No, baby boomers, millennials aren't poor because they eat smashed avocado

Gen Y is to blame for everything, apparently.
 By 
Jerico Mandybur
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Housing affordability is a real problem for young people in Australia. But according to one columnist, millennials would be able to afford property if they simply stopped eating so much "smash avocado with crumbed feta on five-grain toasted bread." Seems legit.

Writing for The Australian newspaper, Bernard Salt has had it up to *here* with these young cafe-dwelling whippersnappers with their soy this and intersectional that.

"I have seen young people order smashed avocado with crumbled feta on five-grain toasted bread at $22 a pop and more. I can afford to eat this for lunch because I am middle aged and have raised my family. But how can young people afford to eat like this? Shouldn't they be economising by eating at home? How often are they eating out? Twenty-two dollars several times a week could go towards a deposit on a house," he writes.


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But Salt's not the only one who is suggesting a magic bullet that will fix all the financial problems Gen Y has inherited from the very people so keen to criticize them.

Industrial relations expert Grace Collier told a live audience on ABC's Q&A Monday night that unemployed people should simply start their own business. Presto! You're gainfully employed, your business is thriving, and you're rich. Congrats, millennial. Success unlocked.

Both parties seems to subscribe to the Field of Dreams school of thought. If you "start a business" or "stopping eating smashed avo," money will come.

Needless to say, actual young people with first-person perspective of the dire property prices and Australia's unemployment rate have some thoughts and feelings on both Salt and Collier's "insights."

In Grace Collier's case, it was less about figures and more about feels. Rage feels.

In conclusion, baby boomers are the worst and should never tweet. You can take away our opportunity to ever own our own homes, old people. But you will NEVER take our brunch!

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Jerico Mandybur

Jerico Mandybur is the editor of Mashable Australia. Previously, she worked as a digital editor at SBS, Oyster Mag, MTV and ASOS. Tweet her at @jerico_m.

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