So why are so many of us feeling the pinch, when we think we should be on a firm financial footing by now? It’s that the costs of housing and college tuition — major expenses for Gen Xers — have skyrocketed, tempering the impact of purchasing-power gains.“On paper, today’s dollar goes further, allowing more room for nonessential spending,” the analysis says.While it may not seem like it, Americans have 63% more purchasing power than they did back in 1973, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, according t ...