The economy has shafted millennials: now it wants their offspring too

[CarryOnNurse20]

AIBU to ask your opinion on this article?

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/sep/23/economy-millennials-children-low-birthrate?CMP=fb_cif&fbclid=IwAR1C57OgCdGCGhSr5uVLI5tRVeMCq-eNtyyxEuUiYOjYgSn5P2w3yMHQeTM

As a dreaded millennial and a mother I find it very sad and very true for a lot of people I know.

I don’t think a smartphone is a luxury nowadays either. I have to have one so that I can log on to my work VPN, and the 26-30 railcard is only available as an app, for example. I’ve had the same phone since 2017.

Beautiful avocados are 3 for $5 in Australia at the moment. It's awesome!

I rented for years and years the only way I got on the property ladder was through money left to me I was in my 30’s then

I lived in some really horrible run down places (which was the norm)

I didn’t get free university it just wasn’t something that I would have ever considered or most people I know who are my age from working class backgrounds. I studied in my 30’s paid the high fees and it’s deducted from my wages (about £80 a month)

It’s wasn’t all so rosey it’s swings and roundabouts and my life was certainly easier than my parents. Expectations in what we gained or experienced in life for many of us was much lower there wasn’t an expectation we would own a property or have a fulfilling career.

@salviapages

Some of the replies here honestly disgust me and make me question whether any of you actually know any millennials, or if you're just making judgements based on the tabloids.

Sure previous generations worked hard to pay their mortgage, but house prices were 2-3 times annual salary not 10+ times like they are now. Many jobs now require degrees when they didn't used to (eg marketing) and there is no longer free uni education. The job market has changed so in many industries you're expected to literally work for free as an intern in order to gain enough experience to get an entry level paid role. We have seen the rise of the 'side hustle' because millennials work for nothing or for very little so it's normal to have multiple jobs or start your own business on the side, anyone who tells me millennials don't work hard is just out of touch with reality.

Low birth rate also likely due to millennials having to live at home longer because of above reasons, who wants to have a baby at home. The entire generation is completely infantilised by having to live at home longer, or be reliant on parents helping financially, by it taking so long to start to be taken seriously and promoted in many industries because you can spend years working hard before you rise above a junior role, after interning and finally getting something entry level.
Childcare is ludicrously expensive and if you can barely pay your rent (most people have given up on the idea of ever being approved for a mortgage) how can you go part time or pay for childcare to support a child? I'm desperate to have children, have been for years. Can't do it financially. All of my extra money goes into savings for a house deposit. Would have to use all that money for a child. So I have to choose.

I rent. Almost all of my furniture is secondhand or free. Would love to buy a fixer upper but either too expensive or unmortgageable. My wedding cost £2.5k.

Yes all generations have issues. All generations work hard. But I'm fed up of the media and people on here deriding millennials when many of you had chances we don't get. Free uni education. The opportunity to get a mortgage on a crappy house. No need to pull the ladder up behind you and moan about millennials owning smartphones ffs.

I agree completely.

I think all the bollocks that people in their 50s and above talk about how millennials want everything new and won't make do with secondhand furniture etc is pretty offensive. Probably just so they can tell themselves that the reason millenials are getting squeezed from all directions is because they just can't be arsed to save and work "like we did in the olden days" The reason millenials are struggling are well documented and it's fuck all to do with whether they buy a bed secondhand or from IKEA.

Before Covid most 18 year olds take the route of going on group holidays, world travelling, big feck off birthday celebrations which then get turned into even bigger hen, stag, weddings, baby showers, gifts. It’s only become ‘cooler’ and more acceptable now to have smaller weddings and holiday in England. It’s not been the willingness to de-scale your everyday it’s a willingness to lifestyle living and events that’s the main thing that’s dripped out millennials extra cash at the end of each month. If anything good has come out of Covid it’s that people will feel less pressured in living like Z list celebrities and that IS coming from a millennial myself. Whatever you think.

