Millennials can’t buy homes because they’re wasting money on avocado toast

[mtn]

STEM bro checking in.

Do you guys know where I can buy pre-sliced avocados?

I have to hire someone to slice them for me because-- for no reason whatsoever-- people get nervous when I'm around edged cutting tools.

One time I cut myself with a spoon while scooping an avocado. I maintain that the avocado is the most dangerous item in the kitchen.

[Lila8]

[[sigh]] More Millennial antics...

Millennials Are Helping America Save More Money
Young workers prepare for a rainy day while Generation X and Baby Boomers struggle to rebuild their bank accounts.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-06-20/millennials-are-helping-america-save-more-money?utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=bd&utm_campaign=headline&cmpId=yhoo.headline

[Gin1984]

Whether you frown on profanity or not, this is a classic example of ad hominem with a side of appeal to authority.

Like it or not, profanity is a part of language. You don't have to agree, but note that your disagreement does not render any arguments invalid or inferior.

I find it amusing that you're trying to find logical fallacies in what cadillacmike said, in the process of defending the use of profanity in a debate.

I think the point is that profanity neither adds useful information to a discussion nor aids in coming to an agreement, and is often used as a crutch when the main point is difficult to defend.

You do realize what forum you are on right?  The man who gave up thousands of dollars so he could swear?  Any of this ringing a bell?  Swearing is a way to show that you are pissed off, it does not have anything to do with defending your main point.  Unless of course your point is the other person is an asshole and you prefer to be accurate.

[A Definite Beta Guy]

Sister X says a naughty word and gets reamed, but multiple posters express sheer contempt for anyone who does non-STEM and that's perfectly OK.

Not sure if it's okay, but it's definitely part of life. Lawyers, accountants, marketers, investment bankers, politicians: they all get criticized as badly or worse, by everyone

Some professions are adored by some, hated by others: priests, teachers, police officers...

[RidetheRain]

As a millennial woman in STEM, I find that avocados don't make much of a difference to my bottom line. As it turns out that per pound my favorite apples cost more. Watch out millennials.

[JLee]

Whether you frown on profanity or not, this is a classic example of ad hominem with a side of appeal to authority.

Like it or not, profanity is a part of language. You don't have to agree, but note that your disagreement does not render any arguments invalid or inferior.

I find it amusing that you're trying to find logical fallacies in what cadillacmike said, in the process of defending the use of profanity in a debate.

I think the point is that profanity neither adds useful information to a discussion nor aids in coming to an agreement, and is often used as a crutch when the main point is difficult to defend.

Much like logical fallacies, eh?

[zolotiyeruki]

Whether you frown on profanity or not, this is a classic example of ad hominem with a side of appeal to authority.

Like it or not, profanity is a part of language. You don't have to agree, but note that your disagreement does not render any arguments invalid or inferior.

I find it amusing that you're trying to find logical fallacies in what cadillacmike said, in the process of defending the use of profanity in a debate.

I think the point is that profanity neither adds useful information to a discussion nor aids in coming to an agreement, and is often used as a crutch when the main point is difficult to defend.

Much like logical fallacies, eh?

That....was pretty much the point I was trying to make :)  It sounds like you're excusing a logical fallacy (vulgarity) by pointing out another's logical fallacies.

[JLee]

Whether you frown on profanity or not, this is a classic example of ad hominem with a side of appeal to authority.

Like it or not, profanity is a part of language. You don't have to agree, but note that your disagreement does not render any arguments invalid or inferior.

I find it amusing that you're trying to find logical fallacies in what cadillacmike said, in the process of defending the use of profanity in a debate.

I think the point is that profanity neither adds useful information to a discussion nor aids in coming to an agreement, and is often used as a crutch when the main point is difficult to defend.

Much like logical fallacies, eh?

That....was pretty much the point I was trying to make :)  It sounds like you're excusing a logical fallacy (vulgarity) by pointing out another's logical fallacies.

Vulgarity is not a logical fallacy.

[GrumpyPenguin]

As a millennial woman in STEM, I find that avocados don't make much of a difference to my bottom line. As it turns out that per pound my favorite apples cost more. Watch out millennials.

Uhg, no kidding.  In my city at least, some kinds of apples around here are $3+/lb.  I've got super elastic demand and loose preferences though, so I usually buy an apple variety in the $0.80-$1.20/lb range, which is the cheapest they go aside from Red Delicious here.

