Rebel, I'm an old phart and should agree with you about the Good Old Days, but it ain't so clear cut.
My mother was a triple certificated nurse, never worked a day after her marriage so she raised us kids.
So we lived on one wage. It would be WAY below the poverty line today. Things were expensive so stuff was bought "dollar down and a dollar a week" accruing interst at 20%, and in spite of what you are told a lot of stuff didn't outlive the payments. An awful lot of people never got out of the debt trap.
I never had it tough and have good memories, but the house and life in it aren't among them. You may be miserable, but you are rich and comfortable at the same time.
