Trophy Girlfriends, TikTok, And How Gen Z Thinks About Money 

Same Same, I started doing this as well and I noticed how often I just forget about those things a day or two later.

I love Pinterest for this - cause you still get the shopping kick and by the time treat yourself o' clock comes around I find I don't actually want 99% of it anymore. I even have some cars on there (we bought our last car in car and any upgrade must then also be in cash). True luxury is freedom from debt or worry about bills / bumps in the future. I think that's what most of us really 'want' when we 'aspire to wealth'.

True! This social media reality is so false. So many Z work alot of side gigs vs millenials who have part time or full time. Thats the only difference, even when we were their age.

Totally a joke. Do they really not know?

@@ashleyrogers1930 The gig economy rose to prominence when millenials came into working age. Plenty of millenials are gig workers/ have side gigs, to the point where the "gig economy" was associated primarily with millenial workers. Gen Z was too young in 2012 when Uber for example rose to prominence.

@@arthoeinc.3469and Uber is a sub minimum wage gig for most people these days

@@arthoeinc.3469 I know millennials have gig jobs but they also have part time jobs or full time jobs in addition to that. Z work several gig jobs. I think people forget that oldest millennials are 41/42.

Yes! This! 100%

Bad idea. Men only fund young attractive women. Once you hit a certain Age he will leave you with nothing

Don't believe the hype Gen Z works several side gigs. Alot of people only post the stay at home girlfriend posts because its trendy but most have a job.

@@pr23487 Well that's why when that happen they go older. A woman is always young to some man. I know 50 year old women with 70 year old sugar daddies.

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It sounds like you are doing all of the things that will make your plan successful. I wish you all the best of luck as your drive towards your goals.

we are so proud of you girll

That's some wholesome and realistic stuff. Keep it up!

Omg I’m a student and I don’t have debt, Americans scare me, plus I’ve always studied in private schools and even paid them myself working

If you don't live in a house made of paper a tornado or earthquake won't do anything unless it's a very rare strong event ofc.

I love your attitude as someone who puts the physical and social environment first, before I even look at the financial picture (and has thus determined that my only solution is literally staying put).

@@Anonymoose66GStrong tornadoes are getting more frequent, and tornadoes in general are getting more frequent in areas where they were rare. But earthquakes are basically unpredictable outside of “they will inevitably happen along faults.”

Honestly if you’re a millennial you did grow up watching so many shootings with no response. This has been happening since like 1997

​​@@NKim-gj9vkIdk as a millennial I remember people caring more. We had movies made to "reflect" and mainstream charities about them, and these actions weren't even mocked by conservatives 😱 In fact, conservatives back then weren't nearly as antisocial and unhinged as today's conservatives

@@vulpixelfuli think the conservatives have ALWAYS been like that but kept quiet back then…

I feel like this "live in the now" movement comes from those who have a very privileged background. If you've come from a lower class you have an idea what can happen if you dont plan for your future self. Living in borderline poverty as an older person is not fun, especially if you can't retire. As women we can't take for granted the rights we had to fight for. We don't want to go back to the days where we have to depend on a man to live. As much as it gets looked down upon I am glad to be millennial woman who maybe worked a little too hard at times. It helped me build resilience and I rather know what I am capable of. Im not rich, but I earned what I have. I also know I should have comfortable existence as an older woman.

Honestly, I don't believe most young people actually care about it. They worry about it when it happens. They think for a couple weeks if there is a minor way in which they can participate to make it better, and then... Unless you're in social warrior circles, you go about your life. You can not single handedly change "climate change", animal cruelty, politics and its effects, etc. All you can personally do is learn all sides to an issue yourself, actually get educated with a degree and the coming power to do something with it, learn the skills and gather the knowledge you need, always stay critical, never just follow one side or the other, always reevaluate what you think you know and then by just being a good person, and by being a useful person to society, you will raise the standard of society as a whole, and change the mean direction of society as a whole. Somebody straight outta high school thinking they know the world isn't gonna change sht. Build yourself first. Make yourself capable and strong. Most 20-something are now realizing this, and that's exactly the right thing to do. It's the younger ones that are stuck between " Nihilism and over compensating by putting your hands frantically into every issue you see, as if drowning" Edit: I'm not saying people shouldn't care. I'm saying we financially, emotionally, and psychologically cannot afford to care intensity about everything. We don't feel the drag yet when we are still in our teens, but in your twenties the latest you realize that carrying the world on your shoulders is not sustainable for your health. So you go through a phase where you don't care about anything, you're burnt out, then you feel bad for not caring and start caring half assedly where you're still hurt by the problems but no longer up to date. Then you take another break where you don't talk about politics etc. And only then do you start seeing the world with fresh eyes, and more life experience, and that's when you start from scratch, but the foundation of your beliefs will hopefully be more stable and less trend oriented. Your twenties and thirties are transformative years. Don't hold your self back by carrying the world on your shoulders. *start carrying yourself first* . Then your family, then your community, etc.

