'Raising a family of 5 on a single income': 27 Modern Luxuries That Were Pretty Standard Back in the 90s

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Sep 1, 2024 1:00 PM EDT

Do you remember your first computer? Regardless of its behemoth size or proclaimed 'portability', owning a computer back in the 90s was a luxury. You could scroll the internet, talk to strangers, or even play your favorite games like Sim City, Tomb Raider, and Half-Life. My first computer was the size of a microwave and had a pixelated screen and that screaming dial-up Internet, but even then, I knew it would never be obsolete.

Nowadays, our luxuries are a little different. 

Since the 90s, manufacturers have adopted this concept called 'planned obscenity', where products are intentionally built to fall apart so that we have to keep buying them–thus making those well-made purchases of the past invaluable. We still have a computer (and likely even have a smaller version in our pocket right now), but the things we took for granted back then have earned a place on our newly updated coveted luxuries list. In 2024, wooden furniture is a luxury, but if you told that to your 1990s self, lugging around your parent's armoire because they 'like it better in that corner', you probably wouldn't believe it. 

There are a whole slew of things in our modern era that Gen Xers, Boomers, and Millennials alike took for granted back in ye olde days. Keep scrolling for the nostalgic list of OG commodities that we definitely took for granted in the 90s.

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  • 01
    What was normal 20-30 years ago, but is considered a luxury now?
    via Eliza Alves - capturenow via Canva
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    Itchy-Voice-2102 • 3d ago New furniture made out of real wood
    via Itchy-Voice-2102
  • 03
    P... 3d ago Edited 2d ago Real meals on airline flights (I remember 25 years ago getting a steak dinner on a plane.)
    via Piper6728
  • 04
    Nateddog21 3d ago Staying at a job for 5/10+ years
    via Nateddog21
  • 05
    HostFinal1183 3d ago Concert Ticket prices
    via HostFinal1183
  • 06
    Itchy-Voice-2102 · 3d ago Not being expected to be reachable 24/7
    via Itchy-Voice-2102
  • 07
    metssuck 3d ago Male Privacy
    via metssuck
  • 08
    Ddowns5454 • 3d ago Living and raising a family with just one income.
    via Ddowns5454
  • 09
    BobbyThrowaw... Male man guy 3d ago Owning a house in your 20s. Still possible today but you've gotta be rich & lucky.
    via BobbyThrowaway6969
  • 10
    rolyoh 2d ago Being able to turn on the television or radio and hear actual news, rather than a bunch of editorialized commenting and spin (one direction or the other).
    via rolyoh
  • 11
    deersuck 3d ago • I got a pension with my job out of college 25 years ago. I didn't know what a pension was until 10 years later I told my buddy and he went wide eyed. I was at the tail end of
    via deersuck
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    jobs offering this in the US, i think. Anyway, I don't think many jobs offer that for a partier with a c minus average straight out of college these days.
    via deersuck
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    Ordinary_Profess... A big back yard
    via Ordinary_Professor_3
  • 14
    Vargoroth 2d ago As a teenager, going out or hanging out with friends until late in the evening, then grabbing some fries or a pita. Used to be I could afford to spend the 5 euros for a full
    via Vargoroth
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    meal and enjoy it on a Summer night. Now? You're lucky to find anything still open after 22h. And good luck buying any junkfood meal for 5 euros. Even with 10 or 20 euros you get a small enough portion that I can still eat more.
    via Vargoroth
  • 16
    Fit-Start9993 · 2d ago Manual transmission! I get to pay extra for it now.
    via Fit-Start9993
  • 17
    Kadettedak • 3d ago Holding large corporations legally accountable in public court cases instead of private arbitrage
    via Kadettedak
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    CogitoErgoScum ⋅ 3d ago Seafood. We ate our way through it and now it's not cheap anymore.
    via CogitoErgoScum
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    urbangentlman • 2d ago Bourbon. 25 years ago you'd have no issue finding pappy on the shelves or other nicer options. Now they're highly coveted fetching thousands for a bottle. It's wild.
    via urbangentlman
  • 20
    oldbroadcaster28... 3d ago Vacationing. I got to take a vacation for the first time since high school, I've been in the workforce for 7 years
    via oldbroadcaster28
  • 21
    ryanlak1234 2d ago Showing up to your friend's place unannounced. Now it's considered rude.
    via ryanlak1234
  • 22
    CjKing2k 3d ago Male A 9-5 job. Everyone I know works either 8-5 or 9-6.
    via CjKing2k
  • 23
    Boertie 2d ago Your own car. Your own yard. Your own kitchen. Your own shower. Your own self made meal.
    via Boertie
  • 24
    reddithatenoncon... 2d ago Raising a family of 5, and flourishing, on a single income. No college degree and they saved for the future, owned a house, bought new cars as needed, we always had a yearly family vacation, etc. all just 30 years ago
    via reddithatenoncon
  • 25
    • Marigold Robinn 3d ago The idea of a 'secure' job straight out of college. Nowadays, you're looking at gig economy, contracts, and a lot of entry-level jobs asking for years of experience. My dad worked with the same company for 35 years I've changed jobs more times in the last five years than he did his whole life.
    via Marigold Robinn
  • 26
    ybcurious93 3d ago Getting a handwritten letter
    via ybcurious93
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    _jump---- 3d ago Stay at home moms
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    dewioffendu · 3d ago Smoking indoors. Especially bars and concerts ... you'd have to change your clothes when you got home because you could smell yourself from a mile away.
    via dewioffendu

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Tags

luxuries millennial 2000s throwback luxury modern living millennials remember when gen x 90s baby boomers gen z nosalgia funny vintage
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