answer:I think it’s much harder to do today than it was 20 years ago. The job that I had 20 years ago paid $20,000. Today that job pays $28,000 at the same level. It still requires a college degree to get hired. The college education that cost me $598 a semester is costing my daughter $4,280 at the same university. The daycare the girls attended was $90 a week for infant care, diapers and formula included. The same day care now charges $250 a week for infant care. The apartment we rented for $210, including heat and water, rents for $820 a month (same apartment). There is more debt for education and more cost to keeping your head above water than before. That being said, you do adjust your spending to compensate, but it often comes with a great deal of additional stress that can be detrimental to a relationship.