What are the differences in a 30 year old in 1990 and 2026 if any?
Posted by 98675436856@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 81 comments
What are the differences in 30 year old in 1990 and 2026 if any?
Do you think they are more similar than different?
United-Climate1562@reddit
yeah my dad at my age looks way older than do now lol
Rare-Quantity5503@reddit
Not going to be a popular Reddit opinion, life is easier now
featurenotabug@reddit
Home ownership is probably going to be high on that list.
Sea-Still5427@reddit
I was 25 in 1990. Plenty of young people had homes repossessed, ruining their self respect and credit rating, or were living with negative equity for years, stuck in a one-bed flat with a boyfriend or girlfriend they'd broken up with but couldn't afford to buy out or sell.
blurdyblurb@reddit
I remember that..that's why I never got round to buying a house, didn't realise they'd keep going up and up and up.
Sea-Still5427@reddit
15% interest on a mortgage put me off buying property for decades.
Any-Cobbler9531@reddit
Yeah and young people complain about not being able to afford a 4 bed witha drive and garage for there 1st house
Older generation couldn't afford that either. Think Internet has made them want the best when they jsur earm average wages.
soundguyjon@reddit
What are you on about. People are complaining they can’t even afford a tiny 1 bed flat for their first step on the property ladder, not a 4 bed house with a garage and drive.
I bet you’re in the “stop buying avocados and cancel your Netflix subscription to save up your deposit” crew as well.
Sea-Still5427@reddit
Everyone I knew bought their first flat with a friend, partner or family member, but that was in London. It was probably a different experience as a young professional anywhere else.
90210fred@reddit
With Black Wednesday only two years away - didn't have a proper job in the UK until Y2K stuff in... 1999
rdxc1a2t@reddit
Just bought a house for £425k. Earliest price I can find for it is £67.5k in 1996. Inflation says it should now be worth £138k. Utterly fucked.
It's a decent house but it's not glamorous/extended/renovated or anything like that so it's just the same house with a price that's been massively overinflated over the years. Good if you bought in 1996. Not so good for families today trying to get their first family home.
Any-Cobbler9531@reddit
What's that compared to wages tho? Uk has increased population by 15 million. Yet people still won't limit it. Sad
AudioLlama@reddit
My parents bought their current house for about £22k in 1989 in their early 20s. I've only just been able to buy my first home at 34. Cost £120k oooff.
mcnoodles1@reddit
My mum's house was half of what my deposit is.
Any-Cobbler9531@reddit
Her wage was the same ratio, with intrest rates hitting 15% in the 90s?
Professional_Elk_489@reddit
Deposit £120K?
Princes_Slayer@reddit
I bought my first house in 1999 for £25k, also early 20’s.
I believe your folks house will have been considerably nicer than my crap heap though
Last-Appointment9300@reddit
I bought my first house at 20 for £67k, 1.5 bed terrace. Everyone, and I mean everyone told us what a poor deal we were getting and to walk away and wait it out.
5 years later we sold it for £145k, a huge help in where we are now in the property ladder.
Before 25, I realised most people know nothing when it comes to economics, and the fact I needed a roof over my head regardless of prices, forced my hand and paid dividends.
Feel sorry for eldest who is now 20. Not a chance. Same house now going for over £300k
Milky_Finger@reddit
My mum bought her current house in 1990 for 150k. It's now worth 750k
She didn't extend or upgrade the place much either, it wouldn't have added enough value to the property to knock a wall down
Lemon-Flower-744@reddit
My parents bought our 4 bed detached house in early 2000s, £315k. I (33F) just bought a 2 bed semi for £356k.
My husband's parents bought their 4 bed detached house in 1990? And it was £24k. Their neighbours bought same house (not sure when) for £8k.
My mums always saying to me "we didn't have money like you do. We didn't need laptops, internet and subscription services." .... yeah because that was a totally different time? I couldn't do my job if I didn't have Internet or a laptop. 🤦♀️
As for kids? How the hell does one afford those?? My sister has 30 hours free from the government but she and my BIL work full time at 40 and 48 hours per week? Crazy.
PingouinFluffy@reddit
I think one difference, as someone who was 30 in 1990, is the total obsession young people seem to have around home ownership and 'fattening the pig'. By that I mean the discussions around whether rendering a house and putting in black windows will increase its value.
I don't think anyone was bothered about houses in 1990. There had just been a massive crash, with negative equity and repossessions, so no one was interested.
51onions@reddit
Crazy to think that my father was a year younger than me when he had me.
