" A lot of today's salaries are just not sustainable to live and retire off of anymore. You read stories about how several decades ago, a man working at a gas station was able to afford a house, car, and support his wife and children."

I just moved into a new place and had a painter do the walls. He started working at Safeway with 17, retired at 52 with a pension, has 2 houses and raised 2 kids. that sounds almost impossible these days.