Oh and the stupid hotel stay overs because we mustn’t upset Isabelle and their wedding weekend. It’s the willingness to be able to say ‘no can’t make it can’t afford it’ and descale yourself.

I’ve never been to a wedding, hen do, or baby shower. Or a big birthday do, we tend to just go out for dinner or brunch and pay for ourselves. And when I went travelling with my friends we stayed in hostels £20 or less a night. My DP went to his friend’s stag do but it was just a bbq in his garden…

@PattyPan

I’ve never been to a wedding, hen do, or baby shower. Or a big birthday do, we tend to just go out for dinner or brunch and pay for ourselves. And when I went travelling with my friends we stayed in hostels £20 or less a night. My DP went to his friend’s stag do but it was just a bbq in his garden…

same here. I was in a group chat with other millennial friends planning a holiday and several people dropped out because they didn't want to spend over £250 each.

@PattyPan that’s great but you must be the exception because my social media has been flooded with this Tom foolery for over a decade and you only need to look at Mumsnet trending threads.. peeved off bridesmaid robe buying.. brothers destination wedding.. to see it’s a thing.. my 12 year old has already got 32 consoles what else can I get him for Christmas this year? My grandparents went on U.K. holidays, family holidays to Butlins, think they had reception in a pub and married just the pair of them. Birthday celebrated at home. Non of this bar crawling, or long weekends in Prague. Everyone wants to be someone and the problem is at the end of the day and there’s nothing to show for it put a daft photo, and even that isn’t ‘real’ because it’s on a bloody phone!! I can assure you that is it wasn’t for social media, all of these lavish or expected ways of celebrating, holidaying and the like would be drastically cut down.

@TedMullins Yeah in post Covid times.I bet this wasn’t before Covid. And even if it was, you wouldn’t admit it. Od course everyone’s scrimping back now that it’s okay to.

Of course*

[quote Samuraisammy]@TedMullins Yeah in post Covid times.I bet this wasn’t before Covid. And even if it was, you wouldn’t admit it. Od course everyone’s scrimping back now that it’s okay to.[/quote]
No, it definitely was like this before Covid... I've been going on holiday with various friends for several years.

[quote Samuraisammy]@PattyPan that’s great but you must be the exception because my social media has been flooded with this Tom foolery for over a decade and you only need to look at Mumsnet trending threads.. peeved off bridesmaid robe buying.. brothers destination wedding.. to see it’s a thing.. my 12 year old has already got 32 consoles what else can I get him for Christmas this year? My grandparents went on U.K. holidays, family holidays to Butlins, think they had reception in a pub and married just the pair of them. Birthday celebrated at home. Non of this bar crawling, or long weekends in Prague. Everyone wants to be someone and the problem is at the end of the day and there’s nothing to show for it put a daft photo, and even that isn’t ‘real’ because it’s on a bloody phone!! I can assure you that is it wasn’t for social media, all of these lavish or expected ways of celebrating, holidaying and the like would be drastically cut down.[/quote]
I personally don't know anyone like this, I don't doubt they exist but it's not at all representative of my friendship group of social media in general. I don't follow anyone like this because I'd find it very tedious to watch. Nobody I know owns a car (we're in London, but still) people regularly ask each other for recommendations for affordable restaurants/cheap or free day trips/exhibitions that are free etc, talk about needing to budget and share tips for where to get good stuff second hand. And this is how it's always been, years before Covid. I personally have absolutely no interest in "keeping up with the Jones" I don't go abroad every year, when I do I have a budget in mind (usually under £300) and stick to it, I don't have a credit card or any debt beyond a mortgage (which is for my tiny 1-bed flat). I really don't recognise the people you're describing, but you do know you don't have to follow them if they annoy you? And if you disagree with this mentality why on earth have you bought your 12 year old 32 games consoles?!

