"Kids These Days" Aren’t Broke Because of Avocado Toast: The Real Story Behind Generational Money Gaps

Everyone's Talkin' Money

Shari Rash

Mental Health, Self-improvement, Education, Health & Fitness, Business

4.2 • 648 Ratings

🗓️ 9 August 2025

⏱️ 16 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Every generation loves to complain about the next one—lazy, entitled, wasting money on gadgets and brunch. But here’s the truth: young adults today aren’t just making different choices—they’re playing a completely different financial game. In 1970, over half of 30-year-olds in America were married and owned a home. Today? Less than 15%. And it’s not because everyone suddenly decided marriage and mortgages were overrated. It’s the fallout from decades of policy decisions, wage stagnation, and skyrocketing costs that have made the old “American Dream” a whole lot harder to reach. In this episode, we’re pulling back the curtain on the real reasons why hitting financial milestones looks different now, and why “just work harder” is the worst advice you can give someone trying to buy a home in today’s economy. You’ll hear: The shocking drop in homeownership rates for 30-year-olds since the 1970s How wages, housing prices, and student debt have completely shifted the financial landscape Why avocado toast is not the problem (and what actually is) How generational misunderstanding keeps us from creating solutions that work Practical ways both older and younger generations can bridge the gap It’s time to stop blaming brunch and start looking at the real math. Thank you to our sponsors! Policygenius - Head to policygenius.com to compare free life insurance quotes from top companies and see how much you could save. Ava - Help build your credit score with Meetava.com. Use promo code: Money Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to everyone's talking money, the show that's all about making life richer,
0:05.8	from your bank account to your mindset and everything in between. Whether you're here to
0:12.0	crush debt, grow wealth, or finally feel in control of your cash, you are in the right place.
0:19.7	Let's dive in and get you living life on your terms. You are
0:24.1	one conversation closer to financial freedom. Okay. Okay, let's talk about something that's been bothering me.
0:44.6	You know those conversations where someone older goes off about kids these days?
0:50.2	They're too soft.
0:51.5	They don't want to work.
0:52.8	If they just stop wasting money on their fancy coffee and avocado toast, maybe they could actually afford something.
1:01.4	Here's the thing. I've been a money expert for nearly 20 years, and I am tired of this conversation because we are looking at it all wrong. Every generation thinks the
1:14.1	next one has it easier or is screwing it up somehow. The Romans complained about their youth.
1:20.5	Your grandparents probably said something about your parents. And now everyone's blaming
1:25.5	millennials and Gen Z for what exactly, being broke, not buying houses,
1:32.8	eating brunch. But what if I told you this has nothing to do with work ethic or avocado
1:39.3	toast? What if the entire economic game changed and we're all just arguing about the wrong things?
1:47.5	Today, we are getting real about what's actually happening with money across generations.
1:54.1	Because when you look at the actual numbers, not the headlines, not the hot takes, just the math. The story is completely different than what
2:04.9	everyone's talking about. Shari here, and this is everyone's talking money. We're going to figure
2:11.6	this out together. Let me paint you a picture, and I want you to really think about this. It's 1970. You're 30 years old. And if you're like most people your age, there's better than a 50% chance you're married and you own your own home. And that house, you probably paid somewhere
2:37.3	between two and three times your annual salary for it. So if you're making $10,000 a year,
2:44.4	which was decent money, you could realistically buy a house for $20,000 to $30,000. The math worked. It wasn't necessarily easy,
2:55.4	but it was doable if you followed the basic script. Finish school, get a job, get married, buy a house.
	...

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