How are your "20 somethings" doing these days?

[fortyshooter]

If you have any young guys and gals in your family how are they making it in these crazy $$$ days? I worry about them because I believe they are 10 yrs. behind where most of us were at that age back in the 60's-70's. Only thing I have to base it on is from what I see and from my sons two step kids that are 22 and 25 that still live at home. When I see the cost of living now days I don't see how they could make it on their own even as a couple!
Now his 3rd step kid the oldest saw the light about 5 years ago and is now the manager of a large resturant...married and now doing okay and the other two I worry about as one isn't working much.
Just wonder how others are doing out there and very glad I came along at a good time in this country.

[Rifletom]

Agree forty. We're fortunate that our 29year old son and DIL work at the same lab in different capacities and are doing well.
There are indeed others that are having a tough time. Son is not taking any of this for granted.

[daytime dave]

Mine are all in their 30's. They moved out in their early 20's. All have spouses or significant others. Two have young children. I know what you mean though, I run into plenty who live at home and / or are supplimented by mom and dad. Quite a few laugh and say they don't know how they would make it if they had to be on their own. Many have student loans upwards of 100,000.oo or so. They have jobs (which require a 4 year degree) that only pay mid 40's if they are lucky. I know plenty with 4 year degrees plus who are not as bright as some who never attended college.

[JEBar]

our "20 somethings" are 40 somethings .... they and their spouses all have good jobs and they all work hard .... thankfully they all were able to buy homes before the current inflationary period set in .... from what they say and the same is true for us, we couldn't buy the home we have at today's prices

[BrokenolMarine]

I think back to when I had just graduated. I had not gone to college, but had gotten a job at a bank, was on midnight shift and running an IBM check sorter with a crew sorting 3/4 million checks a night for a major bank and the smaller banking chains in VA. My starting salary was almost as much as my mother was making and she was an office manager for a state agency, and my benefits package was better. If I stayed with the bank six months they would began to pay for college.

I started discussing moving out with my folks, and they sat down and helped me lay out a proposed budget. My car was paid for, I didn't have any credit debt, but without a roommate I couldn't move out on my own and live in a safe neighborhood. Not for about a year or more. I didn't want to mooch off my parents for the next few years. I didn't tell them, but I started looking at the service. I joined the Corps a few months later.

Edit to add: (Sorry, got called away)

My starting salary back then in today's dollars would be equivalent to 27,500 per year gross. As an 18 year old about to turn 19, I paid very little in taxes, if anything. My biggest expense would have been my car insurance and since my car was 15 years old and underpowered, it wasn't that high. I looked at the reality of my situation, and realized that I had to earn the "Home" I wanted, or share the expenses. I had witnessed the horror stories of my mother's friends and their various roommates, both in college and after graduation. I just decided I'd rather skip that part and join up. Never regretted the decision. (Well, maybe for about 45 days, while at Parris Island, in February and early March.) Who knew HELL could be that cold?

Years later, I know firsthand that there are some twenty somethings that don't work to make it. Some move back in after college and don't move out. I know of two personally.

One did five years at VA Tech, got a degree in engineering, and came home, blew all his interviews on purpose, and TEN years later was still living off mom and dad in rooms mom contracted in the basement since dad had converted his "ROOM" into a home office when he left for school. A five year (four) degree from Tech and he was back at his old job, delivering pizzas part time, hanging out with his buddies and partying, and mom and dad paying MOST of his bills. Mom washed his clothes, cooked his meals, cleaned his room, WHY leave. Every time DAD talked about "It's Time" mom had a hissy fit.

The second got a four year degree from a well known Virginia College. Mom and Dad paid for everything so he didn't have to work. They owned a rental property in the city where the college was located and turned the house over to him for the four years. They paid the house payments, insurance and utilities. They paid for his gas and insurance for his vehicle, which they bought. They gave him a card for food. Paid for his phone and monthly phone bill in the house and the cell phone. He moved his girlfriend in. Her parents had more money than HIS and they saved the boarding costs for four years. He spent four years in school and volunteering with the fire department. When he graduated, he got a job as a fireman. He also, got married. With her degree, she partied with her friends, spent his money, and sat at home. Her parents threw them a lavish wedding and reception. (150k?) She didn't want to rent, she wanted to buy a house. Her parents kicked in 100k, his 50k; she insisted on a really nice house in an upscale neighborhood for the two of them, rather than a starter home in a decent neighborhood they could have paid cash for.

Within four years they had a couple kids, and had to sell the house, file bankruptcy, and move in with HIS parents to catch up. They are still there five years later. She never stopped partying with her friends. HE never stopped working 60 to 80 hours a week.

[BigAl52]

No 20 somethings here. But there is a 70 something working for 20.00 an hour part time at the local University in concession stands and loving it. Me

[Mags]

All ours are in their 30s and 40s and doing well.

[markiver54]

My only son and DIL are in their 40's and are struggling artists with two daughters to feed.

[220]

Son turned 26 this year, purchased his first home 3 years ago, purchased a new second hand car this year, Plenty of new vehicles cheaper than he paid but not what he wanted and his budget didnt stretch to new for what he was after. In the army so not earning anything that would be classed as above average but has always been careful with what he spends.
Daughter is 22 and just moved back into home after 2 or so years renting and living on her own. Found the cost of running a household on a single income doable but couldnt save anything.

[rickhem]

Both of my kids are in their 30s, and both married and doing well. One thing that they got from me was a lean towards independence, and from my ex was a dose of stubborn (in a positive way). Both kids, and their spouses, are all doing well, and have been the type that take on responsibility and follow through on things. I'm very proud of both.

