Boomer parents being judgemental about gig economy income

[Cupofteaandnewspaper]

This is something I’ve noticed with myself but also a close friend. Our parents don’t understand our gig economy incomes and are very against it all, and only encourage us to have one job that’s a salaried thing they understand (e.g. run of the mill admin for a large company they’ve heard of).

I’m very into diversifying my income and developing a trickle portfolio through multiple platforms, all I get is negativity when I discuss this! I’m doing the safe thing of having a salary and building up on the side, I really see a lot of potential in what I’m doing and I wish my parents could see that it’s paying for various things. All I want is positive encouragement rather than being told it’s a bad idea!

YABU for the ‘boomer’ crap: ageism. If you’re going to reduce people to an age bracket it seems more likely your parents are Gen X anyway!

YABU for seeking validation from your family about your work choices and achievements.

YABU for using jargon like ‘trickle portfolio’.

YABU for being dismissive of your pension.

Do whatever you like workwise. Loads of good info out there on determining whether or not there’re realistic prospects of a good income from selling goods and providing services.

@ThinWomansBrain

As long as you aren't expecting them to subsidise or support you, none of their business.

Sadly that often is the case. My 19 year old sons newish girlfriend is full of the same pretentious bollocks as the OP. Her "income" if you can call it that seems to come from a little bit of shop work -I'm talking less than a day a week because the rest of her time is working on her "brand" which seems to consist of fancying around filming herself. I wouldn't care if it wasn't for the fact that she spends most of her time here with my son in his cottage on the estate, for which we pay the bills (he's training to be a carpenter), including the WiFi that she uses for her creative content. Again, that would be ok if it wasn't for the fact that she openly despises both my husband and I and her own parents for having steady jobs with a good income - and we have all had portfolio careers: I've worked in three part time jobs as a doctor and my husband is currently freelance in his area of international development. We're just dismissed as boring boomers with dull 9-5 office jobs....

[quote Cupofteaandnewspaper]@JunkIsland I’ve internalised their critical voices. Yeah, I might look childish responding to someone who says I’m causing boredom by waffling, at least I’m not internalising that insult too. It’s a joke in response to an insult.[/quote]
WTF? If this is how you speak to them then no wonder they aren't listening. They probably think you are talking a load of pretentious bollocks.

So, your partner has a good job then? Right. So you're actually working for a bit of pin money while they deal with the grown up things like mortgage/rent, bills and food?

It's clear that we cannot depend on a job, 100% anymore.

I think there's a lot of truth in that. Even jobs that used to be regarded as 100% safe, like civil service/local government and banks are often subject to cuts and redundancies. At one time, it was unthinkable that there would be redundancies happening in the police service, but that's happened where I live because they have merged some support services with a neighbouring force.

These days, I think it's very sensible to have more than way of making a living. It's spreading the risk.

I have a young relative who has a "proper" job Mon-Fri, runs an online business in the evenings, which brings her in £500-800 a month, helps her DF in his building company and is saving like mad to get a deposit so she can finance her first BTL property. She's approx halfway to that target and she's not yet 21. And she still manages to find the time to go out and have fun. I'm utterly in awe of her drive, determination and initiative.

I'm a boomer, and when I was her age, we were busy smoking dope, partying and going to gigs, funded by our well-paid and secure public sector jobs.

Things were so different in the 70s.

@LakieLady

It's clear that we cannot depend on a job, 100% anymore.

I think there's a lot of truth in that. Even jobs that used to be regarded as 100% safe, like civil service/local government and banks are often subject to cuts and redundancies. At one time, it was unthinkable that there would be redundancies happening in the police service, but that's happened where I live because they have merged some support services with a neighbouring force.

These days, I think it's very sensible to have more than way of making a living. It's spreading the risk.

I have a young relative who has a "proper" job Mon-Fri, runs an online business in the evenings, which brings her in £500-800 a month, helps her DF in his building company and is saving like mad to get a deposit so she can finance her first BTL property. She's approx halfway to that target and she's not yet 21. And she still manages to find the time to go out and have fun. I'm utterly in awe of her drive, determination and initiative.

I'm a boomer, and when I was her age, we were busy smoking dope, partying and going to gigs, funded by our well-paid and secure public sector jobs.

Things were so different in the 70s.

This is actually a really good point, at 21 I was a full time student, who also worked 20-30 hours a week in a minimum wage job, and never missed a night out. Sometimes I would work the breakfast shift, do a day of lectures, work an evening shift and then be at a house party until 6am.

Now I'm nearly 40, I have a child, I work approx 40 hours a week in a very stressful job that pays enough for me to live and save some money. I do enjoy my job though. I don't think I have the energy to do anything else other than work my 40 hours and spend quality time with my son. I have little down time as it is.

