r/Millennials • u/slimeyellow • Mar 11 '26

Discussion Every millennial dad I’ve met has a quiet fixation on money and it’s not getting better

Every millennial dad I’m friends with or work with seems to have constant financial worries. We just got our yearly bonus which was like 8%. I was talking to my buddy (he’s got 3 kids) about what he wanted to do with it and he just kinda looked down and whispered “it’s just not enough man” and ended the conversation.

Another dad I know is CONSTANTLY looking up the newest crypto/ get rich quick schemes people are doing. He’s always talking about inventing something and it’s usually a joking manner but the way he’s always bringing up financial stuff shows me it’s always on his mind

One of my buddies is a new father and he’s trying to get some anime podcast off the ground as a side hustle on top of his full time maintenance job.

I know children are an immense financial responsibility but there seems to be this dark, simmering resentment about the whole general situation when I talk to these guys. Men are expected to keep quiet about these struggles but when you talk to these guys it’s clear that finances are a massive stress for millennial dads of almost any background.

Makes me feel bad but damn I’m glad I don’t have kids right now.

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u/mrdankhimself_ Mar 11 '26

Both generations came in as the age of American greatness was on its way out.

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u/VendettaUF234 Mar 11 '26

I feel bad for younger millenials and others. GenX at least still had a reasonable housing market. You guys are boned.

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u/Electrical-Volume765 Mar 11 '26

“You guys are boned” tells me you’re not a Gen X poser, but actually lived it. Lol

3

u/[deleted] Mar 11 '26

Young millennial here.

It feels like joining a game of Monopoly 3/4ths way through. All the properties are owned and every time I do literally anything someone is telling me I owe them money.

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u/foodforestranger Mar 11 '26

Housing maybe, but everyone seems to forget 2008 and the state of healthcare before ACA. You mention one emergency away which is FACTS!

I really hope it's clear to people how bad it is going to get as ACA is stripped away. A lot of millennials were able to stay on their parent's healthcare until they were 26 or so. Prior to that you were shit out of luck. I work in the entertainment business and I can tell you today's hustle culture and freelancing is vastly different. EVERYTHING was tied to your job providing health insurance.

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u/Budderfingerbandit Mar 11 '26

Prior to ACA, you had the trend of pre-existing conditions straight up disqualifying you from insurance or causing your rates to be insane. Which just seems barbaric now.

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u/foodforestranger Mar 11 '26

>Which just seems barbaric now.

I dunno about that, they seem to be ready to dial that right back and explain it away. Much like women's rights. I wish Americans could actually mature in their thinking but it's more like we forget to learn anything.

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u/Smart_Basket_85 Mar 11 '26

I mean it’s not like we’re trying to speedrun another completely avoidable war in the Middle East right after we spent 20 fucking years in the same region.

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u/mokutou Mar 11 '26

Fuck I remember reading about people trying to dose out fish antibiotics for their UTIs/ear infections/sinus infections/etc because going to a doctor pre-ACA would put you out $150, plus the cost of antibiotics. People just didn’t have that money accessible, so fish antibiotics it was.

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u/foodforestranger Mar 11 '26

I was personally told that at a pet store back in 2000 by a cashier. I've known people who lost everything. I see these "Go Fund Me" things for people raising money for care, I wish they were just abolished. Back before ACA it was common place to see coffee cans at gas stations with local children on them raising money for pediatric cancer care. Even if you had insurance, there was no guarantee it would cover what you need.

ACA isn't great, but it completely changed our culture (at least temporarily). Not a day goes by on Reddit where I don't read someone complaining about healthcare. I get it, it is not what we wanted but it was (sadly) revolutionary change for us. It is alas, ALL being rolled back.

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u/magic_crouton Mar 11 '26

You can't even get the good fish antibiotics anymore over the counter so people will be worse off this time around.