re: I reject the idea that young adults/millennials “have it harder” than boomers at that age

Life is a grind. You work where you can and if you’re not satisfied you keep looking for a better job. You need to realize a very SMALL amount of people become rich and even a SMALLER amount become rich quick.

My dad used to tell me anyone can become a millionaire if they were willing to sacrifice everything to do so. Work two full time jobs and live a minimalist life for 40 years and you will likely be a millionaire, but the majority of your life will be a miserable existence. The choice you have to make is happiness vs wealth. If you’re lucky to get both congratulations, you are in a very select club.

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You can’t start a business without capital and runway to absorb losing money for a while

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Thats why “the rich” are so awesome!

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I can’t build up that capital and runway without working

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No one said it alll had to be your capital. The work is required though. But that’s always the case.

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You see where this is going

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Absolutely.

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I have no savings and live paycheck to paycheck because I only could land a part time job, and that’s about all it will pay for.

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Iwas in a similar boat. I had an engineering job that paid pretty ok. But being debt averse, I still couldn’t afford a house comfortably. (Sound familiar?). But I got creative. Found a niche. Sold a bit of work on he side moonlighting, and worked like hell to learn how to tell my story, and meet others that could/would help.

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What I would do with a little capital is invest in income properties. I would buy worn down duplexes and fix them up, live in one side and rent the other

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Meh. Too many people doing this. If you want to do your own gig, do something unique.

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Every one of these is optional.

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Oh, ok. In that sense I guess shelter and clothes are optional too.

Damn dude, you seem to be really triggered by the idea of personal accountability... lol

It’s called growing up. Really not that difficult.

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You work where you can and if you’re not satisfied you keep looking for a better job. You need to realize a very SMALL amount of people become rich and even a SMALLER amount become rich quick

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And almost no one gets rich working a salaried 9-5 job.

And they shouldn’t expect to. There’s no risk in being an employee. It’s cushy.

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Work two full time jobs and live a minimalist life for 40 years and you will likely be a millionaire,

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Doesnt take that long.

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but the majority of your life will be a miserable existence.

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Nah. Some of my happiest days was working through college and starting my business. Both we’re times of tremendous efforts. But not all work is miserable.

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The choice you have to make is happiness vs wealth.

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Not when you choose your career wisely and according to your strengths.

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The bottom line is the average income adjusted for inflation hasn’t really changed since the 70’s

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When did being “average” equal being successful?

This is the real problem. Too many think they can be successful while being no better than mediocre.

Maybe it’s the result of “everyone’s a winner here’s your trophy” generation?

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And almost no one gets rich working a salaried 9-5 job.

And they should expect to. There’s no risk in being an employee. It’s cushy.

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Agreed, but people in here are acting like they should be making bank by age 30. It doesn’t work like that for the vast majority of people. I went the 9-5 route with little risk and plenty of time for family and friends. I didn’t get a house till the age of 34. But now I well off, not rich by any means, but I have enough and I’m happy. This is the path most people’s parents followed. It just takes time and not being an irresponsible idiot.

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When did being “average” equal being successful?

This is the real problem. Too many think they can be successful while being no better than mediocre.

Maybe it’s the result of “everyone’s a winner here’s your trophy” generation?

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You're twisting the argument.

No one said that being average entitles one to success.

But on the whole, considering the whole macro system, every single piece of objective data points to Millennials having less economic opportunity than their parents. That isn't debatable.

Conservatives, of which I consider myself one, can understand the macroeconomic conditions and policies that have made it so and pull certain levers to adjust those conditions, or we can call them snowflakes and the "trophy generation" and watch as radical zealots and demagogues like Ocasio-Cortez keep getting elected to office because they are tapping into a legitimate beef that a large chunk of the voting population has with the system.

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but I can’t get a job working for someone else without already having five years experience

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And this is where your entire argument fails. This is simply a lie and you can get work in construction and trades with zero experience. They always need laborers and it's hard to find reliable ones these days. If you show initiative and are reliable they will OJT your arse. Companies are paying people to go to electrician school at night, while they are paying you your day's wages at work. You can become a fully qualified and licensed electrician with no capital and you can earn a damned good living which you can turn into savings for future ventures.

That’s one of my side hustles, lol