Or have lower class families been buying plastic to increase the appearance of their quality of life for 6+ generations?
I get that we're going through mega-inflation since covid. Even before that, if you bought whole foods and clothes that aren't plastic (nylon), the ol' paycheck only stretched so far.
I'd really like to pick the brain of a self-aware Boomer and find out how long it's been like this.
It's so painful seeing the way people use food stamps. They'll buy ice cream, candy, cigarettes, booze, and lottery tickets all in one go, and they'll tell the cashier, "Put the food on this card, and the rest on my credit card".