My father-in-law (81), who I love deeply, has many of these ideas of youth who are profligate spenders and not saving for or thinking of the future. Of course, he came from a time when you could work a summer job at the mill to save enough money for university and a car. The only way you can do that now is by being the originator of a crypto scam.
I think David that you are giving too much credit to marketers (I am one of them, full disclosure). Western / capitalist societies are built on the premise of the marketplace and consumption. The shift from spending money in restaurants to go after non-staple grocery items (or maybe organic stuff), points to a societal change in terms of going out vs. staying home, for example. The underlying concept (consumption) remains the same.
I got something different out of the headline. "Trendy new splurge: groceries" says to me that Millennials and Gen Zers are so impoverished that even feeding themselves is a splurge.
But I take your point about the capitalist machine spending millions to get us to want things and then saying, "Look at all those things they're wanting." Maybe it's just a sneaky way of patting themselves on the back. "Look, they're falling for it."
Maybe the “splurge” is buying better quality food to cook and enjoy at home with friends rather than going out to increasingly expensive restaurants. My millennial children are getting into home cooking in ways that their boomer dad never thought of. Maybe too this is one more offshoot of the recent Pandemic …. Staying home and enjoying life in a smaller bubble.
Both column and comments make me urge everybody to read economist Robert Frank, of Cornell. Dr. Frank specializes in the study of consumption, like his "Luxury Fever" book. The absolutely key thing is that if the most minimal needs for food/clothing/shelter are met, the rest of spending is about social status.
The entire fashion industry is built on that - everything except sweats, khaki, and t-shirts, as the pandemic proved. The avocado breakfasts are because your friends are there. The destination weddings are because your friends are there.
SUVs, Taylor Swift tix, "being in the place it happens" ... all about status. Evs conferred status - and the more money spent, the more status, as with housing.
And Gen Z are ***NOT*** "poor". They are income-inequal to a new degree. Yes, 20-somethings are sharing tiny townhouses; but Yes, 20-somethings also getting nice single-family-detached, courtesy of the Bank of Mom and Dad.
"whose job it is to make us want Red Bull and other ‘splurge’ items"...Bunk, David. Your political ideologies dismiss the notion of individual decisions, self-control and personal responsibility. Centralized give-away thinking and resultant government over-spending is what produced the declines in life standards and skyrocketing prices.
Recognize that individuals have both individual responsibility AND control and are solely accountable for their decision the buy just 1 Red Bull for the weekend.
My father-in-law (81), who I love deeply, has many of these ideas of youth who are profligate spenders and not saving for or thinking of the future. Of course, he came from a time when you could work a summer job at the mill to save enough money for university and a car. The only way you can do that now is by being the originator of a crypto scam.
I think David that you are giving too much credit to marketers (I am one of them, full disclosure). Western / capitalist societies are built on the premise of the marketplace and consumption. The shift from spending money in restaurants to go after non-staple grocery items (or maybe organic stuff), points to a societal change in terms of going out vs. staying home, for example. The underlying concept (consumption) remains the same.
I got something different out of the headline. "Trendy new splurge: groceries" says to me that Millennials and Gen Zers are so impoverished that even feeding themselves is a splurge.
But I take your point about the capitalist machine spending millions to get us to want things and then saying, "Look at all those things they're wanting." Maybe it's just a sneaky way of patting themselves on the back. "Look, they're falling for it."
Well said! For once I’m glad Gen X is being ignored.
Maybe the “splurge” is buying better quality food to cook and enjoy at home with friends rather than going out to increasingly expensive restaurants. My millennial children are getting into home cooking in ways that their boomer dad never thought of. Maybe too this is one more offshoot of the recent Pandemic …. Staying home and enjoying life in a smaller bubble.
Both column and comments make me urge everybody to read economist Robert Frank, of Cornell. Dr. Frank specializes in the study of consumption, like his "Luxury Fever" book. The absolutely key thing is that if the most minimal needs for food/clothing/shelter are met, the rest of spending is about social status.
The entire fashion industry is built on that - everything except sweats, khaki, and t-shirts, as the pandemic proved. The avocado breakfasts are because your friends are there. The destination weddings are because your friends are there.
SUVs, Taylor Swift tix, "being in the place it happens" ... all about status. Evs conferred status - and the more money spent, the more status, as with housing.
And Gen Z are ***NOT*** "poor". They are income-inequal to a new degree. Yes, 20-somethings are sharing tiny townhouses; but Yes, 20-somethings also getting nice single-family-detached, courtesy of the Bank of Mom and Dad.
"whose job it is to make us want Red Bull and other ‘splurge’ items"...Bunk, David. Your political ideologies dismiss the notion of individual decisions, self-control and personal responsibility. Centralized give-away thinking and resultant government over-spending is what produced the declines in life standards and skyrocketing prices.
Recognize that individuals have both individual responsibility AND control and are solely accountable for their decision the buy just 1 Red Bull for the weekend.