Do you know what really grinds our gears? The fact that things we grew up believing as gospel truths have taken a U-turn because let’s be honest: we live in a world where change is the only constant!
One Redditor asked, “What’s something that used to be true that isn’t anymore?” Thousands of users commented on this post, and we have compiled the ultimate list for you!
1. Repair, Not Replace
A discerning Reddit user commented, “It’s cheaper to repair than replace something.”
Another person pitched in to say, “This one hurts! I needed to sharpen my food processor blade, but sharpening was like 3x the price of a new one so…”
So yeah, the good old mantra of “it’s cheaper to repair than replace” has become a relic of the past. We live in a world where planned obsolescence is the name of the game. It’s a throwaway culture where fixing things is a dying art, and replacing them is the new norm.
2. Working in Summers To Pay for University
A Reddit user wrote, “You could pay your full year’s university tuition by working an entry-level summer job.”
Another person agreed to it and said, “When I was in HS, my summer job between JR and SR year, I earned enough for tuition and books for 2 years at my local community college. It would have covered 1 full year of in-state tuition at the State University. That was true until about 1998-2000.”
Nowadays, a summer job barely covers the cost of textbooks, let alone a semester’s worth of tuition.
3. Calculators
One said, ““You’re not going to constantly have a calculator in your pocket with you everywhere you go.””
Another replied, “It will always be faster. Now that my mental math skills have declined significantly, I find myself highly annoyed with how often I need to take out a calculator and how long it takes. It’s gotten so bad I can barely add two two-digit numbers together and be 100% sure it’s right.”
But fast forward to today, and guess what? We do have a calculator in our pockets, 24/7! Thanks, smartphones, for making everyone eat their words. Who needs a scientific calculator when you’ve got a sleek device that can calculate square roots faster than you can say “Pythagorean theorem”?
4. Working Hard
Back in the day, it seemed like if you put in the hours, aced your exams, and snagged that fancy degree, life would be a smooth ride.
Someone commented, “The only baby boomer I met that was on our side told me. “Back in my days, as long as you work hard, you’ll be okay in America. Now. I see young men AND women put in 60+ hours to get nowhere.” Working hard is not enough anymore.”
Another user responded, “If you work hard in school, get a good degree, and WORK FOR IT – you’ll be able to afford basic needs (a house, a car, kids)
My grandpa had a 6TH GRADE education and went to work at a Coca-Cola bottling plant at 15. Married at 18. Bought a house at 19. Raised a family (3 sons, my grandma stayed at home). Even had enough money for a yearly vacation. It isn’t true at all in 2023. Not in the least.”
5. Loyalty to a Company
A Reddit user wrote, “Being loyal to a company will get you rewarded.”
Another person pitched in to say, “I gave myself a 50% raise by working for a new company. HRs at a lot of corporations are hesitant to give out > 10% raises. It’s all BS.”
Promotions and raises? Good luck with that. Companies these days are more likely to hire someone from outside than reward the dedicated soul who’s been grinding away for years.
6. Disney
Back in the day, Disney was the epitome of affordable fun. You could practically smell the popcorn and hear the laughter of kids without worrying about breaking the bank.
One said, “Disney used to be cheap. I remember when people flipped out when it went from $22-$32 per ticket. and an annual pass was $200.”
Another person agreed to it and said, “I remembered a time when it cost under $100 for a family of 4 to go to Disneyland (mid-90s to early 00s.) In the late 00s, there were places where you could rent a ticket for the day and still go under $100 for 4 people until Disney cracked down on that and stopped allowing that to happen.
The last time was in 2011, and tickets to both parks were $112 for one person. I was shocked to discover that it was $200 for one ticket when I went in 2021.”
7. Cameras
A discerning Reddit user commented, “”The camera never lies”, talking about the photo or video evidence… these days, there are AI-generated images and deep fake videos, etc.”
Another replied, “Meanwhile, old-timey photographers have been ‘airbrushing’ photos to give ladies insanely tiny waists since the 1800s.”
Now we’ve got deepfakes and AI-generated images that can make your grandma look like a professional skateboarder or your cat recite Shakespeare!
8. College Degree
Employers are picky. It’s not just about your degree anymore. They want experience, internships, volunteer work, and maybe a magic trick or two.
A Reddit user wrote, “”A college degree will get you places.””
Another user responded, “It’s a lie now, but it used to be true. Now, the labor market is saturated with people who have degrees. By the same token, a high school diploma used to be a big deal. Now, not only is it not impressive, but it’s assumed that something’s wrong with you if you don’t have one.”
9. McDonald’s Prices
It used to be that you could treat your friends to McDonald’s without emptying your wallet. Now? You practically have to sell a kidney to host a McDonald’s dinner party.
Someone commented, “$3.00 Big Mac combo meal. 1993 wasn’t 30 ducking years ago, was it.”
Another person pitched in to say, “I still remember the 1€ stuff like cheeseburgers and small milkshakes. Even a small milkshake is 3-4 times that now.”
