I worked my way through community college, and in my 30s, finally graduated in electrical and computer engineering. Really struggled through my 20s, financially, including stints living with mom and dad. Since I graduated, and I'm finally making money, It's been a trip to see how the other half lives. I feel like an alien. My colleagues who are entry level engineers, God love em, are usually totally pampered and sheltered kids. Even the guys who are a little older, some of them are clueless about what its like having to work to survive. They had family hooking it up for them, and shepherding them through everything, down payment on a house, inheriting or gifting rental property or other assets, it's crazy.

I got 60K and turned it into 120K in two years. Of course I got lucky, but so many people squander their money or invest it poorly :(

​@@stefaniadellarovere6488Jesus Christ, that blows my mind. Yhe average wage in my home state is about 45k. And you're pulling 60k? I'm struggling to get a job that leaves me 28k after taxes.

@@wayIess 60K was money that was given to me, not earned. After tax I make 22K (in my country the average salary is 30K and I make 28K, so I consider myself super lucky)

safer and better generation. um,, have to disagree, I spoke both to my parents and much older siblings and both agree now is a sh''tshow. US is not representative of the rest of the world, safety in many countries is well below compared to the previous generation.

My daughter just got a part time food service job. Only $12/hr. Her car insurance and gas will eat her whole paycheck.

17 an hour is nothing when inflation is out of f’n control like it is. Most young people can’t afford to have a place of their own because a typical apartment is around 12-1400/mo and requires you to make at least 2.5x the rent. Too add, most jobs aren’t going to give you guaranteed full time hours. Plus you have to deal with completely dysfunctional working environments where it’s pretty easy to get sacked if you don’t play ball with a bunch of cuckoos. I know from working in the restaurant/ hospitality industry. It’s not a place for straight men, at all.

My home state averages 45k for annual income. Currently job hunting and the pay is a complete joke. Rare to find even 20/hr and after taxes you make less than 30k.

@@MultiAnne36then she needs a better job or needs to ditch the car.

Agree totally. At 18 you're still a baby. Especially from a personal finance perspective.

I was married, commuting 100 miles/day and working in a machine shop at 18. By that age, you should be able to navigate the world and make rational decisions for yourself that will improve your future. Yes, education is a big part of that, but education comes in many forms. I was done flipping burgers as a sophomore in high school. I worked full time on a night shift during my senior year. As soon as I got my driver license at 16, I had to work to pay for my own gas and repairs on the piece of junk car I got from my folks.

Very true. That idea of turning 16 or 18 and get a decent job and life is just obsolete, that idea only satisfy the early 20th century or before that when competition isn’t that fierce and education is not necessary for getting a decent job. The American dream changed so much, and it is now perhaps not existing anymore .

I am a Gen X and that is exactly what my Parents expected when I graduated high school. I got to live at home but I had to pay all my own expenses at 18. I didn't even have a Car. I got cut off at 18. I fully support my adult children at this time. One of them just got a part time job.

Good for your kids. Without financial and personal support, you're not going to make it these days. The level of education you need to succeed in the job market and the expectations of an employer who's paying a decent salary have gone up. There's still this idea in some people's heads that you can work up the ladder, starting at the bottom. It's just not true any more.If you manage to survive without debt, you're doing well.

Like…even as a kid, or do you mean as an adult?

Kids can do chores. Everyone contributes towards the good of the household

👀 Good for you. I did the same thing (USAF). Did wonders for my life & now for my own family. Waiting for something to happen--has never been a good life strategy. MAKING something happen generally works for our species 😌. Thank you for your service. 🇺🇸

That's hilarious you'd rather rely on the government than your parents, and I bet you think you sound intelligent😅

@@zay57 👀 You sound very delusional. Joining the military is not “relying” on the government; you still have to work & earn your pay-like ANY other job. It’s not free cash. There is ALWAYS some sort of reliance factor-even if you own your own business. You must rely on your customers to buy from you in order to sustain operations. Having parents is no guarantee that a person will survive adulthood. Parents themselves are “surviving” in today’s economy.

As a prior USAF Vet, I mean no insult, but the military is your dad lol. They give you EVERYTHING. Free room and board, free food, free Healthcare, free education. And eventually most get BAS and BAH so they receive a monthly stipend for food and rent. Once you leave the military, you will real8ze that kts a lot tougher to live than you anticipated. My advice is DONT buy a fancy phone, car, and stupid stuff that you will see all the other airmen buy. Be reasonable and save/invest your money

​​@@zay57It's not a matter of intelligence. Necessity though, yeah. We're all just trying to survive and even though I never went the military route, I know it works for folks.

If they’re contributing monetarily then they’ll be mooching longer bc you took away the ability or at minimum the efficacy of building their own savings up. It makes one ask what exactly is your goal here? To improve the child’s station in life? Or to get what you think is yours? Entitled af generation tbh

Many situations are like balloons; depress one side of it and the the other expands.