Ok_Chipmunk_7066@reddit
The house my parents bought in 1996 was 90,000. It has 4 bedrooms and a conservatory.
It was valued 2 weeks about at 650,000. They have done almost no work on it.
My dad was given a payrise every year and a gold plated pension. He retired at 55 and has a pension more than I earn. He was earning 75k when his boss on new pay structure was on 35k.
He got a 200k payoff to retire plus the pension.
He did all this as a mid level functional for Kelloggs.
Unusual_Sherbert2671@reddit
90k to 650k with barely any work done to it, house prices are ridiculous.
PresidentSwartzneger@reddit
That’s just under 7% per year, if you’d parked 90k in the SP500 at the same time you’d have 1.2m. House prices really aren’t more ridiculous than any other asset
GenuineMedicBear@reddit
You've hit the nail on the head there. Asset prices have gone insane over the last few decades across the board. The difference is that you don't need money in the s&p500 to live, you do need a house to live in (rented or owned doesn't matter, prices still affect you). That's why house prices are always the conversation not gold prices or something.
chillinoodle@reddit
That's great and all but houses are not just investment assets. People buy them to live in. A 7% increase per year outstrips inflation and wage increases making them more unaffordable.
Ok_Chipmunk_7066@reddit
Sure are.
They still have the kitchen and bathroom from when they moved in. The precious owner did a decent renovation in the 80s, so good quality stuff, looks shite.
chillinoodle@reddit
That's mental, London I assume?
Ok_Chipmunk_7066@reddit
South Manchester
Divgirl2@reddit
A 4 bed with a conservatory in London for £650k?!
Probably in Manchester.
chillinoodle@reddit
Lol good point, I was more trying to thing about what area would have seen that crazy an increase.
Opening_Nose_2347@reddit
A 30 year old in 1990 was more likely to be politically aware and desire a more meaningful existence than the children of high capitalism and the demonization of socialism.
barriedalenick@reddit
I was 30 in 95. I think we were a lot less serious back then and for good reason - life was fun and cheaper and there was an expectation that life would get better all the time. Now - not so much
Status-Mouse-8101@reddit
This!!!! I was a kid in the 90s and we have lots of home footage from the times. My house was always full of people and everyone’s having a good time. Comparing that to my experience of home ownership and child rearing is honestly quite sad. Everyone’s so stressed out, tired, isolated and on edge. We do try to have a good time but it’s not as carefree and easy. The 90s felt like we were on the cusp of something big and well we all know what the reality is.
Frequent_Cat_4294@reddit
This! My mum talks about how before I was born (97) they’d have like 20 friends around every weekend for a dinner party and now I cannot fathom doing that myself
ascension2121@reddit
Why do you think this is? Do you think we’re just stuck in overstimulated brain hell so that sounds so exhausting we don’t bother??
Haunting-Tax7467@reddit
What kind of house can a 30 year old afford to accommodate 20 people? How can we afford to feed them when our salaries are gob shite.
Top-Significance8791@reddit
I’m 30 and my house can fit 20 people. I wouldn’t invite 20 people over because I don’t like people but theoretically it can fit them.
DangerousDisplay7664@reddit
I forgot about that feeling! 😳
Faltarsia@reddit
The ability to live comfortably on their annual wage
chainedtomydesk@reddit
In the 90’s they had hope and optimism for the future.
Non-wholesomechungus@reddit
The 30 year old in 1990 could afford to own a home and don't have to pay a billion pounds for basic necessities and also finding a job for them was much easier and life wasn't so politically charged or toxic or divided.
Ornery_Pipe_9243@reddit
A 30 year old in 1990 was born in 1960 and a 30 year old in 2026 was born in 2026. I hope that helps
Electronic-Fennel828@reddit
They actually had a future and stuff to look forward to. Life could actually be decent for them. Now not so much.
NoodleDoodlesocks@reddit
They don't look like they're pushing 50 anymore.
VideoNo82@reddit
Maturity...
Legitimate-Soil7109@reddit
I reckon your 30s (my group) are more like your 20s (my parents group) were in the 90s.
It's when you start to settle down, still have fun, people start having kids, try and fail to buy a house, get divorced, buy a motorbike, start dating Gerald (fuck you gerald) and ruin your relationship with your kids because they remind you too much of him
IkeTurn@reddit
They are both 30 years old one from 1990 one 2026
DB-DanCooper@reddit
In 1990 they looked 40, balding with mustaches.