But you can! I'm old and my kids cant keep up with me. Just take care of your health now.

You are BOTH right. You never know what the future may hold for you….I am here for getting it in while you are young. Also….take care of yourself so you can get it in for many years to come. My mother reminds me everyday that retirement should be in your 30s. 🤷🏾‍♀️ I agree with her.

Former President Bush went skydiving for his 90th birthday. If you take care of your body, you'll be having adventures for decades.

Not everyone is able to have the resources to take care of their health--or they are chronically ill and will only get worse as they age, so they want to do it now before they know they will be too disabled too. It's not always a personal choice or ability. @@barbarasoutas4510

Gods, please. I am still struggling to be able to even work, as a disabled person trying to get an education, and man I wish I could have just been doing my life earlier. I was held back a lot by standard education that did not let me do what I needed to learn at my own pace, and I honestly hope I can make contributions and live a good life before I become even more disabled by my illnesses. @@erikaarnold4780

There are dozens of us...DOZENS.

I would have expected a balanced demographic of viewers tbh. This never crossed my mind

Also man, and I've been binging this channel

Yeah, I think there is a fair audience split. Especially on more popular content.

30-50 million is too much.

@@Anonymoose66G I think 20 mil would be q good cap. If the average family is 5 and we assume only one parent works & they have to care for their kuds into adulthood that is 50k a person for 250k a year. Assuming the average age of 80 that would mean even in the worst scenario in which their 3 kids & spouse never stop being dependents they'd still have an average upper middle class salary each for life at 20 mil. No one needs more than that.

Yeah, my mom calculated it out once that someone frugal could still be comfortable for decades with $2 million. Inflation has been extreme since then but it’s still doable with that amount.

Plot twist, our consumption and consumerism creates them. It’s as much our fault as it is theirs.

great take!

This! It is definitely different. You're more willing to meet others traveling and to do certain things while you're young.

I love FrugalFitMom soooooo much and I think her videos are invaluable, but I also think about how she basically works full time shopping discounts and cooking from scratch, which is something most people cannot hope to achieve. And the tools she uses are just not practical for average people--her bread machine (that was a wedding gift) is $800. There is a subtle note in her videos that is like 'I was raised poor and I was able to build up this arsenal affordably over time' but doesn't really acknowledge that most people's mom's don't give them giant chest freezers they haven't been using.

She also has an easy, tasty bread recipe which was a lifesaver during the pandemic. My elder mom got very grumpy as she was used to some small town bakery bread.

Agreed, there needs to be a balance, travelling doesnt have to be $$$ especially when you're young. We cant bank on being able-bodied in retirement or even that we'll live to see it ❤ nothing is guarunteed. But we'll defo have more 'needs' and 'musts' in older age too.

Well, yes and no. It will be a different kind of travel. There are places I want to visit/trips I want to take that I am deliberately putting off until later in my life, because I think I will still reasonably be able to enjoy them even if I'm not very physically fit. There are other trips that I'm trying to prioritize now while I know I can physically do what they require. Neither is better or worse than the other, just different.

I’ve gone on cruises with my boomer parents and I can confirm you that old people aren’t taking boring vacays 😂 Take care of your knees and you can keep having fun.

People tend to forget how far on the young end of the spectrum 30 still is in our “youth” obsessed culture. I’m 32 now and feel healthier than I was at any point in my 20s and still feel every bit as youthful.

