Typical Millennial bank statement

[Beartracks]

From Twitter:

Link to tweet

Typical Millennial bank statement

$4 coffee
$8 lunch
$4 coffee
$2,000 for rent
$15 Lyft ride
$12 for Netflix
$9 lunch
$4 coffee
$8,000 bill from doctor
$20 at brunch
$400 student loan payment

The problem is obvious. By making lunch at home this person could have saved $3.

=====================

[malaise]

1. Profound

Get thee to the greatest page for visibility

[Woodswalker]

2. Yea the ole entitled pull yerself up by yer bootstraps crowd bleats that all the time

[Sapient Donkey]

9. Like that one guy who said if people didn't buy smartphones they could afford healthcare

Just totally detached from reality.

[OldBaldy1701E]

100. Or the modern opinion

That 'refrigerators are a luxury'. (I still laugh about that one.)

[KS Toronado]

3. "By making lunch at home this person could have saved $3."

Sounds like a typical reQublicOn talking point....concentrate on little things, ignore the "elephant"
on the bank statement.

[aggiesal]

31. Dan Price is far from being a (R) ...

That was sarcasm.

Dan Price is the corporate CEO that decided to pay everyone in his company a minimum $70K
Against criticism from other CEO's, and it worked. His employees were able to start families and buy houses and they got a influx of job applicants.

[orleans]

37. well, i thought that last line about making lunch at home was pretty funny and

it made me laugh

[Crunchy Frog]

63. I think that was the entire point.

[jaxexpat]

4. My "bank statement" never comes in this format.

Of course, I never pay $4.00 for coffee, either.

Why is that a thing?

But really, It's the obscenity of an education loan payment. A well educated populace is fundamental to a successful national economy and society. How else can we expect people to pay their $2000.00 rent?

[Wednesdays]

40. A grande frappuccino is $5.45 at Starbucks. nt

[ShazzieB]

90. Sure is! 😋

That's practically the only thing I get there. Except when I'm feeling frugal; then I get the iced tea.

Of course, if I'm feeling REALLY frugal, I stay away from Starbucks.

[Beartracks]

110. Isn't that the smallest Starbucks size?

VENTI > GRANDE > Tall > short ... and frugale.

===========

[cayugafalls]

105. I make my own Frap or Flat white or Cap or espresso. Roast my own beans too...

I can make all 4 of those drinks for less than the one you quoted...and it tastes better too.

Of course, not everyone is a coffee nerd, a banner I wear proudly.

[Ligyron]

122. I used a modified popcorn popper to roast beans.

‘Course I’m cheap that way but it worked fine for small batches, which is all we needed.

lotta fun too plus shipping was Relatively cheap back when I was doing it and oh my gawd, that smell would about drive you crazy with desire for a cup.

Love unwashed Sumatran just into 2nd crack.

[appalachiablue]

109. The Sounds of Starbucks - Tim Hawkins

- I can't say this parody doesn't make some hilarous points. What the singer's politics are I don't know, just that he does Christian comedy.

[CrackityJones75]

43. Why is that a thing?

Last edited Fri Oct 8, 2021, 12:34 PM - Edit history (1)

“ Why is that a thing?”

Because people should be able to enjoy minor indulgences that they care for from time to time?

[jaxexpat]

67. It's more important to exercise self control against purchases that damage ones

cashflow than to satisfy unnecessary self-entitlements. At some point irresponsibility is just irresponsible.

[CrackityJones75]

75. A coffee!

O…..M…..G!

A coffee is irresponsible?
A lunch is irresponsible?

What world do you live in?

[wellst0nev0ter]

119. That coffee sure is irresponsible

Get your joe at the local gas station like the rest of us poors

[jaxexpat]

124. I contend that luxuries sap fiscal responsibility.

Trendy luxuries......are for those who have spare income. Statistically, wherein some majority of people can't come up with $400.00 cash and the wealth of the nation is held in the hands of less than 1% of the population, we're a nation of paupers. If you can afford luxuries, then good for you. However, if you're one that claims the "right" to overspend on "must-have" items because...everybody else does then any natural system will eventually chew you up and spit you out. It is, sadly, the stuff of poetry.

[Act_of_Reparation]

91. Are you trolling us right now?

I sense trolls.

[jaxexpat]

123. Then you need your troll sensing device serviced.

Let me be "pellucidly" clear. To the extent that American capitalism is inherently unfair and essentially a criminal enterprise it is a 'shame on them' situation. To the extend that we blithely justify paying exorbitant prices for fancily packaged nonessential commodities it is a "shame on us" situation. If you do not see the common thread that links added sugar in virtually everything we eat, Starbucks et al, off-shoring of manufacturing jobs, horrifyingly concentrated wealth in the top 0.01% and MAGA America then perhaps you could find, in your troll spotting schedule, a moment or two to reflect on how people could overcome blindness to live a fulfilling life in 2021 America.