TapeDeckSlick@reddit
Ones 30 and the others 66
sugarrayrob@reddit
Spot on
FunPie4305@reddit
30 year old in 1990 looked about 45
CriticismHopeful4180@reddit
A 30 year old in 1990 would have seemed so old to me, now they seem so young!
sheepandlambs@reddit
I can remember being a kid and thinking 15 year olds were really old and mature!
Exact-Strife@reddit
A 30 year old in 1990 would also look more like 50 by today's standard. Smoking and drinking turbo ages people.
Occamsfacecloth@reddit
That'll be the lack of home ownership and therefore less children again
SunSimilar9988@reddit
36yrs of technology change
bradpitt3@reddit
It's only possible to generalise as individuals will always vary a lot...
In the 1990s a 30 year old had often been living independently and might already have a mortgage on a property they bought. They would have been working and had become used to adult responsibilities for several years. They had left their life as a child around a decade ago and had adjusted to independence and looking after themselves. They had probably distanced themselves from their parents and avoided their parents as they found independence.
In the 2020s a 30 year old may have spent longer in education or training. They may have transitioned to full time work later and are more likely to have lived with their parents for longer. They are less used to independence and maintained their life as a child for longer. They are likely to have travelled much more and have access and experience with all sorts of new media. They are likely to live their life in a way visible on social media and be more comfortable with less privacy than their predecessors.
EmuComprehensive8200@reddit
Closer friendship and community circles
dinkidoo7693@reddit
More likely to have job security, own their own home, be married and have children.
Nobody was using mobiles and laptops unless they worked in a corporate office in a big city.
Everything was cheaper and more affordable.
GladVehicle1@reddit
Basically, everything was significantly better apart from smoking
bowak@reddit
Just watch an episode of Bullseye to see. There's 28 year olds on there back then who look more like current day 50 year olds.
YarnPenguin@reddit
A 30 year old woman now is much more likely to be child free than a woman who was 30 in 1990.
Either because she has delayed having her first child until after she is 30 or because she is remaining child free.
Some_Masterpiece6639@reddit
Home ownership, marriage, being parents.
Stronger community ties in 1990, lack of technology means you had to talk to people so you had better connections with neighbours.
GrumpyOik@reddit
I was 30 in the early 1990s and one of the "last of the Boomers". I had been married a few years, we were just about to move into our first home. It didn't seem easy at the time, but I now realise how lucky I was. We had managed to save or a 10% deposit on the house, our mortgage was 3.5x my annual salary, I had no student debt.
In comparison most of my work colleagues around 30 are crippled by student loans they will never pay off. Most see home ownership as impossible, because they are never going to be able to save the deposit. I genuinely feel very sorry for them because there is a sense of hopelessness about the future.
FarRequirement8415@reddit
I imagine if you looked at home ownership, marriage status and children the difference would be stark.
Also inflation adjusted earnings.
mcnoodles1@reddit
My folks were around 30 in the early 90s they told me things just get better as they did for all their lives and their parents lives but I won't say that to my kid.
Samsterman@reddit
Hope.
Rest_In_Many_Pieces@reddit
No-one was glued to a screen back in the 1990's.
811545b2-4ff7-4041@reddit
You might have been deprived of an Amiga, Spectrum or BBC Micro. Plenty of kids were glued to monitors. But not tiny handheld screens.
Youngfolk21@reddit
Technology differencs. Smartphones. Probably more health conscious now. Less smokers now.
No-Lettuce-5783@reddit
The possibility that the 30-year-old in 1990 could have a job, a family and their own house. There might have to be two incomes, but they could live a life and raise a family somewhat comfortably. Everything was so much cheaper back in 1990 as compared to today as well.
Namaste_Life@reddit
A 30-year-old what?
JCoonday@reddit
Human, I think.
Various_Extreme_8773@reddit
We spent more time in the pubs and was far less health conscious. Well most of us anyway.
Plus we probably had much more access funds as most things were better priced.
ladyofbuffdom@reddit
A 30 year old in 1990 was likely to be married and have children. Big chance they were a homeowner, too.
A 30 year old in 2026 is less likely to be a married homeowner with children. Not saying that they're all that way, of course. I (35F) have a lot of friends and colleagues in my age bracket who still don't have kids, or have only just bought their first home. The cost of simply existing is so much higher now that simple life necessities aren't a guarantee.
Lordaucklandx@reddit
Literally everything
LionOfTheIsles@reddit
Number of kids
WranglerOriginal@reddit
Financial security.
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