Ask any millennial.
You might be in the full flower of youth – with the oldest millennials turning 35 this year – but in financial terms, it sucks!
You’re in a world where the nature of work has changed and you have to skip from job to job as you cobble together a career.
You carry tens of thousands of dollars of debt for a tertiary degree you may not ever use and, to add insult to injury, you have probably been locked out of the housing market (unless your parents can help you out).
At least there’s smashed avocado to be had on your toast at that hipster café.
Jokes aside, here are some money ideas for millennials as they come off their summer break and get back into the swing of 2017.
• Your phone can be a savings and investment tool, as well as communication device. You use your smartphone for just about everything, right? In financial terms, you have your bank’s app and you use it regularly to transfer funds to your friends for those shared dinners or Uber trips. Well, find out about investment and savings apps which you can install on your phone, and which can help you build up your savings. One of the most popular is Acorns, where your small change from purchases goes into an investment fund. From small things, big things grow, right?
• Use your debit card, not your credit card. Debit cards have made the world an easier place, and they have taken away some of the convenience of the credit card. People bang on about it all the time, but the best way to financial health is to live with less debt. If you see the Visa sign, you can pay with debit or credit these days. Use the debit, and keep the credit for something special.
• Check out other fintechs, there might be one which can work for you. Digital technology and the shared economy are transforming finances. Ok, so you might not be able to buy an apartment but there are new startups out there which can give you a piece of the market, without having to stump up the whole deposit. Sydney-based Brickx, for example, is selling apartments brick by brick, and you can buy in online.
• Don’t feel bad about renting. In many cities there is an apartment glut approaching and prices and rents are likely to fall significantly this year. Keep an eye on the rental market, because there’s a good chance you might be able to find something better, and cheaper.
• Think about that great business idea you’ve got, and do something about it. You’ve got an idea for a killer app which be the next Uber, or for a great marketing and distribution idea which you haven’t seen done yet. Go for it, because there’s no time like the present, and while you’re young. There might even be some Government help out there for your start-up, and there’s certainly a lot of private venture capital out there looking for a good home. Back yourself, and take a chance!