[Act_of_Reparation]

127. The important part here is you found a way to feel superior to everyone else.

So, uh, congratulations. I guess.

[jmowreader]

106. The $8000 doctor bill kinda stood out too

[Martin68]

117. I guess I have to conclude that this is not a typical Millennial bank statement. $8,000/month for

medical expenses? Only 2 Starbucks a month? Only eat out twice a month? This is totallybogus. Let's see the rest of the statement: groceries, transportation (bus, gas, whatever), phone bill, etc. This hypothetical person only writes checks? What about a credit credit statement? Let's get real.

[rso]

5. Dan Price

Dan Price is an exemplary CEO, a true American treasure in the business World.

[ashredux]

6. Ah, pardon me, but the 8k doctor bill is the "elephant in the room"

[Loki Liesmith]

7. In no way is an 8000 dollar doctor bill a typical millennial expense

[mwooldri]

10. You're right. Not typical at all.

Depending on what the reason was for going in, it's far too cheap. Unless that's just meeting the deductible.

I think the highest medical bill I got was for a cool quarter million dollars, that's for a day long surgery and six weeks in the NICU... That was in 2003; I'd hesitate to even guess how much now but I know my portion of that bill would top $8,000. Back then it was $500.

[uponit7771]

15. +1, that's low !! I remember being charged 800 dollars for a e-room visit in 1994 !!!

[dchill]

32. Right. It could be a lot more.

[reACTIONary]

39. I agree. nt

[LanternWaste]

98. Evidence provided to support your assertion?

Or just hipster sloganeering?

[Martin68]

116. So this Millennial hasn't yet heard of Obamacare?

[DownriverDem]

8. Where does

this person live? You can find cheaper rent (Michigan) where I live.

[Sapient Donkey]

12. He is from the Seattle area

Which checks out from what I’ve seen. While rent isn’t that high where I am now (DFW, Texas), it’s getting a lot closer to that.

[DownriverDem]

97. How's it going

in Texas now? It would scare me to live there.

[obamanut2012]

17. Very small meh 1-bedrooms in my area are 1400-1600

Salaries are not near enough.

I lucked out buying my parents' condo this year under market value, and my entire house payment (mortgage, expensive property taxes and insurance, and HOA/POA fees) is several hundred dollars cheaper than my rent was, and my condo is literally two miles away and in a better school district than my apartment was.

[Jedi Guy]

57. Same for me and my wife.

We haven't bought the townhouse from her mother yet, but we're paying the mortgage, condo fees, and land taxes, and it's ultimately far, far less than we'd pay in rent for a comparable apartment/townhouse.

And we're not even in Toronto! Housing prices there are simply obscene. I saw an article not long ago about a house in Toronto metro where viewings are impossible due to the "pungent and overwhelming odor." The house is listed for half a million Canadian, and I'm sure someone will buy it.

Something's gotta give eventually.

[obamanut2012]

61. I'm in SOFL

And, it is almost as insane here as in Toronto! My parents were super nice, and sold it to me via letter of equity, so I was able to not have to have a down payment, pay closing costs, and bought under market value. New roof, pretty new HVAC, and I already know the neighbors.

Most people are not as lucky as me here. It sucks.

[Jedi Guy]

65. You did get really lucky!

I honestly don't know how anyone manages to live in Toronto or any city of comparable size without being stupidly wealthy. We tried it for a year, squeezing ourselves into a tiny little shoebox of a basement apartment, and then decided the big city life wasn't for us. Everything is so damned expensive! We're in Hamilton now, so roughly half a million people, but close enough to TO that we can zip in and out if we want something.

When a crappy apartment is costing you 50%+ of your earnings, how the hell is that living?

[smirkymonkey]

36. I pay more than that in Boston for a Studio.

[CrackityJones75]

45. Why do we see these posts like this?

It is maddening. Always someone with the personal anecdotal statement about how the info is wrong because in their tiny corner of the world it is different.

[Act_of_Reparation]

92. You can also find a lot of jobs that don't pay as well for the same work.

Relativity, folks.

[littlemissmartypants]

11. And...

If they walked or biked, forfeited two lunches and one coffee, halved the brunch with a friend, lived with mom and dad, treated their illness by going to Google Medical School, (aka, I did my own research) and didn't bother with an education, that clearly didn't turn out to give them any competitive edge for better pay, they would have saved $10,446 dollars and would have more time to have friendly brunches, drink coffee and watch Netflix.

