I agree with nostr:npub13kwjkaunpmj5aslyd7hhwnwaqswmknj25dddglqztzz29pkavhaq25wg2a - the internet makes it so easy to make a living, whether it be by finding a job, selling items online, finding side jobs. Those tools didn’t exist for GenX. And Dad was born in the ‘50’s (before they totally devalued the nation’s money).

But it sounds like you’re falling into what I call the trap of “Poor-mouthing.” My grandparents - great, hardworking farming family - did this. It was always “the man” or unfavorable circumstances that held them back. They were farmers by profession, and were wealthy if you considered the value of the property they owned, but there was always someone who had it better than they did… And I believe that same attitude allows many to justify their own failures.