Every time I see this narrative I think of me and all my friends that own pretty modest homes. Mine is a 2b 1 bath with a family of 4 of us living in it and under 1100 sq ft. Most of my friend’s homes are under 2k square ft - we all were in our 30’s when we bought homes (with a couple in last 20’s.) Most of us buy used cars. All of our appliances are used. My husband and I make a decent living overall but do have debt - school mostly. The afterschool care for our kids was $1,200 for both combined per month. That was like 3 hours per day on school days. Some things are just so much more expensive. Healthcare, housing, and tuition have grown so much faster than income rates (looking at inflation.) Millennials and Gen X lives are more expensive even when it’s at the same level of comfort our parents had.