Because, obviously, money can't buy happiness but Netflix can provide a solid escape from reality so you don't spend any time thinking about the so called "American Dream."

$15
$17
$4
$10
$2000
$8000
$400

15+17+4+10+2,000+8,000+400
=10,446

[KS Toronado]

78. Good One...LOL

Google Medical School, (aka, I did my own research)....

[littlemissmartypants]

79. Thank you. I have my moments. ❤

[calimary]

99. That IS a good one.

“I did my own research.” What a crock.

[cinematicdiversions]

13. Most 40 year olds have health insurance.

Is this list from ten years ago?

May also want to switch rent to Mortgage...

[Farmer-Rick]

16. Actually that's what my daughter pays in rent.

I pay much less on my mortgage.

[obamanut2012]

18. lolololol

[CrackityJones75]

46. Have you not been paying attention the last decade?

Health insurance in this country is in a crisis.

[CrackityJones75]

60. Hahaha oh I missed this little nugget...

“May also want to switch rent to Mortgage...”


I mean yeah it is just a simple switch to go from renting to owning a house…….

*World’s Largest Eyeroll*

[cinematicdiversions]

126. 50% of millennial are homeowners

And while that numbers obviously too low. This assumption that millennials would have rent is a bit silly

[questionseverything]

120. Deductibles on bronze plans $7000.

N/t

[Farmer-Rick]

14. And if you happen to be in one of those states that tax healthcare services

food and rent, you just paid about $1,047.90 in taxes.

What did you get for all those taxes?

A cop who will harasses you if you call for help.

An EMT and emergency room that takes hours to provide care because they are tied up providing service to anti-vaxxers.

A Poorly regulated water distribution system that could be filled with lead and other harmful chemicals.

A lax food inspection process that can make you sick or kill you.

An out of control pandemic that has given the US the highest death rate in the world.

Judges who want to legislate religion and take away your right to control your body.

Employers who cheat you and abuse you.

Richer billionaires who go out into space.

That's what you taxes have done for you.

I'm not against paying taxes. It's the cost of living in a society. I'm just against how the filthy rich spend it.

[ecstatic]

19. If that's per month, it's not that bad

$2000 rent?? Okay that coupled with the one Lyft ride indicates that this hypothetical person lives in a very walkable, urban area where the rents are high but the average income is equally high.

$37 a month for restaurants isn't too bad, although my spending is roughly zero nowadays. I noticed $12 for coffee. This person should just buy a coffee maker and walk home for lunch.

8k doctor bill? When I didn't have insurance, I didn't see the doctor. They clearly make enough money to buy insurance so they should do so.

$400 student loan bill? Damn, how much did they borrow? My payment has been less than $150 a month for as long as I can remember. I've been trying to drag it out in the hopes that there was a mass forgiveness executive order, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen, at least not while I'm still paying. 🙄 Lol

A fun lifestyle for now but hopefully they're saving money and not living in a "check to check" situation.

[whopis01]

20. How is it clear that they are making enough money to buy insurance?

There is zero information about their income provided.

[Hortensis]

23. :) $2000 rent, $12 coffees, $37 lunches, and $15 Lyft?

Those're loaded with lux fat. He should have protected his considerable disposable income by purchasing insurance.

And by making those two $17 lunches at home he could have saved at least $11, more possible, and eaten nicely.

[whopis01]

64. Is one Lyft ride a month is too much?

Dan Price (the person who tweeted this) is from Seattle. I would assume he is basing things off of the area in which he lives.

The average price for an apartment in Seattle is $2,169 (average size is 692 sqft).
So, the $2,000 rent is a bit below average.

They took 1 Lyft ride that month.

They had 3 coffees and 3 meals out that month.

And a nice round number like $8000 for a medical bill sounds much more likely to be a deductible amount than the entire bill.


You are correct, they could have saved $11 (or perhaps even a bit more).
Somehow that doesn't seem like it would make a huge difference in things though.

[Hortensis]

68. Is he "entited" to live outside his means, or to live in a way

that could result in him having to sponge off society? How he allocates his money within his means is entirely his choice -- after he meets his basic responsibilities, to himself and those to whom he has a responsibility.

If paying a rent that's a bit below average is leaving him too little to pay for insurance, an obvious place to economize until he increases his income is on his monthly rent. Without children and need for good schools, etc, he could very easily cut that expenditure in half, and a lot more.

As for insurance, as a presumably healthy single young man, he could have purchased coverage through WA's state insurance program for a fraction of that $8000 and had all the Lyft rides and coffees he could possibly want with the rest.

[whopis01]

128. Where does the "sponge off society" come from?

No one ever said that this person wasn't meeting the expenses.
No one ever said that they were asking for handouts.

