Lot's of folks will have differing accounts for certain things. I have a primary checking, general savings, vacation savings, and emergency savings. I also have a shared checking with my partner that we dump house related money into for bills, mortgage etc. For general spending though, I tend to stick to credit and pay the balance off each month.

Can I ask your year of birth?

Define "Outside NYC". Can I ask your job and what you paid for the property? I suppose it's possible there are a few unicorns out there, but mileage varies and for most, owning a home mostly feels un-attainable at this point and is something only boomers or rich people can do.

If you have an average job in NYC metro and bought property in NYC metro, then there is something you're not telling us.

Land and home ownership are wildly more difficult things to buy these days. Back then OP's FIL could buy land, a house, a car or two and send 3 kids to college on his income alone working a normal job. Tax rate on the wealthiest member of society back then was 90% and the nations middle class thrived. I think the tax rate on the nations wealthiest these days are less 25% while the middle class burdens 37%+. Basically, today's adults do not possess the buying power of their parents/grand parents and most are locked in credit card debt. Something that didn't even exist back then.