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The Baby Boomer Generation Then and Now

Are You a Baby Boomer?

Baby Boomers are those who were born between 1946 and 1964.

I’m a baby Boomer. I was born in 1957. I always say “I’m a classic just like the “57” Chevy!”

The Baby Boomer Generaton then and now

The Baby Boomer Generation Then and Now

Being a Baby Boomer has its advantages. It means that you grew up with great music.

The music of today’s generation doesn’t compare to our music. I mean we had really great music by artists like Stevie Wonder, Led Zeppelin, Elton John, Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, The Eagles, Marvin Gaye, Queen, James Brown and The Who to name a few.

We had real albums with cool album cover, real art. Nothing like the sound of a song playing on a record player. My husband still has all his albums, around 900 of them.

The Baby Boomer Generaton then and now

 I have so many great memories from my childhood and teen years.

Things were so different then. Kids got to be kids. We got to go out and play without having to worry about anything except having fun.

We’d stay outside all day and play. We knew what time dinner was and that’s when we went home.

We got to go to great concerts for $15. Which seemed like a lot back then especially when minimum wage was $2 an hour. Well it was when I got my first job working at the supermarket in 1974.

My first apartment cost $300 a month. I had 2 room mates so I only had to pay $100 a month. I feel bad for the kids today because rents are around $1400 to $1500 a month where I live and the minimum wage is still under $8.

The Baby Boomer generation had hope for a great future.  We knew that if we went to school and got a degree we would get a good job . We believed that we would be at that job until we retired and we would have a great pension to live on.

Kids today go to college and come out with $40 or more in debt for student loans and they can’t even find a job in their field of study.

We were wide eyed and excited about the future. Nothing could stop us from the success we were going to have in life.

I don’t see the kids today as having hope like we did. I see them struggling.

The Baby Boomer Generation Then and Now

Today things are so different. I have 5 kids which wasn’t common even for Baby Boomers. Most Baby Boomers I know had the 2.5 kids. I was an over achiever.

I got married in 1984 and my husband and I bought our first home shortly there after. We both had decent paying jobs and we were able to buy a home with no problem. The house payment was a little more than the apartment we had been renting but it was manageable. I stopped working and became a stay at home mom for 10 years while my kids were small. When the youngest went to school I started working again.

Fast forward 31 years later, I have 5 grown children and 2 grand-daughter. 3 of my children have moved out 2 of them room together and the 3rd just got an apartment with a friend. My oldest son and his wife and my 2 grand-daughters and my other daughter live with me and my husband.

More and more young people are living with their Baby Boomer parents. Some Baby Boomers are also dealing with taking care of their elderly parents while helping their children. My daughter at 26 can’t afford to move out. She can’t find a better job that pays more. My son hasn’t worked in 2 years due to health reasons and his wife has a job that pays just under $9 an hour. She hasn’t been able to find a better paying job either.

Three years ago I was layed off from my job of 15 years due to reduction in workforce at my company. I did go back and work for them over the last 3 years off and on as a contractor. But my last contract ended Dec 2014. The manager that always brought me back to work as a contractor was layed off as well in Dec so I have no hope to be called back. I haven’t been able to find a job since.

Who wants to hire a 58 year old who is used to making a really good salary when they can hire someone right out of college and pay them less. I went to a job interview the other day and there was a man around my age saying, people look at the date of birth on your resume and you don’t even get considered. I think that’s a true statement.

For Baby Boomers the reality is, many companies are sending jobs offshore so that makes it even harder to find a decent job. Baby Boomers need to work longer and our options are becoming less and less. Who knows if Social Security will even be there for us and if it is, will it even cover our expenses.

The Baby Boomer Generation Then and Now – My Solution

I decided to look online for something I could do out of my home because well I love being home with my grand-daughters all day and I want the freedom to determine my own hours and my own income.

I found a way to make money online blogging. I love sharing things by blogging. I can tell stories or share recipes or write about anything I want. I’m my own boss. I make my own hours. I determine my future. I don’t have to report to anyone or answer to anyone but myself. No one can lay me off.

MLSP Sites is the blogging system that I am using to blog with. It’s an awesome blog that is all set up for you. You don’t have to pay extra for hosting. It’s ready to go. 

I also recommend a training product called SEO Sizzler (affiliate link) that teaches how to rank your blogs on Google and get traffic to your blog. It’s a nice addition to the MLSP Sites Blogging System.

 If you enjoyed reading my blog please leave me a comment I would love to hear your thoughts.

Thank for visiting my blog.

Deirdre Powell (Dee)

 If your tired of struggling to make ends meet and you are looking for a way to make extra money online MLSP Sites is a way to do that. Click on the side banner for more information.