outside the home like her in the 80s in the Midwest, even 30 something women in the ward worked, although less so than our neighbors, who were all non-members.

Women worked so you could afford to get into a house, which was tough with double digit mortgages plus inflation. You must have lived in an affluent area if most moms stated at home or your parents were older and started to earn more money.

I won't argue which era was harder financially, but I do think affordability issues are pretty close in both eras.

BTW, if you think I'm misrembering go research Time, Newsweek and newspapers during the 80s. Loads of stories how the 50/60s era America was dead because inflation and stagflation had pushed millions of middle class women into the workforce in order to get into a house and make ends meet.