And the figure of $8000 falls in line with the deductible for many of the plans you can find on the WA state program.

[LisaM]

86. Not that it matters but the lunch thing is off.

When I started WFH, I noticed a significant difference. Even a burrito or sandwich will run $10 or more. I was also buying breakfast in the cafeteria most days. At about $15 a day, that added up to $75 a week. So it is a place you could find some savings.

Rent is the big one here (to me). I can't believe how high it is here in Seattle and without some kind of windfall, ownership will never be on the table for me. And I am not a millennial, I'm older.

[Demovictory9]

103. $2000 rent about standard in so calif

[ecstatic]

25. Just assumed based on their rent and lifestyle.

But now that I think about it, it isn't adding up. Are they employed or self-employed? It's possible that they have insurance with a extremely high deductible. But if they don't have insurance, they could theoretically go on the ACA website to sign up--it's just that the plans aren't cheap if you're making a high income.

[RobinA]

58. For Some People

that $8000 is the deductible. My brother can't afford insurance and he's a long haul truck driver. Obamacare is too expensive for him because he doesn't get any rebates, he makes too much.

[Tommymac]

21. Ypou totally missed the point.

And why should anyone have to sacrifice a cup of coffee in Modern America if we truly are the best country in the world...

[MichMan]

35. Over $4000 per year buying coffee which is nearly the cost of paying off the student loan

[inthewind21]

69. LOL

I'd love to know the math you used to come up with "over $4000 per year buying coffee" and how you concluded $4000 would "nearly pay off" the student loan. I'll wait.

[MichMan]

70. $4 for coffee three times a day.

times 365 days per year is $4350. Student loans are listed at $400 (obviously per month, since it can't possibly be anything else) which total $4800 per year.

Since the statement mixes both daily, monthly and one time charges, it can't be determined if the person has coffee three times a day, three times a week or anything else. Since it was listed three times, I made an assumption it was every day since there were three meals and one Lyft ride listed

[cayugafalls]

107. I agree with you. Made the same assumptions.

I spent $1000 several years ago on my own coffee setups, learned how to make several drinks, cap, frap, espresso, pourover, french press. Part of that $1000 was a setup to roast my own beans. Better coffee, fresher coffee, know my sources, control over my flavor and I can make 4 specialty drinks (which average $6 a piece here total, $24) for less than the cost of just one.

Yup, I am a coffee nerd. Proud of it. Because I am saving money every time I enjoy my 'perk'.

Peace.

[Beartracks]

113. I don't think that's three coffees per day, unless he's also eating lunch twice per day, too.

But anyhow, I'm sure Mr. Price's scenario is meant to be illustrative, and is not necessarily the actual bank statement of an actual person.

=================

[haele]

44. Typical Bachelor's degree from 2007 ended up costing $35k for just two years.

That was after getting all the pre-requisites completed at the local CC or JC over 2 to 3 years using Pell grants and some out of pocket.
I still pay $400 a month to pay off the Federal Student Loans I had to take for that 2 years of 300 to 400 level units required for a BS in Business/IT at a reputable state college. Between the base $200 a course unit plus the $100 up to $500 added on fees due to whatever degree you are pursuing -and whether or not it's a lab course -which adds even more fees - and the up to $1k in books and supplies for each course, and you find yourself liable for more than rent on the average one-bedroom apartment each month just to get a 4-year degree. Even more if you want or need Master's degree or post graduate school for a career.
$400 a month for 15 years paying off a Federal student loan for a BA/BS is normal. Even more if you get a commercial education loan.

Haele

[CrackityJones75]

48. Wow.

Unreal. People here miss the entire point because they just have yo tell others how they should live. Yeah your tight the hypothetical person here in this story should just accept the wages that they get and not enjoy some minor convenience and pleasures in life. They should just do all the things the way you would do them that way everything would be just fine. You are so completely right. They sound like just another entitled younger American. Ya’know those republican talking points start making sense when ya really boil it down….


End sarcasm.

[inthewind21]

71. Exactly

[spudspud]

84. It's shocking when you think about it.

How some manage to look like two sides of the same coin.

[ecstatic]

111. I didn't do what you're saying

All I did was give my reaction to the so called monthly/daily/weekly??? expenditure list as well as my 2 cents on how I handled things when my finances were sketchy.

[Beartracks]

114. I think a lot of people are missing that this is a *hypothetical* person.

Not meant to be the actual bank statement of an actual person, but *representative* of the (simplified) expenses of a typical millennial in, I assume, the Seattle area.

