Agree that housing, education and healthcare are more expensive than ever.
But I lived through the 1980s and let me tell you, in many ways consumer goods are better and cheaper than ever before. It was just normal and expected that cars would have holes rust in them, and sunroofs that would leak. A home computer was an exotic rarity, and a monitor with a 15" viewable area was considered big. There was an entire industry dedicated to renting TVs, not just because of the high upfront cost but also because they often broke down, and the rental company would provide the repair or replacement.
But I lived through the 1980s and let me tell you, in many ways consumer goods are better and cheaper than ever before. It was just normal and expected that cars would have holes rust in them, and sunroofs that would leak. A home computer was an exotic rarity, and a monitor with a 15" viewable area was considered big. There was an entire industry dedicated to renting TVs, not just because of the high upfront cost but also because they often broke down, and the rental company would provide the repair or replacement.