Poor is a loose word, but there are quite a few people I grew up with who do basically the same job as their parents yet can't afford as much of a house as their parents did at the same age and have less future financial security (retirement savings, pensions, whatever) as their parents did at the same age.

Their TV is bigger, but they're also much more stressed about their security...

I don't imagine it pays well to be a coalmaker or someone who makes horse drawn carriages either.

Is the market actually shrinking or just shifting?

Say hello to the result of inflation. Where saving is discouraged and what you earn is continually worth less.

The best way to demonstrate inflation is to index historical prices to another asset like gold.

http://pricedingold.com/us-home-prices/

>would you rather be poor now or some time in the past? I don't think there's anyone who would choose the past.

Sheesh, I know what you mean.

It was such a drag in the 1960's having to save every penny you could working minimum wage, and it still took a year or two before you could afford to pay cash for a new Ford Mustang or F-150.

By the 70's gasoline had skyrocketed to 50c per gallon too, so then you could only afford to drive across the country once or twice a year.

Motel 6's had already gone up to $8, that's just how bleak it was.

While those with trust funds never had to worry about these types of limitations.

"Things are less shitty now" does not mean things are not still shitty now

Sure, but it's a perfectly reasonable retort to the claim that things are shittier now.

It would be, if anyone was making that claim.

Instead they say that because things are better now, then you cannot complain.