So let’s take it back to when my parents were young and attitudes were totally different.
Firstly, when my parents married my mother had to give up work as it was expected that she would have children and would be concentrating on their wellbeing
Secondly, they managed on one salary (I am not sure if you could get two salary mortgages then). Sure, we didn’t go on foreign holidays nor have a car but we were happy. My father was out of work for about 6 months but we seemed to cope.
Thirdly, my uncle had to marry his lady friend in order to take a foreign holiday; maybe she was expected to travel on his passport, but the holiday company would not accept a ‘two singles’ booking.
The introduction of the pill meant a woman had a right to choose and this spread to her right whether to work or not. More money in the system means more ways to spend it and with that came house inflation. So, for people like Dan (whom I have every sympathy for on this topic), would his family be better off in the 50s/60s, and would he be prepared to give up the freedoms we now have to have the same lifestyle as then?