[RidetheRain]

As a millennial woman in STEM, I find that avocados don't make much of a difference to my bottom line. As it turns out that per pound my favorite apples cost more. Watch out millennials.

Uhg, no kidding.  In my city at least, some kinds of apples around here are $3+/lb.  I've got super elastic demand and loose preferences though, so I usually buy an apple variety in the $0.80-$1.20/lb range, which is the cheapest they go aside from Red Delicious here.

I'm pretty spendy with my apple habit. I buy apples from my local farmer's market which is honestly a little more expensive than the grocery store, but supporting local businesses seems worthwhile. I usually end up in the $2/lb range.

[A Definite Beta Guy]

As a millennial woman in STEM, I find that avocados don't make much of a difference to my bottom line. As it turns out that per pound my favorite apples cost more. Watch out millennials.

Apples are ungodly expensive. I rarely buy them outside of when they are on sale for $.99/pound.

Avocados are sold individually here and vary between $1 and $1.67 per avocado, which isn't horrible depending on frequency and use. A huge heaping serving of guac will take 3 avocados, so max $5, and easily is a good condiment for 4 people, at $1.25 per person of avocado price. I am guessing the guac addition comes out to $2/head for a pretty generous serving, on top of burritos that themselves are $2.50/head. That's a healthy price, not insignificant, but not budget breaking depending on frequency.

[GrumpyPenguin]

As a millennial woman in STEM, I find that avocados don't make much of a difference to my bottom line. As it turns out that per pound my favorite apples cost more. Watch out millennials.

Apples are ungodly expensive. I rarely buy them outside of when they are on sale for $.99/pound.

Avocados are sold individually here and vary between $1 and $1.67 per avocado, which isn't horrible depending on frequency and use. A huge heaping serving of guac will take 3 avocados, so max $5, and easily is a good condiment for 4 people, at $1.25 per person of avocado price. I am guessing the guac addition comes out to $2/head for a pretty generous serving, on top of burritos that themselves are $2.50/head. That's a healthy price, not insignificant, but not budget breaking depending on frequency.

Sounds about right.  Avocados and guac feel like a luxury to me, but one I'm happy to indulge in now and then.

I've picked up Gala apples at Costco a couple times at $1.18/lb.  I'm comfortable with that price. They've got these amazing pear apples that come in now and then that I think are closer to $2/lb... tasty luxury that I don't mind indulging in now and then too.

[TheGrimSqueaker]

Whether you frown on profanity or not, this is a classic example of ad hominem with a side of appeal to authority.

Like it or not, profanity is a part of language. You don't have to agree, but note that your disagreement does not render any arguments invalid or inferior.

I find it amusing that you're trying to find logical fallacies in what cadillacmike said, in the process of defending the use of profanity in a debate.

I think the point is that profanity neither adds useful information to a discussion nor aids in coming to an agreement, and is often used as a crutch when the main point is difficult to defend.

Much like logical fallacies, eh?

That....was pretty much the point I was trying to make :)  It sounds like you're excusing a logical fallacy (vulgarity) by pointing out another's logical fallacies.

Vulgarity is not a logical fallacy.

Indeed not: around here it's an art form.

[jinga nation]

Whether you frown on profanity or not, this is a classic example of ad hominem with a side of appeal to authority.

Like it or not, profanity is a part of language. You don't have to agree, but note that your disagreement does not render any arguments invalid or inferior.

I find it amusing that you're trying to find logical fallacies in what cadillacmike said, in the process of defending the use of profanity in a debate.

I think the point is that profanity neither adds useful information to a discussion nor aids in coming to an agreement, and is often used as a crutch when the main point is difficult to defend.

Much like logical fallacies, eh?

That....was pretty much the point I was trying to make :)  It sounds like you're excusing a logical fallacy (vulgarity) by pointing out another's logical fallacies.

Vulgarity is not a logical fallacy.

Indeed not: around here it's an art form.

https://youtu.be/cnDUqof1KoM

[ysette9]

tasty luxury that I don't mind indulging in now and then too.

