re: Poli board Poll: Are you better off than your dad was?

c. much better off than my wonderful parents were. (I am 66)

To make the same buying power you would have to earn 6 1/2 times what someone made in 1970. Also, now almost everyone is a two worker family to try to keep the same standard of living they grew up with.

So no, I'm not better off than my dad. But he was the exception not the rule. He was a consultant back in the day when most couldn't spell consultant.

So to apply the 6 1/2 times rule, Id have to make boatloads of money in today's dollars to be even with him.

The better question is, will our kids be better off than we are.

A.

I would think the vast majority of those in my demographic (middle aged college-educated white male, raised by same) would answer similarly, unless either their dad died young, was arrested or ran off with some bimbo.

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To make the same buying power you would have to earn 6 1/2 times what someone made in 1970.

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You are the same age now that your father was in 1970?

How freaking old was he when you were born?

C. Better off.

My Dad climbed his way up through the industry, and I've made out a little better by this point. However, I don't know that I'll ever match his financial success. His success shot up around age 30 or 35, I think.

Right now B but close to C.

At this age my dad was flying for Eastern Airlines and my mom was a teacher.

My wife and I are both doctors, she's still in residency and I'm just out in practice. So we're getting a late start in life.

C

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If you had control of your life would you have preferred to be born into your family with 2 or 3 kids so that resources weren't stretched so thin?

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I had seven brothers and sisters. I don't believe having less siblings would would have changed my standard of living. In fact my parents were very giving/sharing people. Anyone visiting would be fed and leave with food. I remember a Black man who once worked for my dad who would occasionally ride by on his horse and tell us he was hungry. Mom would get a plate of food and we would take it out to his horse and let him eat.
We were poor but most of the folks in the community were poor, some worse than us.

Better off

Even my dad acknowledges that he didn't think it would work out that way (thanks, Dad), and yet it did with all three of his sons.

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Poli board Poll: Are you better off than your dad was?

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Yes. Though he is better off than I am now, year for year, I'm doing better.

I suspect that isn't true for a lot of people though.