From another angle, my current position has me interacting with a lot of people in my company, and I am finding that this latest generation, the "20-somethings", does not have that same mindset. Everyone wants to work from home, and start times seem to be considered a fuzzy suggestion. As much as that stuff goes against the grain for me, the corporate structure kind of condones it. This is what you get when everyone wins a trophy.

OK, sorry, turning my rant off now.

[graywolf]

My 20 something's, are the Grandkids. Oldest is 26, doing good, been working since before he was 16, bought small fixer upper house last year and getting married next month. Youngest turns 20 next year and works for a big power company. Granddaughter, doing good in college and graduates in May. They all know if they want to live here, just pick them out a spot and I'll deed them some land to live on. Granddaughter has her spot picked. Probably don't need to tell you how proud of them I am.

[Sir Henry]

I think kids today have it easy. The cost of housing, food and transportation was just as high in relationship to my wages. I ate pancakes for breakfast and Mac and cheese for dinner for years. I rode my bike ten miles each way to work. And I saved and invested.

Kids wine now just because they have to work.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhL8R-v8uis

[Hatchdog]

We have a 30 something (mine) and a 40 something (hers) and both are married, own homes and employed. Hers is in a financial place that is beyond incredible due to his hard work and being driven to succeed as is his’s wife. Mine is comfortably employed and his wife is self employed as a physical therapist. They are doing fine and are 100% independent. My wife and I feel very fortunate that both our sons are in good places.

[cooperhawk]

Between us we have five children. I have two boys and an adopted daughter as well as a foster son.
Carol has a daughter who is my step daughter now. Four of the five are doing OK, the other one has no contact
with us and I have no idea how he is doing. That would be my youngest son.

An old friend once told me that our job is to "give them roots and then give them wings". Most will fly
away on their own, but not all.

I think that schools these day do a poor job of teaching Morals and Ethics. In the face of Social Media the children
are bombarded with all kinds of excuses of why not to try to succeed, and then with all the video games that teach
them a false impression of life they are not being prepared for today's world. Thankfully most of them survive it all
and do manage to live in today's fast moving environment. But sadly, not all.

Whatever you think of organized religion it teaches the morals and ethics that hold our society together. I
don't always agree with the church's dogma, but I attend regularly and encourage my offspring to do the same. In the
end the church takes up some of the slack that the schools fail to teach.

Carol and I try our best to lead by example because at this point that is the best instrument we have to influence
their lives.

Have any of you ever read "Dobson's" "Tough Love"?

I once did a paper in college on the American Indian's family society. Strangely we seem to have adopted a lot of it.
Maybe because it's only common sense.

In an Indian tribe the parents were the disciplinarians.
The Aunts and uncles were the teachers.
The Grandparents were the givers of love and affection.
The tribe was the extended family.

Oh, and Mother In Law Avoidance was practiced by all.
Wonder why?

[BrokenolMarine]

Our four are all independent, in their 30s and living on their own. They are married with children.
The youngest is married to a pediatric dentist and manages his offices. (He has two)
The next (most successful pair) has a boarding barn she runs and her husband is a civilian employee of the Air Force managing a program. (They met in the Air Force.)
The Third daughter also manages a dentist's office and her husband has a Bachelor's Degree from Tech and Manages a business.
The Son, (our oldest) is a Respiratory Therapist in DFW and Policy and Procedures Specialist for the area, teaching in the Metro Area.

The Middle Daughter and the Son started their post school lives in the military. Air Force for the daughter and Coast Guard for the Son.
The Youngest and Oldest daughters struggled a bit finding their way, but are doing well now. It was Work, but they worked.

[cooperhawk]

And while I'm at this rant, I think the abolishment of the draft was a mistake.
I would like to see all the street animals run head on into a good drill instructor.
I think that in most cases the military helped shape our country in a positive way.
The old CCC was a good start, but nothing like the military.

[DsGrouse]

My daughter is 20, and son 19. Daughter is married; they bought their home when they were 19. They scrimped and saved. It's a little place and old. it was 160k ish. Daughter is still in school, dual majoring in economics and public health. She's doing an internship with the county helping co-ordinate disaster resources.

My son is at Uni and a double major also. Physics and Engineering. He's looking for an internship this year in the physics area of his degrees. He spent last summer in an internship that mostly applied to his engineering degrees.

Neither of them have school debt, and both of them manage to make their payments.

[Shakey Jake]

I've got one son in Omaha working at a high-end car dealership. He was working for the same company's Chevrolet division selling cars and did quite well. Now he's working for their Land Rover, Mini Cooper, Jaguar and BMW location selling the aftermarket accessories. He's doing quite well although he and is wife are still in an apartment. They are pre-approved for a home loan and have been for some time but keep losing out on their bids because others offer cash. My youngest son is still at home. He went to the army and now is doing warehouse work for PepsiCo. He's liking it and making money but doesn't see the need to move out on his own. As long as he's helping out around the home I really don't mind. One of these days he'll get tired of us and go on his own way. Both of my sons are in their 30's.

[fortyshooter]

Well sounds like the young ones here are doing great!

[GFK]

I have found that it is not how much you make, it is what you do with it. My dad would tell me, "even millionaires file for bankruptcy". I tried to teach that to my kids. One listened, she pretty much gets what she wants without issues. The other did not, she does what she wants and have issues paying for things. Both are in the medical field, so they are in a field that will always be in demand. One saves her money. The other spends hers. Yet, neither are on drugs or in jail. So, all is good.