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.

Yes @Monkeytennis97 @EatYourVegetables I agree. It’s frustrating when my parents and their friends talk about how ‘hard’ they worked. We work hard too! Houses used to cost 2.5 x your salary from its 6.5 x a combined salary. It’s completely bonkers. I get a lot of stick from my grandmother about working when I have small children but the reality is life now is reliant on two people working. I’m part time but it’s not good enough.

Gen X are the ones before millennials? I think they still did ok, or perhaps it's just the ones I know as they managed to buy a house in time.

@CarryOnNurse20 totally agree.

@Lanique I agree

Now everyone wants an Instagramable house Mrs Hinch style. And weddings in the tens of thousands.

This is actually a thing I find more annoying than telegraph calling me a geriatric millenial who is ruing planet with my houseplant love.

No, we don't all want instagramable house. No we don't all want to be MRs Hinch. But we have nice things accessible. The reason why my parents saved for their living room wall furniture thong was simply because they did not have the shops like today. These things were usually ordered.

Actually, they have had more expensive stuff than I do!

But! Life did get considerably more expensive even without luxuries. They didn't spend on broadband connection, something what is today a basic bill for example.
And stuff doesn't last! Swear to god my grandma had (iirc) Candy fridge for 30 something years!
There is no way my washing machine will last 20. Just no way. It's 5 years old and I amgetting suspicious of some noises🙄

@EatYourVegetables

www.bankofengland.co.uk/monetary-policy/inflation/inflation-calculator

According to this, £7000 in 1974 would be about £74 600 in 2020.

I don’t think there are many houses or flats you can buy today for £74 600, avocado or no avocado.

There's tons round here. You could get a two bed house for that.

I bought my house in "92" for 16k . It has rotting windows, no central heating, no inside bathroom, no fitted kitchen and woodchip on every wall. We sat on my aunts conservatory furniture for 2years and the first winter in the house was bloody freezing. We didn't care though as we owned our home.
Very few people would live like that now days

@Annoyedanddissapointed I had that £5 ikea side table. That didn't exist for my parents. They also had this black & white telly in a spare room with push buttons that refused to die! stuff isn't made to last these days.

@doublemonkey not round here. Just looked up house on same estate as DM and DF's £3,500 1971 house. Same spec. Going for £420,000 now (London suburb).

[quote wellards]@Annoyedanddissapointed I had that £5 ikea side table. That didn't exist for my parents. They also had this black & white telly in a spare room with push buttons that refused to die! stuff isn't made to last these days. [/quote]
The £5 tables are indestructible though! 😂 That's probably the only exception. That was my first adult coffee table. It's still somewhere in a storage. Ah. The memories of overly shiny red thing in the middle of living room

It has rotting windows, no central heating, no inside bathroom, no fitted kitchen and woodchip on every wall. We sat on my aunts conservatory furniture for 2years and the first winter in the house was bloody freezing. We didn't care though as we owned our home.
Very few people would live like that now days

My first flat was freezing with single glazed rotting huge sash waters & crappy boiler. Every room including the bathroom had woodchip, no big deal I just stripped it. You'd struggle to find houses now without central heating or a bathroom.

@doublemonkey these discussions are always very London/South centred. It's just never made clear ao it aounds like nowhere in UK can that happen.

I was so glad to get rid of that table! 😆

There's tons round here. You could get a two bed house for that

According to RightMove there are 854 properties to buy for 80k or less within 20 miles of my postcode.

@wellards

It has rotting windows, no central heating, no inside bathroom, no fitted kitchen and woodchip on every wall. We sat on my aunts conservatory furniture for 2years and the first winter in the house was bloody freezing. We didn't care though as we owned our home. Very few people would live like that now days

My first flat was freezing with single glazed rotting huge sash waters & crappy boiler. Every room including the bathroom had woodchip, no big deal I just stripped it. You'd struggle to find houses now without central heating or a bathroom.

