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.

As a millennial I resent the ongoing accusation that I would ever allow avocado to pass my lips.

This is such a cliche. I cringe at this 'snowflake' narrative which is what you're alluding too.

I also cringe at the entitlement in generations who feel they've 'earned' their second homes, property portfolios and 2, 3 or 4 times a year holidays and don't realise the impact this has on others.

Meanwhile millennials get shafted from both sides - repaying student loans, ridiculous childcare costs, saving for deposits, crazy rents and now higher NI to pay for your social care (or Brexit lets be honest - which older generations voted for more than most)

Yep. And also not much mentioned, the fact that one of the main reason companies have supressed salaries for current staff in recent decades is that they are still syphoning off company profits to pay for defined benefit pension schemes for boomers who have retired, that they europe never have committed to if they were running companies in a responsible manner and which the staff who are paying for it will not receive themselves.

They took tax cuts from North Sea oil rather than asking the Government to invest it in a sovereign wealth fund like Norway. They knew about climate change but did nothing. They took free educationa then decided young people now should pay. They got generous benefits if out of work. They had grammar schools to attend if they were poor but bright. They had decent apprenticeship programmes and jobs for life. They could hitch hike around Europe with an expectation of not ending up dead in a ditch. They've had the triple lock and the entire country shut down and lose jobs etc to protect them.

Yet we are the snowflakes, Just a tiny bit of empathy for how our situations are not as favourable - despite inside loos and smartphones and better availability of avocados - would not go amiss.

This seems to be a London/SE thing. The media talks about it as though it's a universal thing across the Uk, but most people I know in Scotland who are my age ("millennial" 30 somethings) have bought houses and have had children no problem. Same with friends in northern England and Northern Ireland. Lots of people are now on their second and third "forever" houses and on their second and third child.

The only people I know who fit the skint/ renting/no children/avocado eating millennial stereotype are those who sneered at the idea of living in "uncool" locations like small towns, or in the "boring suburbs" and insist on living in the trendy, hipster-y areas of Edinburgh, London, Sheffield, Manchester etc, paying extortionate rent. They also only want to do "cool" jobs rather than be a teacher, nurse, accountant, sales person or work in regional offices. Which is fine, but if you want to live in an expensive trendy area and have an extended adolescence, you can't then complain that you can't afford children or a house.

[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]
Your comments are absurd and offensive, but aside from that, the "what is there to show for it?" shows such materialism. Partly due to having been denied access to the material benefits of home ownership etc, and partly simply because of a shift in values, many millenials value experiences over physical property.

Given you have one life, if you have to live a miserable life for 15+ years anyway to save enough to get a deposit together for a really run down house, many have understandably decided that a few hundred pounds on a holiday with friends that they will really enjoy for a special occasion such as a friend getting married is a good use of money that will have a negligible impact on their ability or not to save for house ownership because of the sheer scale of deposits now required for that. It's not like normal people are off abroad every other weekend (even pre-Covid).

Your comments are either very ill considered or just vindictive.

flipping London!

What? Do you not realise that many people grow up in the largest city in our country and that's where their family and friends are?

What is "flipping" about it??

@Samuraisammy

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.

But clearly it's obvious that many people can't move back in with their parents. What do you suggest that these people do? You recognise it's almost impossible to save a deposit while renting so do such people - simply as a result of the bad luck of not having a supportive family - deserve to be excluded from any chance of home ownership?

@Annoyedanddissapointed

I don't know why "abroad" is painted in bad light. It's actually a saving in most cases, compared to holiday in UK.🤷🏻

Indeed. With much better food, landscapes, hotels and service for a lower price, including travel.

@Speakuptomakeyourselfheard

We actually moved out of the area where our parents lived, in order to be able to afford to buy, and that was back in 1977. Our first place was a semi detached 2 bed bungalow, in Northamptonshire, cost £7,700. I have 3 grandkids, and they wouldn't DREAM of moving out of the area to buy a home. I can't help wondering how many youngsters would be prepared to do that to get started on the ladder??

@Speakuptomakeyourselfheard, it depends on whether there are jobs available elsewhere. Often the areas with the cheapest houses have the worst economies. And with so many people requiring two incomes to afford a mortgage, it may become impossible for both to find a new job there.

@Samuraisammy

No perhaps Melissa needs to not pull a face because I won’t dance to snow patrol because I’m shattered after having to drive across and stay over at a hotel for a badly ventilated reception space with bad chairs but ooooh the lighting and oooh it’s a fairytale barn and ooooh hash tag be11 end.

Wow. You sound like so much fun. I hope your friends are equally enthusiastic about celebrating/ supporting you through big life events.

[quote Samuraisammy]@Annoyedanddissapointed it’s not people I hate, it’s people are more showy or lavish in really daft ways these days and are too selfish to see how much it costs others to partake with or too blind/self absorbed in their online image to see how tiring it’s made you on the day/occasion. It’s a circus for the cameras, a big fancy competitive circus.[/quote]
If you feel like this about them, why do you remain in contact with them?