==============

[csziggy]

83. Eight years ago WITH insurance my out of pocket was $10,000

Of course, I had two knee replacements and carpal tunnel surgery in the same year - to keep the out of pocket to the maximum allowable under the ACA. It only takes one major health emergency to reach that maximum out of pocket cost.

[meadowlander]

85. Trust me it's not a fun lifestyle when you're doing it for 10 years because of stagnant wages.

I borrowed $65K for an engineering degree from a public but out-of-state college. My payments were about $800 a month (finally paid them off this year woo hoo!). I wasn't in a position where I could move in with or ask my parents for money.

So for the first three or four years I couldn't afford:
- meat more than a few times a week and then only the cheapest cuts,
- take out coffee or food ever - maybe like takeout Chinese once a year for my birthday,
- going to see a movie in the theater,
- a car or even taking the bus too often - if it wasn't on my local bus route, I didn't go there,
- going out on dates or out with friends anywhere that cost any money at all. We had board games nights at each others' places and I would sweat and scrimp for the week that it was my turn to cover the pizzas. Eventually I stopped going because I couldn't afford it.
- my asthma medication every day
- fixing anything that ever broke - when my student computer broke I had to wait a year to replace it until I finally got a promotion, until then I had to go to the public library (20 minute bus ride) every time I wanted to check emails or print out something like my tax returns. Getting a home printer was a *major* financial milestone for me.
- a TV, cable, DVD player, game consoles. I did splash out on home internet while my computer was working so my main form of entertainment was YouTube videos, DU and library books.
- a cell phone
- a bike
- furniture
- saving anything

Then I got a promotion so years five to seven I could add:
- slightly better cuts of meat
- asthma medicine consistently
- not rationing/paying attention to how many female sanitary products I was using
- retirement savings

Then I got another promotion so years eight to ten I could add:
- a bike
- a TV
- a very basic five year old cell phone
- seeing a movie in the theater a few times a year
- buying a few books a year instead of only going to the library
- vitamins and iron supplements because at this point my hair was literally falling out from stress and iron-deficient anemia
- a dresser so my clothes weren't all in piles on the floor. Replacing my ratty sagging student sofa when it finally collapsed.
- an emergency saving account.

There is nothing fun about living ten years of your life with absolutely no margin for error. Boring, yes. Stressful as shit, yes. Socially isolating and depressing, yes. Fun? Not so much.

[twodogsbarking]

22. I remember heating oil going from $ .17 a gallon to $1.10 in six months.

Home mortgage rates in the teens. Auto loan rates double digit.
Banks and oil companies.

[ashredux]

24. Folks, you're missing the point entirely. Some of you were breaking it down etc. etc.

Folks, you’re missing the point entirely. Some of you were breaking it down etc. etc.

This is an illustration that is being used to show how medical bills far outweigh any other living expense.

[beaglelover]

26. Not buying the $8000 bill from doctor.

[Backseat Driver]

29. It was more likely from a dentist! n/t

[littlemissmartypants]

47. Excellent point, probably for two crowns without insurance. That's my supposition.

[marble falls]

51. Ya got to have priorities! Swell looking teeth is an important thing!

[littlemissmartypants]

54. Ha! Even better point. ❤

[Act_of_Reparation]

94. Not buying the beagle loving.

[Beastly Boy]

27. Sorry, this is not a typical millenial bank statement.

And it has a bit of an entitlement whiff to it. Try living on a $15/hr salary, which translates to about $2400 per month

-A typical millennial earns $3620 per month. (https://smartasset.com/retirement/the-average-salary-of-a-millennial#:~:text=Based%20on%20the%20most%20recent%20U.S.%20Census%20Bureau,a%20baby%20boomer%20had%20at%20the%20same%20age.)
-The average rent for a studio in Seattle is $1617 (https://www.apartmentlist.com/renter-life/average-rent-in-seattle) So a $2000 rent is a luxury rather than necessity. So are $4 coffees, $12 Netflix and $20 brunches.
-$8000 doctor's bill is certainly not typical for a bank statement which usually shows monthly expenses.

I suspect the statement is not at all typical, and whoever supposedly got it affords him/herself to be pampered every once in a while. He/she has no effing clue what a tight budget looks like. I would challenge the hypothetical recipient of this hypothetical bank statement to compare it to the typical real bank statement received by a minimum wage full time worker, and consider how lucky he/she hypothetically is.

[Sympthsical]

30. I don't think it's intended to be a serious budget

It's just meant to illustrate that articles picking apart Millennial financial situations like to focus on the small, frivolous things while ignoring the giant, systemic problems.

Remember when avocado toast needed roughly 27,000 articles about it? "Oh, those Millennials and their extravagance. No wonder they can't afford things!"

Health insurance has deductibles and co-pays many people simply cannot afford. Rents are out of control in most major American cities.

