I really feel like some of you have no real world friends, the context you have for reality is insane.
I mean, you're right I have basically no friends (I occasionally spend time with my roommate, or with a former coworker from another facility). After work/commute, I don't have the energy or time for much else except to spend time with my wife.
Anyway, here's the lens I view things from: I got hired and anticipated 120K by the time I was CPC. At the time there was a house I was eyeing in a different state that was an absolute dream. At 600K, it would've still been a bit of a stretch, but whatever. I thought maybe I'd certify, transfer, maybe go into management for a pay bump, buy the house.
Well, I didn't certify at that first facility. So I worked my way back up to a middle ground facility, and last year with OT cleared over 210K. People at that same first facility maybe clear 250K if they work as much OT as I do.
The house... well it sold last year for 1.9M.
So my "context" is I got hired to a career so valuable that we could potentially buy homes worth 1.9M.
On a more local level home prices have doubled in the last 5-10 years. My local dream home would be practical for me to purchase if it was still 2019. Or, you know, if I was making 400K. (And TBF I'm not even suggesting I should get 400K... but maybe the high levels should).