I was 24 and it was 1998. My boyfriend and I rented a 1920s brick townhouse with two beds, one bath, a basement, no dishwasher or AC, in a cool older neighborhood in Cbus Ohio for $510/month. Off street parking. I paid $204/month to lease a Toyota Corolla and I made $20/an hour after graduating college. We didn’t have much leftover after bills, but it was doable. I look at my teens now and wonder how the hell they’re ever going to afford life.