30 is old for a female tho

considering that men die, on average, 6 years younger that women, 30 is actually older for a male. /shrug

Agreed, it’s a level of money that no one ever needs. If your first 100 million didn’t bring you peace another 900 million won’t

@@tatimarie8277 I think this misses the point for many billionaires. Especially first generation. They will never know peace. The drive to create what they created will never let them rest. It may be pathological but it is a fact. It's also true that most spend a tiny portion of their wealth in their lifetime. For most of them - they never see the pile of money in their bank account. It's only ever the value of the business that they built. I almost feel like there needs to be terminology to separate productively invested wealth - especially as founding shares in a business.

Facts!

Ah, to be young and rich.

@@BuyLessJess lol not rich. Just financially irresponsible.

I'm curious about this, because I have a Gen Z co-worker who has much the same attitude, but like, even as a younger millennial I have way too much Recession-induced trauma to be "irresponsible" with my money?

@@stuffinsthegreat we were traumatized from COVID. When we saw doctors and lawyers at foodbanks and billion dollar companies tanking we had a collective "fuck it" mentality. Money comes and goes is my motto. We do have a "doomer" mindset NGL. Like I said, if I was married or had kids I'd be more fiscally conservative but rn I'm outside 🥳

I hope you guys got better information on salaries than we did. One of the many issues contributing to student debt for millennial was that we got very incorrect information over what salaries we could expect with degrees, including graduate degrees. I mean like saying what the average is in a field, and then not realizing you get minimum wage the first 5-10 years out (doctors, scientists) plus the fact that wages haven't kept up. I hope it works well for you!

when she said "I think people are afraid of the word 'rich'" I laughed out loud, like obviously this woman is primarily driven by a desire to avoid any ethical examination of wealth that isn't ultra-wealth.

This take is very _selective_ compared to what she actually said. For one, "trickle down" is passive, and based on "the free market", which is obviously not what she's talking about.

"Retiring at 30 is relatable" is not what she said. That's very much taking it out of context. She said one person's version of "rich" may be to retire at 30 *and live in an AirStream* (an obvious reference to those FIRE people who quit their jobs to live in a van--they're "retired" young but not living especially glamorously), whereas someone else's version may be that they work until their 60s but they're able to retire with more luxuries. And she's right: Most of us *do* want to be some version of "rich." Wealth-hoarding is one thing, but I don't know anyone who doesn't dream of being in a financial position of always being able to meet their needs without worrying about it. Which comes right back to the point that "rich" means different things to different people.

@@vulpixelful actually when she talks about giving to charity, THAT is also trickle-down. There is not a single social issue helped by people sitting on their money and only giving away what they feel like they can comfortably afford to give to a 501(c)3

@@thatjillgirl given the vast majority of workers will never EVER be able to save enough money to retire in ANY capacity, I beg of u to have some goddamn sense lol. she said that someone with 1 million dollars is closer to being homeless than being a billionaire, which is true. What she didn't say is that the average person these days needs over a million dollars in savings in order to retire (remember how expensive healthcare is). So, WE are closer to being homeless than ever being able to retire.

Missing the point.

what happens when Amazon crushes any chance of competition and were left with nothing but amazon. also thats not how an economy works, a guy doesn't get 200 billion dollars from nothing.

How did you get that job?

Not sure you making more than your fiance proves that his parents were totally wrong. Anyone can make money off any degree but the opportunities are different and the floor is not the same

I’m not sure it’s comparable considering you’re in two different occupations and industries

@@blueflower27 we actually both work in the software industry now

@@jy_hawkthis is what i was about to say. OP talked about just how hard they worked and continue to work to maintain their standing due to lack of a safety net. that’s a world of difference.

And she states in the ad read that she is now going to spend some of her own money there, implying that she was gifted the blouse and earrings. *Immediately* after stating that she doesn't accept gifts.

I mean, they mentioned ben&jerry's as a moral brand, even though it supports Russian agression against Ukraine and is also owned by Unilever, a huge corporation, so yeah..