As someone in the Bay Area, when I saw that $2,000 in rent, I thought, "If only . . ."

We have a tenant at the moment we charge $750/month. We're pretty equidistant from S.F. and Sacramento, so it's not exactly urban living. Thing is, he's a friend of a friend, and he was living in a car, so it was more, "Just pay that, and it's cool." And that's for a room in our house. When we looked around in local ads and things to see what going room rentals were in our area, that shit started at $1200. And again, we're not in the city. And given the room we put him in has a bathroom en suite, we know we could get more.

It's gotten silly.

[Beastly Boy]

34. Then calling it "typical" is satire? And none of the numbers in it are to be taken at face value?

Regardless, whether it was intended as satire or not, my point is that the tweet reveals certain presumptions and attitudes that I find objectionable. Assuming it was merely an illustration (or, more accurately, a caricature) of prevailing misconceptions about millennials, this illustration inadvertently ends up highlighting these very misconceptions. And the illustration comes across as mockery of the financial woes of the working poor.

[Sympthsical]

42. You can't generalize that much

I don't know where the OP lives, but every location is very different. $2,000 might get you a nice studio away from the city here - certainly not in it. Definitely not in South Bay.

I think the satire became obvious when he inserted brunch in there. (But was the satire that brunch was included, or that it was an unrealistic $17. Where is he getting that deal?!)

I mean, I get your point. I grew up poor. I was working poor well into adulthood. Even though I'm successful and comfortable now, a lot of that doesn't leave you. Coffee for me is a can of Folger's grounds from Costco and a drip pot. I don't do brunch, because this is the Bay Area, and I'm not paying $40 for eggs. I shop with app discounts and cook most days. We never turn the AC on unless it's triple digits. My car's been paid off for ages, and it never crosses my mind to buy a new one. My partner shares this frugality. His family are Filipino immigrants. So even though we have a really nice house, our expenses are dirt low.

We penny count in that way poor people do. It just sticks in your soul if you've been there.

But, in reading that Tweet, I felt I sensed the author's eye roll. A kind of, "Do I really have to explain to you why so many Millennials have financial problems?" I mean, conservatives love to gloss over poverty by citing things like, "Stop buying coffee!" Which, if you're that poor, probably shouldn't be buying that coffee. Certainly not $12 a day worth. But the people I know who actually do spend $12 a day at Starbucks are . . . special. They're both well off, and it's almost become some weird cultural hobby or something. It baffles me. But it's some little piece of their identity. Every time I'm out with them, it's, "Have to go to Starbucks!" I mean, do we?

But they're exceptions. And I think the coffee thing on the list is meant to needle the preconceptions. Same with the brunch bit.

[Beastly Boy]

53. I am commenting on the text of the tweet alone. No generalizations.

The author of the tweet lives in Seattle, The satire was evident due to the the number and the choice of items on the alleged bank statement, but since the author listed itemized costs which he expects to be taken seriously, his satire lost its punch. Still, my comment was made regardless of what the author considers tongue in cheek or serious.

It is unambiguous, however, that the author's intent was to gain sympathy for the financial problems of millennials. And at that, he failed, without as much as having awareness of where his failure lies. Hence my comment on "whiff of entitlement".

[inthewind21]

72. His satire was spot on

[Beastly Boy]

80. No comment on his blissful lack of awareness of his attitude?

OK, I will concede the brilliance of his satire that just happens to be remarkably tone-deaf.

[CrackityJones75]

49. JFC!

HOW ABOUT WE NOT TRY LIVING ON $15/HR???????!!!!!!


Entitlement? Are you serious?

[Beastly Boy]

56. How about it? I am with you on that.

But at this moment in time, whining about fairly comfortable standard of living without showing any sense of awareness that one whines about a fairly comfortable standard of living wreaks of entitlement.

And yes, I am serious. Seriously.

[CrackityJones75]

59. What about that statement "wreaks of entitlement"???

That someone had a coffee? Had a cheap lunch?


Literally NOTHING in that hypothetical statement says anything about entitlement AT ALL!

My God people what are we talking about a comfortable living when we are showing people paying for medical services that likely would wipe out most peoples savings in this situation and then having to pay out rent???


I am ashamed at the responses here. Unreal.

[inthewind21]

73. I'm with you

I had to check to make sure I wasn't on a GQP site.

[Beastly Boy]

76. Entitlement is not a financial concept in this case.

But whining about $2000 rent when $1600 will suffice, especially when a whole apartment instead of a shared room is something you can afford, wreaks of entitlement. $4 coffees, Netflix and $20 brunches are not on my list of necessities either. And lunches are a lot cheaper when you prepare them at home.