10. Burger King
Remember when the King ruled over a realm of affordable deliciousness? You could snag a Whopper, fries, and a drink without breaking a sweat or your bank account.
One said, “Around 1996, we used to get 2 Whoppers for 2$ at Burger King.”
Another person agreed to it and said, “Yes, the equivalent was £1 whopper, lol. I get my kids just nuggets, etc. it’s just crazy, nearly £30.”
11. Hardee’s
Remember when a combo meant you could save a few bucks? Now, it’s more like a cruel joke. Sure, you get fries and a drink, but at what cost?
A Reddit user wrote, “I remember buying breakfast at Hardee’s for $2.45 around that same time. I could dig that out of my pockets and between car seats.”
Another replied, “Hamburger was 59 cents, cheeseburger 69. I remember the signs hanging from the ceiling. Just checked my app. The hamburger is $2.39. Cheeseburger $2.49. I see the slice of cheese hasn’t gone up!”
12. Subway
Someone commented, “$5 footlongs! Went to Subway a little while ago, and it was almost $18. Insane.”
Another user responded, “Omg. I have fond memories of my high school bf and I am splitting an Italian $5 foot long at Subway while we skipped school. This was in 2010. Guess we can’t have that anymore!”
And what’s the deal with the sizes? A small soda is now the size of what a large one used to be.
13. Texting vs. Calling
One said, “Texting takes too long. Just call me.”
Another person pitched in to say, “Texting was just becoming the norm when my kids were of an age to start using that feature. If someone texted me and I had to respond with more than a few words, I’d just hand my phone to my kids and dictate a message 😆”
Calling? That became a relic of the past.
14. The Internet
A discerning Reddit user commented, “The Internet will bring people together and enable them to share knowledge for the benefit of all.”
Another person agreed to it and said, “OK, boomer! J k. That was just an example to prove you’re point. It’s not educational as much as toxic.”
But fast forward to today, and the internet has become this wild, chaotic jungle.
15. Printed Grammar
One said, “If you saw something in print, you were 99.999% sure it was grammatically correct and spelled right.”
Another replied, “I’ve been noticing a lot of basic errors in advertisements lately. Starting to get a bit more than just irritating.”
The worst part? It’s contagious! You see one typo, then suddenly, you start questioning every piece of writing out there.
16. Pluto
A Reddit user wrote, “Pluto isn’t a planet. Also that Pluto is a planet.”
Another user responded, “Hardcore Pluto fan here. Luckily I was out of school before they effed with the classification. Broke my little heart! The dwarf planet now.”
Are you on team “Planet Pluto” or do you think it’s not a part of our primary solar system?
17. Stranger Cars
Back in the day, if you told your mom you were hopping into a stranger’s car you met on the internet, she’d probably faint. It was the epitome of risky behavior. Meeting someone online? Fine. Chatting with them? Sure. But physically getting into their car? That was a big, fat NO. It was like asking for trouble, or so we were told.
Someone commented, “Don’t get in cars with strangers. Especially those you meet over the internet.”
Another person pitched in to say, “And now we can’t live without Uber, it really made my life easy but goes against everything my parents taught me lol.”
18. Inflation
Remember the days when a dollar could buy you a decent snack, maybe even a small feast if you were lucky? Ah, those were the glory days!
One said, “At least where I live, inflation, for the most part, hasn’t gone fully back down for grocery shopping. Most restaurants have also maintained the same prices that they had since COVID-19, and have not lowered them since. If anything, they are still slightly increasing.”
Another replied, “Everything has gotten so expensive, we can’t even afford basic needs in this trash economy.”
19. Sewing Your Own Clothes
Once upon a time, the idea of making your own clothes seemed like the ultimate money-saving hack. You’d pick out some fabric, grab a pattern, and voilà! A custom-made outfit that didn’t break the bank.
Someone commented, “That you can save money by sewing your own clothing. Ready-to-wear clothing used to be more expensive, but with the rise of manufacturing overseas and now fast fashion, it hasn’t been cheaper to make your own clothes since probably the ‘80s.”
Another user responded, “I sew as a hobby, and so I can have a custom fit, but normally the fabric alone costs me as much as just buying something from Target.”
20. Climate Change
A discerning Reddit user commented, “Summer is so nice, perfect for going outdoors. Now, it is not summer, but fire season/ heatwave season/ drought season, and you can’t comfortably leave the house before sunset. And it will only get worse.”
Another person pitched in to say, “There is no need to get involved with climate change protests yet; there is plenty of time. What BS”
Climate change isn’t this far-off, abstract problem anymore. It’s not just about rising sea levels in some distant future. It’s here, it’s now, and it’s knocking on our doors. Wildfires are raging, hurricanes are getting nastier, and temperatures are soaring. The planet is sending us SOS signals, and it’s time we start paying attention.
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This article was produced and syndicated by A Dime Saved.
