By skyforbes My parents bought their home in the 70s, paid it off early, and still had room in their budget for snowmobiles, ATVs, boats, new pickup trucks, etc. Today, they own their primary home still, as well as a second vacation home on acreage. They also just bought a side-by-side and a brand new pickup truck this year.
We do have a home, we are lucky to have bought our first in 2012. However, we drive old vehicles, stay home, cook all our meals at home, etc. just to be able to afford one vacation per year. Our health insurance and expenses for a family of 4 is off the charts. My daughter broke a bone this year, resulting in more than $2,000 in out-of-pocket bills, even well after we met the deductible.
My parents are constantly wondering why we don't go out for dinner or drinks, why we are babying older vehicles, etc. While I will say that the metric for being "good parents" has really shifted in recent years, and we spend a lot more money on our kids than our parents ever did, it's the astronomical change in the cost of living.
At our income, I would have expected to pay for my kids' college costs outright, go on two vacations per year (not just road trips), get takeout sometimes, and drive at least mid-priced newer vehicles. Instead, we are eating hot dogs and our "going out" is going to the library. I can't complain, we have a home and savings, but I sometimes wonder why we worked so hard in the first place.