It’s no secret that Gen Z and Millennials look at their Boomer parents and grandparents with envy for the apparent ease with which they appeared to accumulate wealth, possessions, and property, all of which have been an uphill struggle for subsequent generations. Numerous things that boomers once took for granted are now considered luxuries, whether healthy work boundaries or spacious homes with gardens; current generations find themselves excluded from such privileges.
Job Security
Boomers were the generation who happily settled into a “job for life,” you regularly hear them boasting about their 40-year-long careers with the same employer. This combines a few things: boomers were the first highly educated generation, monopolizing skilled, intellectual job roles. Furthermore, 40 years ago, there was much more commitment between employers and employees, and this relationship was more personal than it is today. People were less likely to want to let others down by swapping jobs or replacing staff often.
Free Range Childhoods
Boomers were the last generation to benefit from an almost tech-free childhood. When Boomers were kids, the TV was just about to be invented, and they spent their days roaming outside in nature, playing in the fresh air, oblivious to the hyper-stimulated, toxic world of social media and the information overload of the internet.
Low-Cost Housing
It was much easier to get on the property ladder 40 years ago. Boomers benefitted from low-cost housing that allowed them to settle down earlier and establish a family and support system. However, in 2024, the demand for affordable housing far outstrips supply, and many young professionals can’t afford to own their own homes despite having good jobs and good salaries.
Affordable College Fees
Going to college now is considered a luxury as it’s so expensive. A college education in 2024 requires an acceptance of lifelong debt as students are expected to pay extortionate tuition fees that run into tens of thousands. But this wasn’t the case back in the Boomer era, as they had access to affordable college fees that were well worth the investment and easily repayable.
Spacious Homes
Not only did Boomers benefit from cheap housing, but they were also fortunate enough to get access to large, spacious homes with lovely gardens. Today, this is considered a big luxury as spacious detached homes tend to cost a lot of money in 2024.
Work Boundaries
We hear a lot about work-life balance and the importance of setting boundaries with work and not being reachable 24/7 via our phones and emails. However, 40 years ago, this wasn’t an issue as technology wasn’t as advanced yet, and smartphones didn’t exist. This meant that whenever Boomers left the office, they also left their work there until 24 hours later, and that truly does seem like a luxury in 2024.
Cheaper Childcare
When Boomers were in their prime, juggling family and work commitments, they benefitted from much cheaper childcare options than families today, and it was much easier for parents to manage their careers while raising kids. Childcare costs in 2024 are often equal to a full salary, and therefore, many parents and single mothers struggle to maintain a career and raise their children simultaneously.
Comprehensive Health Insurance
40 years ago, many jobs came with quality health insurance that offered comprehensive coverage with few additional costs. Now, this is such a luxury, as health insurance now comes with additional costs for everything.
Higher Returns on Investments
Boomers benefitted from higher interest rates on savings and often experienced favorable rates of return on their investments. However, current generations are constantly battling rising interest rates on borrowing and decreasing interest rates on saving.
No Fast Fashion
We now live in a consumer society where everything is disposable, including our clothes, and factories are churning out tonnes of fast fashion that aren’t made to last. However, many Boomers still own some original clothing items from the 1970s, such as an expensive coat, which they’ve decided to keep as a memento of their youth. That’s because 40 years ago, clothes were made to last, and time, care, and attention were taken to create quality, durable items.
Public Transport
American public transport used to be super cheap and super efficient. Forty years ago, there were fewer cars, and people genuinely relied on trains and buses to get around. However, in 2024, train and bus tickets will cost substantially more, and they are usually considered less safe than they were in the Boomer era.
Paid Vacations
While paid holiday leave used to be standard practice in most jobs, now it has become more of a luxury, with fewer employers offering this in the labor market.
Quality Furniture
Today, most home furniture arrives in the form of a jigsaw puzzle that must be assembled with flimsy materials, but 40 years ago, Boomers were able to afford carefully crafted, quality furniture that was built to last, and most of them still own the same oak tables for example, that they purchased decades ago.
Single Income Households
Boomers were fortunate enough to live in a time when one income was enough to support an entire household; however, in 2024, most parents have to work while taking on side hustles just to make ends meet.
Lower Cost of Living
Americans live through a cost-of-living crisis, and many families struggle to pay their energy bills and still put food on the table. But Boomers lived in much simpler times when food prices and general living costs were much lower, and this seems like a real luxury in 2024.
Free Public Services
Forty years ago, libraries and public parks were free. Still, today, many public spaces require you to pay a fee to access or use their services, and what Boomers once took for granted has now become a luxury for today’s generation.
Home-Cooked Meal Times
Wholesome home-cooked meals with the family have largely become a thing of the past. Parents today seem so caught up with work that they’d rather just order some take-out pizza. Furthermore, kids today are so wrapped up in technology that it’s almost impossible to get them to put down their phones or log off their laptops to sit around the table and eat as a family.
Closer Community Bonds
Boomers grew up in and created strong community networks, this gave them a sense of belonging and greater social, and community engagement. However, most Americans today don’t know their neighbors, and rates of loneliness, and isolation are at an all-time high in America, with bygone days of close-knit communities feeling like a luxury of the past.
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