But you are right. Entitlement is not a reflection of the balance sheet. It's an attitude. None of these expenses signify being entitled. But whining about them when tons of people would be thrilled to have any of the above, let alone all of it, but can't, is certainly an attitude of entitlement.

[CrackityJones75]

77. Enjoy the view of the tree.

Wow.

[ecstatic]

112. I think the point you might be missing is that some of us know what it feels like to struggle

When you're actually struggling, most if not all of the things on that list are not an option. Understand?

2000 rent? No. Student loans that aren't deferred due to low income? No. Coffee? No. Netflix? No. 8k expenditure for doctor? Hell no.

I think we're all on the same page here, it's just that we're misunderstanding each other due to kneejerk reactions.

[CrackityJones75]

125. Again. Wow.

“8k expenditure on doctor. Hell no”

Yes that person should have just died instead.

The point of that post is that people SHOULD NOT be struggling due to certain issues to begin with. It isn’t the fucking coffee and the netflix that is creating the struggle.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

28. 8k bill from doctor....pointing yet again to the horror of private money grubbing health care.

[Roisin Ni Fiachra]

33. Watch out! It's a TRAP!

Early 70's expenses of young boomer rural dweller, back when life was still affordable. We didn't use banks, and cashed our paychecks checks at local grocery store, and could save money by doing most everything ourselves.

10 cents coffee made at home
50 cents lunch, made at home
10 cents coffee, made at home, put in thermos
$98 land payment on 20 acres, lived in small travel trailer while building our small house, Land paid of in 5 years.
$200 materials for building house
$25 in gas for paid for old pickup truck
$0 for TV
50 cents for lunch made at home
10 cents for coffee in thermos
$0 for doctor bill, because lived close to Canada where we got cheap medical care and could easily afford to pay our primary care provider out of pocket, and presciption meds were affordable
50 cents for brunch made at home
$0 for student loan, because parents could still afford tuition

Young people can't do this anymore, except maybe in very rare instances. The problem is obvious. Reagan and the banks incrementally trapped young people into indentured servitude. People could actually live without a bank account back in the day. We watched in horror and indignation as the RW, Reagan, and financial institutions incrementally gave the private sector major control over people's lives.

Trump's fascists are "rebels" without a clue, rats in a maze they helped create for themselves, and us, by voting against their own interests. Unfortunately, they trapped subsequent generations of young people in the maze along with them, and the maze becomes more difficult to negotiate by the day.

McConnell, Republicans, Manchin, and Sinema want to keep you in the trap. That's why commercial interests support them with the big bucks. Manchin refers to helping young people receiving a leg up as getting *entitlements*, although he is the entitled one, having been born and raised as an entitled member of the ownership class.

McConnell, Republicans, Manchin, and Sinema, at the behest of their handlers, don't want millennials and older poor folks to get any help from a democratic Democratic a government of, by, and for, the people. They want to bring about a fully privatized autocratic fascist theonomy, where those who are not wealthy are born into a form of indentured servitude, where there is no real representative dmocratic government, and no hope for change.

We must come out to vote for progressive Democrats in numbers of hundreds of millions in 2024, and rid ourselves of those who wish to permanently enslave us to fascist planet killing monsters like Trump, and those legislators who receive bribes, lie, cheat, and steal to do their part in ending democracy in our country.

[MarcA]

66. By keeping others in perpetual debt they are your slaves.

Then you don't have to worry about any "competition" for all the goodies you keep for yourself. Get enough of the others to vote against their own interests with phony issues (god, guns, gays, abortion, socialism, whatever). It's Well Planned and no accident.

[marble falls]

50. Do you have some links with these details? I'd be very interested in learning more!!

[hamsterjill]

41. Love Dan Price

I wish he would run for office.

[CrackityJones75]

52. Some of the replies here....

Some of the replies here leave me shaking my damned head. Stockholm syndrome. Some of you cannot see the message and are so stuck on the in numbers you are blind. It’s like you are at the edge of a forest standing one inch from the trunk of a tree screaming about the tree and completely oblivious to the forrest.


And the RW talking points being thrown around. Holy hell. You make the case for the Repubs with statements like “That person should just buy a coffee maker”. Really? I mean fucking really? Ok it is a fictional person to start with but honestly a line item for a coffee is what you point out on a fucking bank statement? How dare someone have a coffee when they haven’t obtained such a luxury their station in life doesn’t allow? Next they will be buying a yacht!

Sometimes the judgement and the conditioned responses that society has engrained on people is fucking alarming!

[radicalleft]

55. Thank You!

well said...

[demmiblue]

62. No kidding.

I'm not surprised, though, at seeing who responded in this manner. Not to mention the fact that some of the elderly have a knee-jerk reaction when they read/hear the word "millennial". Pavlovian, really.

