I managed to break the curse and am far more successful than my parents. It happened through a lot of hard work, persistence, a lot of luck, a hefty gift from my ex’s rich aunt and uncle, and even more luck.
It's fucking insane. With the exception of a few of my peers, we're all highly skilled, some with over a decade of experience, some with two incomes, and there's no way any of us can afford to buy a house in the area we work anymore. The only ones who did bought their houses right after school with help from their parents. Rent sure, own a home, not a chance here. So either rent forever, commute more, live with our parents, or find another job. It's a rock and a hard place.
My grandparents have been bailing my parents out of financial trouble their entire lives. Me? I got some cash for a down payment on a house, and I presently make more than ny parents do combined
I'm doing better than my parents but only because in post Soviet times my family was even poorer, so it's sorta been gradually improving over the generations. I was able to get better education, better job than my parents ever had an actual opportunity to. But they did try very hard to set me and my sister up with that opportunity, so I'm grateful for that.
I'm doing better because they had kids, they didn't have a pension plan, they didn't have all the safety nets we've got now (no parental leave at all compared to a full year now), they got out of school right when interest rates were extremely high and unemployment too, the list goes on and on...
I do frequently travel to such countries and all of the help at the resorts thank me when I drop little pearls of wisdom like this. You could learn a thing or two about gratitude from them.
This thread is getting a little humble brag bootstrappish. It's probably better to ask this again in a month after the student loan payments really hit.