1) The add coming in during that part of the convo is NOT ironic, it’s timely. 2) Perhaps you don’t know: TFD makes most of their revenue from sponsorships/adds. There is ALWAYS a sponsor on Financial Confessions, this is their business model. 3) B & J has tried to be a “better” company. Are they perfect, no. Enough with the gate keeping. You can make the point that ONE of the original founders of B&J has come out in support of x,y,z if you feel that strongly about it. I happen to agree his position is absurd. Do you think the factory workers at B&J have anything to do with that? There is such a thing as nuance, and striving to constantly be/do better. Binary thinking helps no one. Are you not exhausted by the “culture wars”?

She means her personal social media. TFD has always run ads, sponsorships, endorsements, etc. It's her personal accounts that she avoids promoting brands on.

I just thought it was ironic considering just how badly it shows sweat. That was so distracting to look at!

This 💯

Or learn to live with less and be ready to lose everything in the stock market, in a climate change disaster, in a divorce. Having a plan is great but no guarantee so being able to bounce back and live minimally is important too. Not everyone is able to start saving when they're young. You have to have some privilege to have the means to invest. It is a good idea of course.

That are run by whom...? Ah yes, the poor's. 😵‍💫

As long as it's specified before you go to restaurant, that yr only paying for yourself, it's a lot easier to hold the boundary because you can choose to still go to the meal or not.

That’s a fact

Great point.. I feel like setting caps would do little (if anything) to change the systems that create such inequality

She is a toxic, embittered, jealous person. Doesn’t make all of her arguments wrong, but she is dysfunctional and should not be on the internet talking.

I like them. They are funny and relatable.

They're much more relatable than David Ramsey in regards to student loans, building a high networth, etc.

The process is mid

@@vulpixelful Yeah, I'm not a fan of Dave's process. It's alright, but it's debt-allergic to the point of error, I think. You can ultimately wind up with more money in the end by making some pretty simple tweaks to his recommendations.

@@thatjillgirl you’re right. We used the baby steps and it worked for us we’re debt free so far except our mortgage. But I still do have a credit card, I just pay it off each month. I think the debt snowball was the most sound part of the process and is what really worked for us.

I disagree, I think the cap should be 20-30 million.

As soon as that 1B was mentioned, I was like "Huh, what a good way to illustrate the 'money allows mental changes to appear in people,' point." With 1 BILLION dollars you could spend $2,739.73/day $114.16/hr (if you never slept) for *1,000 years* (if you found a way to live that long) and still have some left over. How can anyone even begin formulating an argument that any person could "need" or "deserve" that much money?

Ah there’s private jets and houses for more than that

Equality at its finest… lmao

I agree. But to the point about Gen Z’s general outlook. We’re not lol. We’re not planning on making it through the rest of our lives. They put a lot of emphasis on Gen Z living it up now bc we think we’ll be too old when we’re 70 but it’s really the fact that we don’t see ourselves living to 70 at all. Global warming is now, in addition to shifting economics not trending in most peoples’ favour. (As well as politicians and other powers that be who seem to intend to keep it that way.) Gotta live it up while we’re still alive and a good chunk of the world is still habitable/“travel-able”. Bleak but very much the prevailing sentiment of those of us non-millionaire/trust fund babies in our early to mid twenties and lower. Btw, I know not one stay at home gf irl. Many people hold multiple jobs or have one while in school. 🙃

As a young millennial, what I've seen from gen z is that they're more thrifty than many millennials. I think if you look at the kind of demographic that makes certain content a lot of millennial made YT videos are about things like luxury shopping or expensive hauls. While I think gen Z is more about buying second hand, thrifting, etc. It could also be that the millennial generation is now at a point where they can afford nicer things, but I know so many millennials who spend money as fast as they make it, whereas many gen z seem to save more and are better at stretching out their budget

We’re feeling hopeless so it’s hard to plan for a future you’re not sure you will have. Politics and global warming keep getting scarier, wealth inequality is getting worse, we’re all just waiting for a revolution but too anxious to start one. I definitely think as we get older we’re starting to think more about money and how to adapt & survive. Just trying to learn how to survive the systems we live in. While also being eco conscious with thrifting, investing in eco friendly companies, quitting and getting a healthier job, etc.

@@KatelynAnn710 ty- this is exactly the kind of discussion I was hoping this video would be about.