[Act_of_Reparation]

95. It's almost amusing.

Because they seem think millennials are still 18-25 years old. And then they say we're "out of touch with reality".

[inthewind21]

74. Bravo

[soldierant]

89. They might be more palatable

if you read them as sarcasm.

The OP is sarcasm, and deserves to get a lot more sarcasm laid in it ...

[Act_of_Reparation]

93. It really brings me down.

Talk about cutting social security or medicare, and watch their heads (rightfully) explode.

Talk about getting young people a better start, and it's the same bootstraps bullshit we hear from the right.

[Celerity]

96. +100000

These type of threads always turn into a Millennial kickabout and even at times a Gen Z bash for some (the oldest Zers turn 25 years old in 84 days).

I have basically stopped posting OP's about the overall problematic economic situation for a majority of my Gens (I am a mid 1996 born, 25yo Zennial/Zillennial an edge micro Gen, encompassing those of us born 1992/3 up until 1998, not full Millennial (born1981-1996), not full Zoomer (born 1997-2012) ) due to the relentless a draw-bridging mindset by some, especially in regards to student loan debt, the overall unlikelihood of buying a house or flat for many, and the cost of healthcare (especially private, for profit health insurance).

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

81. I see millenials on most days.

At the grocery store, working the deli counter, fish counter, meat counter, stacking shelves.
At the gas station, working the cash register.
At the health club, cleaning locker rooms and other areas.

Maybe some can afford four-dollar coffee, maybe, if they live with their parents. The rest are just paying rent, buying gas, on the edge of struggling.

Before I retired, I saw some of the "upscale" millenials depicted. I was not impressed. On the other hand, a couple of them "inherited" my job, good luck to you.

[ck4829]

82. K&R

[Sentath]

87. Now I know I'm old

My student loan payment is under $200

[PatrickforB]

88. It is called debt slavery and is yet another way the billionaire parasites,

otherwise known as oligarchs, suck the very blood out of our veins.

I think this this is what the Republicans mean when they say they have made 'Murika grate agin' and what they mean when they solemnly intone, "Murika ain't nebber goan go SOSH-A-LIST!"

Because hey, we can throw $4.2 trillion at forever wars, and route another $3 trillion to billionaires and corporations through the feckless and irresponsible 2017 tax cut, but we cannot have our tax dollars used for programs that materially benefit we who pay them in. Nope - that money is earmarked for the MIC, the PIC and the profit-coffers of big oil, big pharma, health insurance carriers and billionaires.

[IronLionZion]

101. This millennial makes lunch and coffee at home

but my high speed internet and streaming subscriptions are a luxury a lot of boomers didn't waste money on way back when they were my age because it didn't exist

One thing whose price went down hard during COVID is ironically some training courses that are now online. A class I was interested in for years was around $2000 before COVID but I just took it this week for $500 online with a last minute sale price. Great quality training where I learned a lot but the online platform really leveled the playing field on costs and bringing lots of new trainers and geographically dispersed students in various time zones. This was guaranteed to run with no minimum class sizes so we had it with just 15 students. Normally these things have like 50 students with 2 meals a day and coffee included.

This is my 3rd certification I earned since COVID kept us at home last year. I have an online appointment scheduled with my millennial doctor while I'm on vacation 3 states away. Millennials these days...

[Demovictory9]

102. Avocado toast $12

[markie]

104. have to disagree...

often, with the price of food, it is less expensive to eat out!!

and "the rent is too damn high!!"

I have a millennial at my house that would LOVE to find her own place... Vermont's rents (if you can find one) are outrageous right now and there are no houses to buy because so many people came here last year from out of state and bought them all good for our tax base but not good for someone looking for an "affordable" house... and she has a government job!

this tweet is priceless and unfortunately too many, even here, don't get it...

[AverageOldGuy]

108. Average Old Guy's bank statement

$210: Monthly liquor expenses
$300: Monthly meds
$65: Monthly gym membership
$300: Monthly chiropractor bill after using the gym
$120: Monthly gas for 24-yr-old truck
$20: Monthly Maalox bill
$60: Month's supply of Depends
$135: Medicare
$200: Medicare supplement
$75: No limit smartphone account
$200: Cash for grandson when his parents won't give him any
I forget the rest.

[Beartracks]

118. LOL Thanks for sharing. Grandson must have a fun Grandpa.

Don't forget groceries.



============

[True Blue American]

121. Sounds about right!

After reading the op I decided to check my monthly expenses.

[Martin68]

115. So, are we to assume this Millennial only drinks coffee and eats lunch out only twice a month?