More homeless people won’t convince landlords of anything. They’ll just sell to the next group that can afford it. This is the process of gentrification basically, just universally

Because that used to be the cultural norm. Young women stayed at home until they were married off. If there wasn’t a war going on, it was typically after high school, maybe some college. But that was also back when certain careers required college, while there were plenty of entry level work that paid well. So often times, men would graduate high school, get a job at some factory, earn enough for a starter home, we’re talking $100k (when adjusted) brand new homes in the suburbs! The factory worker might’ve been a lower wage earner, but he made enough that his wife could stay at home and not work, she could stay, cook, clean, and raise children. Sounds a bit sexist, but the real reason modern women are expected to work is because of the need of a dual income household. I was born in 1982, and grew up with this sexist belief of what women were supposed to do, realizing how outdated that belief was, but took advantage of it. When I lived with my parents, I had a part time job, and kept all that money. I had no bills, so it all went into savings. That made it possible for me to move out when I was 19. But I did wait for a man. It was a big deal because even though I was engaged, we were “living together in sin.” Isn’t that ridiculous? It was the 21st century!!! So I guess I was supposed to keep living with my parents until marriage?

@@UmmYeahOk That was THEN and THIS is NOW! The reason most kids still live at home is because they simply can’t afford to be on their own. Furthermore, you add my daughter’s own personal relationship with God and her self respect, not wanting to do wife duties on girlfriend prices, is HER reason for wanting to stay home. Also, our rooms and bathrooms are on 2 different sides and she can come and go as she please. Then there’s the generational wealth part that she’s building by being able to save, build businesses, etc. There is NO reason for her to move out until she’s ready!!!! 🤷🏽‍♀️

In several ethnic groups, it is traditional for the children (male or female) to live with parents until they marry, even until age 30. They are expected to work once out of school and to save up significant money for their future homes and families. Italians commonly do this, among others.

@@maryrenaud6732 I’m aware. I work with TONS of other ethnicities!

An entry level job wouldn't pay for rent/food/transportation in most cities...

@@Tony-xy7ljespecially the Bay Area lol

Then you make it work. I got an entry level job right after college working in NY city. My commute was 1.5 hours away one way (couldn’t afford to live NYC) in a tiny studio. I scrimped and saved and lived below my means. Treated my credit cards like cash (if I couldn’t afford to pay it off in full each month, then I didn’t make the purchase). Paid off my student loans in my 20s. Went on to get my masters, working and going to school full time. Was exhausted but today I’m debt free and a homeowner. If you have the will, and are willing to work hard and not complain at the littlest hardship, you can make it.

When I hear Millennials and younger generations sobbing on UKposts because they are exhausted after a 40 hour typical work week, I’m sorry but I cannot empathize. My parents were immigrants, they worked 7 days a week 90+ hour work weeks making minimal wage. Never a complaint. Life is full of hardships but you make the best and most of it.

I hope they put some effort into self-responsibility asap!

Set conditions and manage expectations? Let them know the financial strain. As adults they should be contributing to the household. Laziness is not acceptable. I worked studied through college and got a partial scholarship. My parents also helped me pay for college and I took out a loan. I saw their sacrifices and how hard they worked (7 days per week, 90+ hour work week). I told myself I would stand on my own two feet no matter what after college. I see so many spoiled, entitled, self centered young adults who are parasites living off of their elderly parents. It’s so wrong. The younger generations now are so lazy and entitled and complain at the littlest hardship.

You failed as a parent.

When you cease to live they will have to take care of themselves. You do realize that uncomfortable truth?!

You're the one who decided to have children.

My 25-year-old doesn't work, but he never asks me for money. I pay for housing/utilities. He has to figure everything else out on his own.

you could also be the generation born into war, or the generation born to be drafted in war, or the generation where 99% of people were peasants and life expectancy was half of what it is today. millennials and anything after that are the luckiest generations to ever be.

No, just the unluckiest post Vietnam war

@@alexw2394Exactly lol. Silent generation is like wtf we grew up with wars and food scarcity, this generation gets depressed if their DoorDash order is wrong. Meanwhile Millennials/GenZ about to inherit the greatest wealth transfer known to man 😅

Good thing your experience means nothing in the grand scheme

Real wages are definitely down. The real buying power of these higher wages is worth a lot less bc the cost of everything else (housing, food, gas, etc) has far outpaced the increases in wages

Its both.

It’s not an either/or. Both are true

You still can be the child of someone even if you are an adult. Even when you got children of your own, you still are somebodys child

I guess we need a different word. Maybe "offspring."

Try living in LA or NYC. You gonna wish you had family to live with. Unless you some rich lawyer, investor, or businessman. There is no way you can afford to live there.

Sounds like an excellent way to wind up owning a house you can’t afford. Theres so little there to protect you from genuine financial ruin. Your luck isn’t evidence that you should tell people to make the same risky choice. Maintenance costs on a house are already much higher than most people budget for

Where will they sleep while they get a degree? You don’t understand until you live it.

​@@JasonB808😂 imagine being this dumb

​Tell them to learn a trade since they weren't smart enough for free schcoolerships. My bad​@@JasonB808

That sounds great, yet Imagine if every single American became a plumber, an electrician or a business owner. Simply not possible for lots of reasons.

@@harold5560 yeah but a decent majority can and I mentioned starting your own business/profession

That’s how you raise spoiled, entitled, lazy adults. If you help them pay for college, you don’t think they should become self sufficient and responsible adults and get a job afterwards?

so welcome to the english language where words can have multiple meanings. in this case, children does not refer to the age of the people, but rather their relationship to their parents. the phrase "adult children" refers to peoples kids who have grown up. it's an exciting language and as you get older you will find there are lots of examples just like this in our wonderful language, have a good day!