I built "Middle Class Museum", a tour of things that used to be affordable

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

A satirical web project called “Middle Class Museum” — a tour of things that “used to be affordable” — has prompted debate over whether it misleads by ignoring inflation, quality improvements, and wage changes. Commenters argue over how much life has actually become less affordable, contrasting rising costs of housing, healthcare, and education with cheaper or better consumer goods, and highlighting policy choices like zoning, healthcare structures, and financial aid as key drivers. Many feel that presenting nostalgic price comparisons without context reinforces economic resentment rather than clarifying how living standards and tradeoffs have really changed.

Project concept and intent

  • Creator built “Middle Class Museum” as a browser-based, satirical walk-through of things that “used to be affordable” (homes, pensions, cars, Blockbuster, etc.).
  • Implemented with vanilla HTML/CSS/JS, no backend.
  • Author emphasizes it’s meant as humor/satire, not a rigorous finance explainer, but acknowledges criticism and considers adding “satire” and “not inflation adjusted” disclaimers and possibly revising numbers.

Inflation, wages, and affordability

  • Many commenters argue that failing to adjust for inflation makes the comparisons misleading or “disinformation.”
  • Some show that old prices, once adjusted, are closer to today’s prices (e.g., 1980 house or car costs) and say that median wages have roughly kept pace overall.
  • Others insist that even inflation-adjusted, core necessities (housing, healthcare, education, childcare) have outpaced wages, while many consumer goods (TVs, computers, software) have become cheaper.
  • There is sharp disagreement on whether “life was more affordable in the 80s/90s,” with some asserting clear decline in affordability of basics and others saying standards and expectations have simply risen.

Quality, features, and expectations over time

  • Critics note that old houses, cars, and products were smaller, less feature-rich, and often less reliable or safe.
  • Others counter that older items were easier/cheaper to repair, communities did more DIY maintenance, and that “seatbelts and airbags” shouldn’t be the main benchmark for progress.
  • Several point out that people now expect larger homes, SUVs, and more amenities, which drives cost.

Housing, cars, and big-ticket items

  • Housing: debate centers on land scarcity, zoning/NIMBYism, and lack of new starter homes/condos. Some say you can still find sub‑$300k homes in many cities; others stress regional crises.
  • Cars: comparisons of 1980s station wagons vs today’s compacts/SUVs, interest rates, loan terms, and the shift to leasing/financing. Disagreement over whether cars were really cheaper “in real terms” and whether Americans simply prefer bigger, more expensive vehicles now.

Pensions, retirement, and financial vehicles

  • Some nostalgically highlight defined-benefit pensions; others emphasize they were risky (employer insolvency, fraud) and prefer modern defined-contribution plans with low-cost index funds.
  • Discussion touches on rising life expectancy making pensions costlier, deferring retirement for higher payouts, and the role of tax-advantaged accounts.

Broader economic and political framings

  • Thread includes debates over Marx, labor theory of value, and whether workers should be able to afford what they produce.
  • Some blame corporate concentration, tax avoidance, and deregulation for rising costs of essentials and advocate redistribution and unions; others argue narratives of oppression are exaggerated or misleading.
  • Monetary policy and stimulus are briefly contested, especially around inflation causes.

Everyday costs, subscriptions, and lifestyle

  • Comparisons between Blockbuster rentals vs streaming subscriptions generally favor the present on cost and convenience.
  • Some argue people overpay via lifestyle choices (premium phones, streaming bundles, coffee, frequent upgrades) rather than structural unaffordability alone.
  • Others stress that cheap entertainment doesn’t offset high housing, healthcare, and education costs.

Design, UX, and factual nitpicks

  • Complaints about horizontal scrolling not working well with scroll wheels and copy/paste being disabled.
  • Corrections raised about TSA shoe rules, modern savings account yields, current car subsidies, and specific numeric errors (e.g., student loan averages).