system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: How was one person making minimum wage 30 years ago able to support a family of 5, buy a house, car and put the 3 children through college possible, but now minimum wage can barely provide enough to make rent now?

Edit: I guess I should add up to 40 and 50 years ago as well. When I think 30 years ago I'm thinking like the 1960's or 70's. Apparently I'm still living in 1995. 

Thank you for the answers!
gpt
I don't think minimum wage was ever *that* strong, but a big factor is that wages have risen very little in the US in the past few decades, despite increasing inflation. Minimum wage is designed to give all workers a basic living wage and it used to be able to do that, and if you want to understand why that's no longer the case well the real answer is a confusing analysis of the current US economic and political landscape.