The mainstream media likes to talk a lot about baby boomers and millennials. Both are large generations, so it makes sense on numerous levels. However, if you’re a Gen Xer like I am you know many forget about our generation. It’s so prevalent that only we can affectionately remember certain things and events. Here are 14 things you will remember if you’re a part of Gen X.
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Columbia House Collection Notices
Oh, Columbia House. You could get up to 12 cassettes or CDs for as little as one penny. The only catch was you had to agree to buy a certain number of items at the list price.
Then came the collection notices, warning you that you owed some minuscule amount under $20. I wish I had a dollar for every one of those I received over the years.
Not Always Being Reachable
Having a cell phone is terrific. It helps in emergencies or when you merely need to look something up. It also means you’re always reachable.
A Gen X person often longs for the day when you’re not always reachable.
Arcades
Gaming systems came of age for the Gen X crowd. But, not everyone had an Atari or Intellivision. In that case, you went to the neighborhood arcade, hopefully with a pocketful of quarters.
Going to the Mall
Gen X is the last generation that remembers what it was like before the internet. If you wanted to purchase something you needed to go to the mall. However, the mall was much more than simply a place to get something you need.
It was one of the best places to hang out with your friends. You could waste hours merely walking around and going into stores. That was until Amazon took over.
Riding Bikes Without Helmets
Not everything from Gen X was good. Take riding bikes without helmets. We didn’t wear helmets, and if we fell off our bike, we just had to walk off the pain.
However, we weren’t afraid to do it. We just got on our bikes and rode like the wind.
Payphones
Mention the payphone today and you’re bound to get goofy looks. I know our teen children give us odd looks when we talk about pay phones.
But, Gen X knows. If you had to make a call and you weren’t at home, it often involved a pay telephone.
Needing to Walk Across the Room to Change the Channel
Do you hate it when your TV remote is on the fritz? Gen X remembers when the remote stopped working properly and had to walk across the room to change the channel for their parents.
Massive CD Binders
Hair metal and grunge music came into their own during the 80s and 90s. Many Gen Xers delved deep into both styles, and it showed with massive CD binders.
These cases could hundreds of CDs, all with our favorite music. If you had a five disc changer, then you were on top of your game.
Beepers
If you were that important to be more reachable, you had a beeper. It gave the holder a felt sense of achieving some level of popularity or anticipation.
Never no mind you that if you got beeped, you had to find a phone to use.
Waiting on the Internet
Today, we all lose patience when it takes 1.2 seconds for an internet page to load. For Gen X, they remember the days of dial-up.
You could go to AOL, launch the internet, go make yourself a meal, and hope you’d have access by the time you were done eating.
MTV Actually Showing Music Videos
My wife and I were watching a show on Paramount+ recently, and the first thing that showed was a logo for MTV Entertainment Studios. That got us talking and reminiscing about MTV actually showing music videos.
If you remember rushing home from school to watch music videos or catch the latest drop from Madonna or Guns N’ Roses you know you’re a part of Gen X.
Using a Walkman
We didn’t have phones or Spotify to listen to our favorite tunes. We had a Sony Walkman, and we spent countless hours listening to our favorite cassettes on them.
Bonus points if it was a mix tape we had made.
Blockbuster on the Weekends
Before Netflix, Gen X had Blockbuster. Many Gen X kids would head to Blockbuster, with or without their family, to rent a movie for the weekend.
We just had to make sure to rewind the movie before returning it so as not to get hit with a fine.
Being Latchkey Kids
Before getting the ability to drive, being a latchkey kid meant you had some level of independence and autonomy. It meant you got home before your parents did and you could reasonably do what you wanted.
Parents are much too protective today to allow for such things.
Phrases We Can’t Use Anymore, Thanks to Gen Z
Language changes over time. Add that to increased sensitivity of Gen Z and there are sayings we can’t use anymore. Here are 12 phrases that Gen Z has deemed needs to go away.
12 Phrases Gen Z Won’t Let Us Use Anymore
10 Signs it’s Time to Cut Adult Children Loose
Parents feel the pull to support their kids, but it can go too far. Here are ten concerning signs that it’s time to cut off your adult children for their own good.
10 Signs it’s Time to Cut Adult Children Loose
10 Things Gen Z Won’t Let Us Do Anymore
Every generation puts their imprint on society, and that’s certainly the case with Gen Z. Here are ten things the generation won’t let us do anymore.
10 Things Gen Z Won’t Let Us Do Anymore
How to Multiply Your Money
Get-rich-schemes are typically scams. However, there are ways to truly grow your wealth. While not flashy, they can help you build real wealth.
7 Ways to Make Mailbox Money
Mailbox money is a lot like passive income. You only need a little money to start to receive checks in your mailbox. Pursue these options to grow real wealth.
I’m John Schmoll, a former stockbroker, MBA-grad, published finance writer, and founder of Frugal Rules.
As a veteran of the financial services industry, I’ve worked as a mutual fund administrator, banker, and stockbroker and was Series 7 and 63-licensed, but I left all that behind in 2012 to help people learn how to manage their money.
My goal is to help you gain the knowledge you need to become financially independent with personally-tested financial tools and money-saving solutions.
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