Man explains why it is 'unrealistic' to expect people in their 30s to be financially stable

Socioeconomic factors evolve with each generation, including expectations around milestones like buying a home, securing a good job, or achieving financial stability. What once seemed like a reasonable age for these achievements can now feel unrealistic due to inflation and stagnant wages. A Reddit user shared in a now-deleted post, reported by Your Tango, that expecting financial stability by your 30s is simply unrealistic. The post sparked a variety of reactions online.

"First off, the idea that everyone should be financially stable in their thirties is incredibly unrealistic. For many, the early years of their careers are spent paying off student loans, dealing with skyrocketing rent prices, or even struggling to find a decent-paying job in their field," the man wrote. He felt that people's expectations are quite rigid, considering there have been several changes in the economy and the job market. According to the person, it isn't just student loans or living expenses keeping people from achieving financial stability. The job market plays a role too. "Many of us are working gig jobs, part-time jobs or multiple jobs just to make ends meet," the man pointed out.

He explained how entry-level jobs don't pay enough to cover living expenses anymore, let alone to start saving money. "To all those people perpetuating the myth that you need to be financially stable and independent by your thirties: stop. Enough with this narrative... you're doing great in your thirties? Cool, just don't parade it with this 'in your face' attitude," the person expressed through the post. The man urged people to be more transparent about their finances so more people from younger generations could relate to it and feel seen. People took to the comments section to express their thoughts on the individual's post.

u/NoMoreMonkeyBrain wrote, "You should be financially stable in your thirties. That was stolen from you. Get angry about it. It's not a myth, that was a real thing that the middle class was built on. That was taken from you. And it wasn't taken by people who looked different or loved differently or talked differently; it was taken by your politicians and the upper crust. It was taken by the bosses and the banks and capital holding class. Don't be annoyed at this is a widespread notion; be angry it was taken from you." u/GALLENT96 remarked, "We should be able to be financially independent at 18, unfortunately, the powers that we have, made that basically impossible."

u/NailFin commented, "That was my first thought too! You absolutely SHOULD be financially stable. Someone working 40 hours a week shouldn’t have to struggle to survive (unless they’re really bad with money, but that’s a them problem and not an economic problem)." u/drsmith21 shared, "You should be financially stable and independent by your 30s. The problem is the decks have been increasingly stacked against workers over the last 50 years to make it increasingly difficult. Your grandfather was able to be financially independent in his 30s, working at the local hardware store while your grandma was a housewife. Corporate profits are through the roof at the expense of the working class. There’s plenty of money for everyone to be financially stable and independent but the greedy f***s at the top are hoarding it all."