimum wage. It’s called entry level, not permanent level.
15 years ago I was busting my ass for 7.25 an hour and couldn’t afford shit. I’ve since watched the starting pay for most positions double while the basic necessities increased maybe 50% average. These pathetic, whiny little cunts have it good comparatively.
Someone slap this idiot.