@TedMullins Okay but that’s my point exactly, these yearly group holidays with chums weren’t a thing 40 years ago. Can’t you just enjoy the nice areas in the U.K and then if you meet someone, then go on holiday ? Again, I don’t remember any photos of my Gran, Agnes, Doris and Barbara taking their sun seekers holiday abroad together, all in a row grinning...

Well that’s the thing of course it’s going to be ten times tougher your living in flipping London!

You’re* for any keyboard warriors

I’m defensive of millennials but do have a few friends who have huge expectations of wedding/hen do/baby showers and I sometimes look stingy for saying no to things when everyone else doesn’t bat an eyelid. I think that’s always been the same across generations though in that different people choose to spend their money differently.

[quote Samuraisammy]@TedMullins Okay but that’s my point exactly, these yearly group holidays with chums weren’t a thing 40 years ago. Can’t you just enjoy the nice areas in the U.K and then if you meet someone, then go on holiday ? Again, I don’t remember any photos of my Gran, Agnes, Doris and Barbara taking their sun seekers holiday abroad together, all in a row grinning...[/quote]
I literally just said I DON'T go abroad every year, for the last 3 years I haven't been anywhere on holiday at all, in the UK or otherwise! And when I have been I certainly haven't performed the whole affair on Instagram, I'm not sure how you're reading this into my posts when I'm literally telling you my life is nothing like what you're describing

@Samuraisammy

Well that’s the thing of course it’s going to be ten times tougher your living in flipping London!

According to you it's ALL millennials though so why should that make a difference? I like living in London, I have a pretty nice life in my tiny flat, that I was able to buy because I saved the deposit myself over about 7 years by rarely going out, shopping, or going on holiday. And I don't drink which also saves a lot of money. I don't know why I'm justifying my life to you though as it seems you don't believe anyone who disagrees with you

@CarryOnNurse20

I’m defensive of millennials but do have a few friends who have huge expectations of wedding/hen do/baby showers and I sometimes look stingy for saying no to things when everyone else doesn’t bat an eyelid. I think that’s always been the same across generations though in that different people choose to spend their money differently.

That was in every generation, though wasn't it😁 Every generation has people with jnrealistic expectations of what their money could buy. The only difference is probably that credit is now INCREDIBLY easy to get. Which I think is really not great actually

@TedMullins Exactly, you’ve done well by living the kind of lifestyle that makes it possible to save - this is my point! It’s those that decide to not cut back on nicer holidays, attend every social event and celebration who then go onto complain that they’ve got a second hand table and yet I can’t seem to save for a deposit because property’z pricezzzz

[quote Samuraisammy]@TedMullins Exactly, you’ve done well by living the kind of lifestyle that makes it possible to save - this is my point! It’s those that decide to not cut back on nicer holidays, attend every social event and celebration who then go onto complain that they’ve got a second hand table and yet I can’t seem to save for a deposit because property’z pricezzzz[/quote]
well yes, I don't doubt these people exist as I said, and as others have pointed out people from every generation have been silly with money, but I don't think it's representative of ALL millennials

I think anything that reduces the population (that isn't horrible like viruses or disasters) is a good thing. We have too many people, so if people are reluctant to have children, I can't see that's a bad thing at all.

Yes I know people say we need people to wipe our bottoms when we are old, but that's not a reason to trash the planet even more than we have done already.

And I’m talking about those that don’t rent. Of course if you already rent it’s almost impossible to save but that’s obvious. Which is why it comes back to the idea that if you can move back into your parents and you can turn down Isabelles garish hen do, wedding weekend, Carl’s 30th around Edinburgh, Daves stag do to Hamburg, quit your girls hols to Tenerife and just look at the beauty on your doorstep, get a train more, stop with brunches at El Crappos, buy somewhere that isn’t in London if you can, in a house which isn’t a 3-4 bed semi but an ok flat or terrace which you can do up to sell, then yes it CAN be done.