The Boomer Supremacy Summary

@zed_kid - what do you base that on? A contractor still h as the same award obligations to meet.

 

With the amount of jobs around in Adelaide... lots of competition.

 

Based on assumptions in financial models when costing a projects

 

But that is based on cost to company. Not what the individual receives.

In most circumstances I would take contract work over FTE any day of the week and twice on sundays.

But thats just me.
Blacky

 

Chrissy and I are both Gen Y.

We both purchased our first places when we were single at 19 years of age. Chrissy started work at 16 on a traineeship wage and saved for 3 years to buy her place.

I worked as a pizza delivery driver while I was in year 11 and 12 and later sold alarms door to door to buy my first place.

It's got far less to do with what generation you happen to be born into and far more to do with hardwork and sacrifice.

 

Here's a good example of generational inequality:

My father grew up in country NSW, he lived in a 2 room shack with a dirt and hay floor. It was him, his mother, father, 1 sister and 4 brothers. None of them owned shoes until they were teenagers and he left school at the age of 11 illiterate. He arrived in Sydney at 19 on a motor bike and penniless. He worked hard all his life and never complained about what a tough life he had. He and his 2 elder brothers died from DDT exposure related illnesses at fairly advanced ages.

Fast forward to Gen Y and 'we' are tackling big issues like not being able to bar hop after 130am?

Pathetic.

 

Where did he grow up T&C? I have a couple of students who lived like that as kids.

 

Cowra and surrounds. They used to manage farms for property owners (back in the days when land owners were considered wealthy).

 

Yeah Central West. Back in those days managing farms was a good way to live, too.

 

He left in the early 1950's (I came along fairly late in his life ). He is one of the few people I have met in life that was truly self-made

 

Good stuff.
I would add working smarter, trying to progress in some way - you don't have to be a millionaire, but hopefully heading towards something you want to do, rather than have to do.
Have fun on the way, but people can't complain if they're wasting it all (time, opportunity, money...)

 

I graduated from pizza and door to door sales a few years back now

It's the complaining part that gets tired. Either work harder, smarter, sacrifice and make it happen or rent forever, spend all your cash and live your life without complaints or regret.

 

Good to hear!
Actually, life would probably be a lot more simple if I went back to the old Red Rooster

 

Top Post. There was also a little thing called National Service that quite a few BB's had to contend with. Get your name drawn out of a hat, then off to Basic Training before a combat tour of Vietnam. That's what I would call being marginalised!

Look there is no doubt Gen Y has challenges that are real and serious, but when writers like this one go OTT with emotive dribble, it detracts from what might otherwise be a very valid point. That's why many oldies just tune out to a lot of this stuff.

 

Thanks

Every generation faces different challenges and there are people in every generation with that 'poor me' attitude.

Chrissy and I are a 4 child, single income family (she recently opened a business but we aren't anywhere near break even point). When I hear single people, two income families etc. complaining about the cost of living, real estate, whatever else I just think 'if only you put as much effort into bettering your situation as you do whinning you'd be right'

 

That's another point. They talk about how the oldies had it so good because the income to house price ratio was so low. But it was mostly 1 income back then. Now it's mostly 2.

 

@WattleIdo as you asked where Gen X is - doing their own thing?
Whoa, we're halfway there: a financial portrait of Gen X in middle age

I always wonder why the 'fight' articles are usually between Boomers and Gen Y. Will that means in several years there will be articles about Gen X vs Gen Z?

 

Great article. Kinda makes me feel normal - which I happen to really like! It paints us as a generation of quiet achievers - despite some difficulties (either side). It's true that we feel so lucky to have a job even 25 years later.

 

I hope you mean fortunate, it's not luck to work towards something and ensure you do what you need to do to keep it.

 

Like how many words do the French have for love?
OK fortunate is a better choice.