Mainly because they could be class uninhabitable and wouldn't be mortgageable. I wanted doer upper, but this was an issue and we just didn't have enough money to sort it without the mortgage and top up for works... So hey, that's also why people don't live like that anymore

@monkeytennis9, that doesn't surprise me but there are plenty of areas in the country with cheap housing. It's absolutey possible to get on the property ladder with a small deposit and wage.

@Annoyedanddissapointed good point. We are looking to move next year & I wanted a doer upper but the way building costs are at the moment it may end up more expensive than the house that's already done. I'll get accused of wanting an Hinched house though (not my style at all).

I cant read the full article. I think every generation has its struggles. My grandparents had ww2 and as far as I can tell, lived a very simple life, they didn't go abroad until they were in their 60's and they bought their first home in their 50's. My parents never had much money, mum gave up her career to raise the children and my Dad worked all hours. They paid v high interest on mortgage. They bought doer uppers so we always lived in somewhat of a building site. My dad had a company car and my mum had a small run around. I would say my upbringing has caused me to be cautious. I bought my first flat in my 20's, it was less than £100k and unless you are in London, flats at this price can still be found. Lots of my friends held off and lived at home for longer so they could move straight into their 4 bedroom new build with their Mercedes on finance. I struggle to sympathise too much with my generation because of how relatively luxurious our lives are. When I was a child, we went on one holiday a year. People now go on multiple, and they travel further. I have friends who go to Disney in Florida most years. I was born in the late 80's so am a millenial. The pressure to keep up with the Jones' is so prevalent for us now with social media. When I was in my 20's to some extent I tried, I paid £60pm for a phone etc so I had the latest model. Now I'm in 30's, I don't care, my phone is about 4 or 5 models old, my car is ten years old. I think people just need to get their priorities straight.

Imagine how much you’d have to borrow from your in-laws now though..

I say that as someone who owns a house in one of the most expensive housing markets in the world. It wasn’t exactly easy for us either but we literally could not afford to buy our own completely average house at today’s prices. We live a very frugal lifestyle despite decent incomes so we can set our kids up with a deposit, as renting is shit here. Doubt it would have even crossed our parents/in laws minds.

I find this whole "people wouldnt live like that these days" disagreeable. I can, I have and I do.

Are you seriously suggesting millienals are choosing not to get on the property ladder because it's not going to be instantly instagrammable?

And heres me thinking it was due to the soaring costs of housing and stagnant wages.

I'm lucky enough to own a house, mortgaged. I'm fucking terrified of losing my job and having to sell my home. Because if I do I'll NEVER get back on the ladder again.

Whoops in response to iago

[quote wellards]@Annoyedanddissapointed good point. We are looking to move next year & I wanted a doer upper but the way building costs are at the moment it may end up more expensive than the house that's already done. I'll get accused of wanting an Hinched house though (not my style at all). [/quote]
You know it used to be magnolia and grey filter? 😂 Swear to god, peole are so gullible.

Yeah, even if the works wouldn't cost more as ftb, we just could swcure the funding. Shame. I still think about that house. 😁 I had garden designed in my mind as soon as I walked into it😂

[quote doublemonkey]@monkeytennis9, that doesn't surprise me but there are plenty of areas in the country with cheap housing. It's absolutey possible to get on the property ladder with a small deposit and wage.[/quote]
Not if you are a teacher in London. So many teachers and other keyworkers end up jacking in London or the job. We need them.

@UthredofBattenberg

I find this whole "people wouldnt live like that these days" disagreeable. I can, I have and I do.

Are you seriously suggesting millienals are choosing not to get on the property ladder because it's not going to be instantly instagrammable?

And heres me thinking it was due to the soaring costs of housing and stagnant wages.

I'm lucky enough to own a house, mortgaged. I'm fucking terrified of losing my job and having to sell my home. Because if I do I'll NEVER get back on the ladder again.

I agree with you. I find that argument about wanting a show home quite abhorrent actually. So many millennials I know just want to start an adult life and not a sustained student one.

We are lucky to have a good income & are on the ladder & are millennials. We still have 2nd cars & furniture etc same as my friends, neighbours etc. Life is bloody expensive!