How much bigger is the average house today? My guess is that the average house is at least 76% bigger.
+ 74% increase in health insurance
Medical science can fix a lot more problems today than it did back then. I also wonder how much of this is spent on seniors in the last 5 or so years of their lives.
+ 52% increase in cars (two incomes need two cars)
+ 100% increase in child care
+ 25% increase in progressive taxes
It seems like a lot of women today want to work. When you consider the increase in expenses, women need to make quite a bit just to “break even” versus what they could save by taking care of the kids themselves.
As for education, I suspect that most plumbers, electricians, auto mechanics, and other skilled blue-collar workers make more than most history majors. The key is to get a degree in something that employers want.
