Gen Z romanticise paying rent and buying groceries: 'We’ve reached an economic point of no return'

A viral tweet has sparked a conversation about the quietly devastating economic reality facing Gen Z – and their efforts to find comfort in the bare minimum.

The post features a seemingly innocuous image: a basket of groceries, filled with whole foods like spinach, tinned tomatoes, and an avocado.

The tweet reads: "One day you’ll be buying groceries to cook dinner in the small apartment you rent."

At first glance, it might seem aspirational – a snapshot of adulthood and independence. But for many, the post quickly struck a different chord.

It began circulating widely, not just for what it said, but for what it revealed: that something as basic as affording rent and groceries now feels like a goal, rather than a given.

One repost summed up the mood perfectly: "I love that being able to afford rent and groceries is being romanticised by Gen Z like we've literally reached an economic point of no return."

The comment resonated deeply, drawing in others who echoed the same sentiment of uneasy recognition.

"Surviving basic life expenses shouldn’t feel like a flex, but here we are clapping for making it...." one user wrote.

Another added: "And even then, they add 'small apartment.'"

To older generations, the idea of romanticising basic essentials might feel absurd, or even dystopian. But to many younger people, it's simply their reality.

With rising living costs, stagnant wages, and home ownership increasingly out of reach, Gen Z is redefining what success looks like – and sometimes, it’s just managing to get by.

That said, not all responses were bleak.

Some took the original tweet as a symbol of personal growth, and the excitement of adulthood filled with independence, freedom, and the ability to choose what’s for dinner, no matter how humble the setting.

It comes after a recent Reddit thread quietly ignited a big conversation online. The post’s candid honesty struck a chord with hundreds of fellow users, shining a light on a financial challenge that doesn’t often get airtime — the hidden expenses of singlehood. Read more here.

You should also read...

• ‘Not getting the vibe’: Gen Z leave email sparks generational workplace debate
• What is the 'Gen Z stare' and why is it dividing Zoomers and Millennials?

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