real life

'I'm a millennial who spent too much on brunch and now I can't afford a car.'

I’m sure you read all about it yesterday.

Bernard Salt wrote for The Australian that millennials are spending their house deposit on brunch and the internet blew up in flames, engulfed by articles too outraged to be outraged so they simply took the piss instead.

They went a little like this:

I know this because, ah, more than one friend tagged me in the articles.

You see, I am the kind of millennial that ruins everyone else's reputation. When conversations at work inevitably cover why millennials aren't that bad with money and to be fair, house prices are inconceivably out of reach, I sit pretty tight.

When my parents ask my how my saving is going I smile, knowing full well they will never know the contents of my bank account until they realise I'm 40, can't afford a house but have spent the last 20 years eating overpriced toast with more than one coffee in tow.

Or at least, that was the plan, until last weekend that plan was blown wiiiiiiiiide open.

It was 4am on a Sunday morning, someone had slammed into my parked car so hard it was pushed 100m down the road and it was then and there that I realised that my poor car was dead and it wasn't coming back. Of course, insurance covers it.

But you should also know that Reggie, as he was so affectionately known, was also known most of the time as the worst car in Victoria and insurance would only give me so much back. Say, the cost of my next brunch date.

And so I found myself carless, with little in my bank account and nothing to show of the few years I have been (albeit part-time) working. I had accidentally spent most of my earnings on brunch and if it wasn't so stupidly depressing, it would almost be funny to the point where I'd laugh and tell you that you genuinely couldn't make this shit up.

And although I'm not dumb enough to speak on behalf of all millennials who have a penchant for a breakfast they could conceivably DIY at home, I have a small, tiny, very slight hunch that although Salt's article was fairly tongue in cheek, he's not not totally off the mark.

I am certainly not the only millennial who spends too much money on breakfast. I'm just sure the others have a car, is all.

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Top Comments

Think Different Or Die 8 years ago

I think it's a waste of money purchasing a house! Especially these overinflated days! It's just a thing in judgmental dull old Australia they brainwash you into thinking you have to do. People elsewhere spend there time and money actually having a life! People in New York, London, LA don't buy houses. Learn to have your own mind and stop being scared to be different!


Amy 8 years ago

As a Millenial, I don't like being pigeonholed. Amongst all my friends and a lot of people I went to school with, I have my shit together.
Hubby and I bought our house almost 5 years ago (when the prices where much lower). I was only 22 and had saved my arse off for 2 years to get my share of the deposit. My hubby was brought up differently so he already had the savings in his account.
Both hubby and I both have the same mentality of saving money versus spending it. We budget our arses off so that we cover most things thats may come up.
We would rather own our home by the age of 45-50 than being stuck renting for the rest of our lives.
Whilst we don't overly "live life" like most others do, we enjoy the life we have and do splurge every now and then.