If you can't get or don't want a secure well-paid full-time job, then a portfolio of part-time jobs is a good option. No-one can say for sure which route is best, and not everyone can get a good full-time job anyway.

It's worth listening to your parents' opinion (and vice versa), but ultimately the decision is yours. You probably have to agree to disagree.

I wonder how many of those sneering at their safe, boring, boomer generation parents with their stuffy pensions and house mortgages paid off will be glad of the inheritance from same stuffy boomer parents when the time comes?

a portfolio of part-time jobs

What’s with this ‘portfolio’ nonsense? ‘Some’ or ‘a few’ is sufficient.

In the music and arts industries students are taught the term portfolio career. That’s why I use it.

So you think you are the first groundbreaking generation to juggle several jobs at once???
Sorry mate but its been going on for decades if not centuries..... Only it didn't have a "special" name or protracted description it was getting by with what was available

@DrSbaitso

Every generation thinks it invented sex and freelance income through various projects.

And fucking swearing

@Cupofteaandnewspaper you sound like a candidate on The Apprentice.

Disclaimer: That's not a good thing...

The people on The Apprentice all have jobs, usually running their own small business. They can describe what they do very easily. Run an online pyjama company or sell pillows.

@Swonderful

Just don't share with them if they're not supportive. They're not going to change.

They will be delighted not to have to listen to all this self-important jargon, please do stop sharing!

Why not just say look, my total annual income is £X which is clearly a good amount.

And stop telling them the ins and outs. If you need emotional support from your parents for your job that's a sign it's not a good job for you

SecretSpad your ds' girlfriend sounds insufferable and deluded. What does he see in her?

@blueshoes

SecretSpad your ds' girlfriend sounds insufferable and deluded. What does he see in her?

He's 19 and it's his first proper girlfriend so I imagine regular sex is the attraction 🤣

@Beastieboys

So you think you are the first groundbreaking generation to juggle several jobs at once??? Sorry mate but its been going on for decades if not centuries..... Only it didn't have a "special" name or protracted description it was getting by with what was available

I know, right? When I was first starting out I had a 9-5 in an office, did 2 nights a week in a pub, 1 evening a week manning a reception area and Saturdays in a shop.

It's just called getting enough money to move your arse out of your parents house 😁

SecretSpad that makes sense

Gig economy isn't quite the same as working several employed part-time jobs. It's more about doing self-employed, freelance and possibly somewhat ad hoc work, though this may be in addition to a secure, employed post. So for example, you might run a Baby Sensory class while creating and selling cross stitch patterns online and doing freelance dressmaking and maths tutoring. Or whatever. Each sale/commission/payment is a gig.

It's still not a new concept at all, though.

I'm guessing communication isn't one of your gigging skills. Please say it's not only fans.

@DrSbaitso

Gig economy isn't quite the same as working several employed part-time jobs. It's more about doing self-employed, freelance and possibly somewhat ad hoc work, though this may be in addition to a secure, employed post. So for example, you might run a Baby Sensory class while creating and selling cross stitch patterns online and doing freelance dressmaking and maths tutoring. Or whatever. Each sale/commission/payment is a gig.

It's still not a new concept at all, though.

Ah so like how my dear departed Nan used to work in a launderette, but also taught dancing, and also took in mending to do, in the 40's and 50's?

Agism is repulsive. 'Boomers'? How old are you? 50? 😂

I wish my parents had encouraged me to not try to find a steady job straight away, I have a good job but I have always encouraged my DCs to look at doing something they love and if that isn't quite enough to pay the bills then to do something else alongside it. I think my parents regret listening to their parents as much as they did when it came to work. My dad could have been a professional musician, he earnt more performing part time than his pretty well paid day job but it wasn't something that was approved of back then.

DS1 is mid teens, he is a working musician and earns reasonable money for his age, he is learning various areas of the industry so he can supplement his income during the day. He will get good exam grades also so hopefully this means if he decides to steer away from music he can.

DS2 wants to work with animals, he is currently doing some work experience with an animal walker and trainer. He will do formal qualifications also so if he wanted to do something more freelance and then top it up with a part time job then I would totally encourage him to do so.

I am not necessarily surprised your parents aren't supporting you, I think it is something people don't necessarily understand and were definitely not encouraged to do, however I am not sure I completely follow your post, you are using terminology that sounds a bit wanky TBH and perhaps they are not taking you seriously.

When DS or I explain what he wants to do people always think its a great idea as it opens up lots of different opportunities whereas when I read your post I thought Only Fans, MLM or Influencing. I am not sure if you are just writing in this way to be purposely vague so it's not outing or if you are actually not really doing anything specific that will actually earn you a living.

Calling them boomers is pathetic, ew. Being a parent doesn't mean just being an echo chamber of wow what an amazing decision, its not unreasonable to say back though that you don't want to discuss it as you're content and happy with what you're doing.