It’s Not Just Avocado Toast
Millenials complain. A lot. They probably don’t consider their concerns complaints, but quite often they are. I’m a Millenial, so I can say that. In case you missed it, that’s a play on a common, eye-roll-inducing phrase used by, you guessed it, Millenials (but by Boomers, too) when they attempt to explain how they “get” how a person of color or LGBTQ person or some other minority demographic feels about something-- “I’m Asian, so I can say that,” “My cousin is gay, so I can say that.” Anyway, I thought it was funny, so I said it. Moving on.
Millenials like to complain. Specifically, Millenials like to complain about how older generations complain about Millenials. Many Millenials take offense at the assertions made by older generations and the media that Millenials are “ruining everything.” And, in some respects, Millenials are probably justified in those complaints.
But, not too long ago, there was a New York Times article suggesting that Millenials could afford to buy houses if they just skipped the avocado toast. Why? Because avocado is freaking expensive, and you’re buying it in droves. Millenials were outraged by such an assertion-- “or maybe it’s because we’re tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt,” “or maybe it’s because the Baby Boomers tanked the housing market,” “or maybe it’s because the minimum wage doesn’t correlate to cost of living increases.” Millenials explained away the assertion that avocado toast was the reason they could not afford to buy houses. They were really offended at the idea that their spending habits were the reason why they can’t afford houses.
And, again, maybe those complaints are valid. Maybe it’s not all Millenials’ fault. But, at least some of it is. I’m a big advocate for self-responsibility. I started working when I was 15. Why? Because I wasn’t legally allowed to start working at 14 (that’s my dad’s favorite line). Since high school, I’ve been responsible for any extras that I wanted. I have been blessed with hard working parents who did as much for their kids as they could. We never went hungry. We lived in a nice neighborhood. We went to Catholic school-- because all of that was really important to my very hard working parents, who each worked at least two, but often three or four jobs my entire life (not just my childhood. My entire life. As in still. At 60 years old.). But, there weren’t a lot of extras. Extras we had to pay for. I had to pay for concert tickets or to go to the movies or to go out to lunch or to get guac on the side (just kidding, I don’t even eat avocado, but the point remains). We had to work if we wanted anything beyond necessities. And we were, and continue to be, better off for it.
Now that I’m grown, I recognize that I still have to decide which extras are worth shelling out for. I like to drink Starbucks, I like to get my nails done, and I like craft beer. I like to go on trips if I can and eat at different restaurants. I don’t care about having nice or new clothes. I’ve been wearing the same pair of yoga pants for six years. I buy dollar store makeup. I prioritize what I spend my money on based on what I care about.
And, if I cared about owning a house, I’d have to make a choice-- spend less on extras and more on achieving that goal.
So, Millenials are probably right-- it’s not just avocado toast. But it might also be that you pay for Spotify; that you use Blue Apron or some other meal prep service; that you use Pea Pod or Amazon Pantry or some other grocery delivery service; that you spend $100 a year on Amazon Prime so you can get “free” shipping on stuff that you probably don’t need in the first place; that you use Uber instead of walking or taking the bus; that you use Stitch Fix or some other service that frequently refreshes your wardrobe; that you recycle your cans and bottles instead of returning them for the five-cent deposit; that you insist on buying organic even though you probably don’t know the benefits or lack thereof to doing so; that you need Beats headphones because they’re “just the best”; that you need a tablet in addition to your smartphone because keeping a paper calendar is just too difficult to keep track of; that you pay extra for gluten-free bread even though you don’t have a gluten sensitivity or upgrade to almond milk even though you’re not lactose intolerant; that you pay to access Khloe Kardashian’s website; or, yes, that you get guac on the side even though you *know* it costs extra. None of those things are bad. But, they’re extras.
It’s a combination of things. The reason you, as a Millenial, cannot afford a house certainly has something to do with staggering student loan debt and a crummy housing market. And it’s not necessarily JUST because you spend too much money on avocado toast.
But, buying a house is a big decision, an important, adult decision. Making adult decisions means making adult sacrifices. And it means taking responsibility for your predicament instead of complaining.
I’m not an economist. I don’t do numbers. But, I do observe. And I see a lot of Millenials spending a lot of money on things that older generations didn’t even have the option to buy when they were looking for their first homes. I’ve got to believe that a big part of the problem is spending priorities and resource allocation.
If you want a house, save for a house. A way to start might be to cut out the extras, even if they don’t feel like extras. That might include making yourself breakfast instead of buying your weekly avocado toast.
