These simple pleasures of our grandparents’ generation became expensive for millennials
Sometimes I look at old family photos and can’t help but laugh at how happy my grandparents looked doing things that now cost millennials half a paycheck. There’s my grandpa, grinning on a tiny fishing boat that probably cost him less than my streaming subscriptions combined.
And my grandma? She’s standing proudly next to the house they bought at just 2.5 times their annual income, smiling like she knew she scored the deal of a lifetime. And she was right — the median U.S. home price-to-income ratio today is about 5.0, per VisualCapitalist, which explains why everything feels so out of reach now.
Read on if you’ve ever stared at a price tag and thought, “Wow, my grandparents would be horrified.”
Taking a relaxing vacation
Grandparents could hop in the car, fill up the tank for a few bucks, and drive to a nearby beach or cabin without much planning. Meanwhile, gas prices in the U.S. have seen dramatic swings, costing just $0.99 per gallon in 1998 and climbing to record highs above $5.03 per gallon in June 2022.
Even a “cheap weekend getaway” can feel like it needs a spreadsheet. Many millennials say travel stress starts before they even book the trip.
Going out for a simple meal
Eating out used to be a casual treat, not a budgeting event. In the 1960s, the average restaurant meal cost under $1 (around $10 today), while millennials often pay two or three times that for something as basic as a sandwich. The rise in labor, rent, and food costs makes dining out feel more like a “special occasion” than a quick outing.
Have you noticed how even a burger and fries somehow turns into a $20 moment? No wonder more millennials eat at home even though they statistically cook less than previous generations. They’re eating at home, but much of that food is ready‑to‑eat or heat‑and‑serve rather than cooked from raw ingredients.
Enjoying simple entertainment
Grandparents could catch a movie for pocket change, enjoy a ballgame for a couple of dollars, or bowl the afternoon away without checking their bank balance. Today, movie tickets average around $12, baseball games often cost more than $30, and even basic recreation comes with fees.
Millennials end up calculating cost-per-hour fun like it’s part of a math assignment. Streaming was supposed to be the cheaper solution, but those monthly subscriptions add up fast. Can we just go back to when fun didn’t require budgeting apps?
Getting into a starter home
For grandparents, homeownership was seen as a normal step into adulthood. Homes cost just a few times the average income, while today’s median home price is over five times the typical salary.
That gap makes buying feel out of reach for millions, even before considering interest rates or bidding wars. Millennials rent longer, save more slowly, and often need far larger down payments.
Buying comfortable, durable clothing
Clothes in our grandparents’ era were famously built to last — heavy cotton, real leather, sturdy stitching. Today, fast fashion dominates, and while it’s cheaper upfront, replacing clothes constantly ends up costing more long-term.
A CNBC report notes that apparel prices rose 6% since 2019 despite lower quality. Millennials often spend more just to find something that doesn’t fall apart after a few washes. It makes you appreciate those vintage coats hanging in your grandma’s closet, doesn’t it?
Key takeaways
The everyday joys that once came easily to our grandparents now require financial planning, side gigs, or a moment to breathe before hitting “purchase.” Millennials aren’t imagining the rising costs — housing, travel, food, and entertainment have outpaced wage growth for decades.
These shifts make simple pleasures feel more like luxury moments. But understanding what changed helps us appreciate the real value behind the little joys we still manage to carve out.
Read the original article on Crafting Your Home
