Gen X, Z and Millennials may be big spenders

If you were born after 1946, studies claim that you’re most likely spending a fair proportion of your income on housing and healthcare. According to a US study, the amount people spend on a particular need is similar across the same generation.

There are five distinct generations that have been identified. These are ‘Silent’, ‘Boomers’, ‘Generation X’, the ‘Millennials’ and ‘Generation Z’

According to the study all the above generations, apart from the Silent, spend most of their money on housing and healthcare.

The Silent spend significantly less on healthcare but I don’t want to go into why here because that is a whole different discussion to be had about death and neglect of the elderly, and care homes since they no longer have an income and most likely very little savings and probably a very poor healthcare plan.

Apparently the X generation spends most money on food and transport. In fact the study shows that, of all the generations, X and the Millennials are the biggest spenders on everything. From Food, Transport, Entertainment, Apparel and Services, Personal Care Products to Miscellaneous expenses are all down to X and Millennials.

This information is based on a survey of Americans living in the United States. But that being said, I’m sure that, whatever the study found, most likely translates across the world but to differing degrees. Regardless of where in the world we live and whatever income bracket we fall into, every month we all spend a fair proportion of our income on basic essentials every single month. Also, in my opinion, that need is surely universal. Because, even if our income brackets are vastly different, that something specific on which we spend most of our money will not vary from group to group. The only thing that will differ is the amount we spend on it.

Yes there are certain essentials that we must all spend on in order to be able to live. We all need a roof over our heads so we need to pay rent or a mortgage. We all need to put food on our tables and, if you have children, they need to go to school which involves the cost of school fees, if education is not free in your country, as well as uniforms and regular school supplies. We also need to buy essential clothes to wear and if you live in a very cold and wet climate, winter clothing is a must. We all also need healthcare and this involves health insurance or cash payments at clinics or hospitals, the frequency of which increase the older you get. It’s a well-known fact that the older we get, the greater is our need for better and more frequent healthcare. This includes more medication and an increased rate of hospitalisation due to illnesses. These are the essentials that we cannot eliminate from our budget.

But there is a huge proportion of the population, most of which I think is from Generation Z, that spends a fair amount of money, and fairly frequently, on non-essential items. I think that is reflected in the survey and it translates to every country including the UAE.

I’ve seen many Facebook group postings from young ladies looking to spend money on new clothes, new jewellery and new accessories just because they feel like it and not because they need it. There is no special event they are planning to attend but just because.

I’ve seen postings from girls looking for concert tickets for the latest shows around town or looking to sell their tickets to someone else because they can no longer go.

They’re looking for Friday night brunches or Saturday lunches where the vibes are good and the music is great!

I’ve seen numerous Facebook postings looking for someone to come to their homes and do their hair and makeup and provide them with manipedis. Or they’re looking for recommendations for places they can go to that do provide such services. I’ve seen postings looking for full body treatments, full body waxing and elective liposuction and plastic surgery, all of which are elective. Some are even looking for a personal trainer because they can’t, or don’t want to, exercise on their own.

I’ve seen postings from girls willing to pay for someone to tell them their fortune using crystal balls, the stars, tarot cards and palm readings, and the extraordinary thing is that they do receive recommendations for such services or find someone who points them in the ‘right’ direction. Remember, these are not free services; they cost money, Requests for such unusual services such as tarot cards and palm readings are not free.

It does baffle me that girls as young as in their 20s and early 30s have that kind of disposable income. I can’t imagine their salaries being that high.

I’m looking at these alien spending habits from my personal perspective. I’m a boomer and I don’t spend unless I absolutely need to replace something after exhausting all other avenues. That being said, even when I was in my 20s and 30s I don’t recall spending like this even when I was at university or when I was working.

I guess people are different now…