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An edited meme of Spongebob "from" 2009 and 20023. He's holding a placard that compares the wildly different costs of living in both years.
Cheapism

A recent post on the subreddit r/WorkReform by u/LiveBeyondYourMemes said simply, “We can all agree that housing is overpriced and wages are too low” above a meme of Spongebob Squarepants holding signs of the median home prices in 2009 and 2023 ($185,200 vs. $436,800) and the unchanging minimum wage (yes, it’s still $7.25). 

The post inspired other Redditors to flex their admittedly angry funny bones in response. Here are some of the best we found.

It’s Not the Ticket Prices, Stupid

Verona, VR, Italy - June 5, 2017: Live concert inside the Ancient Roman Arena with many people and stage
ChiccoDodiFC/istockphoto

Redditor u/DarkKerrigor pointed out that the obvious problem of high-priced housing isn’t getting the focus by some clueless groups: “Business owners at concerts: “Millennials are killing our business by not purchasing $18 beers after having to buy scalped and substantially overpriced tickets thanks to Ticketmaster.”

It’s the Avocado Toast, You Millennials!

It's the Avocado Toast, You Millennials!
Cheapism

It’s an old joke now, but Redditor u/DrunkenNinja27 joshed, “I inherited millions and pissed it all away on my avocado toast addiction.” The pain of elder Millennials.

Related: 18 Things Boomers Need to Stop Saying to Millennials About Money

No Kids Allowed (or Wanted)

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Tero Vesalainen/istockphoto

After Redditor u/whatsaphoto pointed out colleges will see a huge drop in the number of applications once the elder Millennial trend of not having children kicks in, they explained the trend wasn’t one they were sad to see: “Frankly, I’m here for it, and will be eagerly watching the tuition bubble burst with all the vigor and aggression of a dying star.”

Childfree By Choice

Childfree By Choice
Amazon

As far as being childless, plenty of Redditors saw an opportunity to joke about their childfree “choice.” Redditor u/GreenElvisMartini quipped, “My not having children is not a choice! I was born childless!”

Related: 20 Reasons Not to Have Kids

Family Unplanning

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monkeybusinessimages/istockphoto

The birth rate downward spiral has to stop, right? Maybe. Redditor u/CwazyCanuck helpfully pointed out, “Soon enough people will start having babies again because they can’t afford condoms.”

Not the Movie Ending We Wanted

idiocracy word abstract in vintage letterpress wood type
marekuliasz/istockphoto

Redditor u/1amys3if compares life to a movie — a comedy that is becoming more depressingly real by the day. “Backstory of ‘Idiocracy’ intensifies.”

Related: 20 True Things We Actually Learned From Movies and TV

Finally, Affordable Housing

shuttered foreclosed house
Zillow

Want the cheap home featured in the Spongebob Squarepants meme? Redditor u/BEAMeUPScuT crowed, “i found the house!!! it’s only 15k!” And linked to this sad Detroit teardown. But hey, it is cheap, and at least you’d be Reddit famous.

Related: Massive Homes Across America Listed for Less Than $100k

Meet the Writer

Liane Starr has contributed to outlets including the Los Angeles Times, The Hollywood Reporter, People, Budget Living, and more. She still clips coupons. You can reach her at [email protected].