One area we have definitely experienced lifestyle inflation over the years is groceries. I am at the point in my life where I pay for higher quality food because it just tastes better. When I was a poor student in undergrad I bought what was cheap because I needed to fuel my body. Now I am rolling in the lap of luxury with my fancy career and food is both a source of pleasure as well as the building blocks of the tiny human inside of me. So you know what, I buy the organic cherries if I feel the urge. I buy lots of avocados because I love them. I buy the organic, free-range eggs because they make me feel a little better inside and I like the deep orange color of the yolks. So be it. One of the big take-aways I get from MMM is the idea of spending $ consciously in ways that bring you pleasure. For me, that is good food at the grocery store.

As for swearing, I am typically a no- to low-swear kind of person because I subscribe to the notion that you can use your brain cells to come up with a more descriptive way of expressing outrage. That said, this forum and the blog have been changing my perspective on that. I think it is a cultural thing and you have to be sensitive to the social norms of the group. On this forum the social norm is that swearing as a way of expressing shock, outrage, emphasis, is acceptable. I still feel, and I believe the guidelines here agree, that attacking someone is not acceptable. Therefore "damn, that is a stupid idea" is acceptable whereas "damn, you are stupid for thinking that idea" is not.

[Cowardly Toaster]

For someone who wanted to prove how wonderful humanities majors are, the poster wasn't very eloquent, especially for an English major. Just saying

A) Tech-bros who lack the nuance to think beyond the troglodytic argument that "STEM = good, everything else = BAD" are not deserving of my eloquence and probably wouldn't understand it anyway.

B) Using swearing does not invalidate an argument. Having a bad argument invalidates the argument.

What are you, a child? "Teacher, Teacher, she did a SWEAR!" falls into the "bad argument" category.

And if you have more of a problem with my swearing than you do with insulting an entire group of people, you need to re-think your priorities.

It's not the swearing itself, it's that you think swearing is a devastating rhetorical device. This just confirms my belief that swearing shouldn't be allowed without a certification and a license.  Cussing is too important for amateurs to be allowed to do it at will.

[Prairie Stash]

tasty luxury that I don't mind indulging in now and then too.

One area we have definitely experienced lifestyle inflation over the years is groceries. I am at the point in my life where I pay for higher quality food because it just tastes better. When I was a poor student in undergrad I bought what was cheap because I needed to fuel my body. Now I am rolling in the lap of luxury with my fancy career and food is both a source of pleasure as well as the building blocks of the tiny human inside of me. So you know what, I buy the organic cherries if I feel the urge. I buy lots of avocados because I love them. I buy the organic, free-range eggs because they make me feel a little better inside and I like the deep orange color of the yolks. So be it. One of the big take-aways I get from MMM is the idea of spending $ consciously in ways that bring you pleasure. For me, that is good food at the grocery store.

I bet you refrain from complaining about house prices though.

The entire point of avocado toast; its annoying to hear people complain about high priced goods while simultaneously eating a high priced good. The basic level of self awareness that it takes to recognize cause/effect in your own life and then publicly state that you are entitled to all high priced goods is the part that some millennials(people of every generation) are missing.

I grew up believing that eating out was for rich people only, to hear people defend avocado toast sounds like the Monopoly Man defending his right to snort coke off his fancy dog while jacking the rent on his hotels. Historically, its a rip off of Marie Antoinette ""let them eat avocado toast!", the sentiment has existed forever and afflicts every generation.

[ysette9]

Sure, I agree with you there. And I didn't up our lifestyle with respect to food until we had plenty of income to justify the expense. it is a luxury and one I thoroughly enjoy.

[Cwadda]

For someone who wanted to prove how wonderful humanities majors are, the poster wasn't very eloquent, especially for an English major. Just saying

A) Tech-bros who lack the nuance to think beyond the troglodytic argument that "STEM = good, everything else = BAD" are not deserving of my eloquence and probably wouldn't understand it anyway.

B) Using swearing does not invalidate an argument. Having a bad argument invalidates the argument.

What are you, a child? "Teacher, Teacher, she did a SWEAR!" falls into the "bad argument" category.

And if you have more of a problem with my swearing than you do with insulting an entire group of people, you need to re-think your priorities.

Ah, don't worry SisterX. MMM is generally a fantastic community but inevitably the internet is still a venue for trolls to thrive, even occasionally around this forum. I originally thought trolls wouldn't make it on to this site, but unfortunately they still do. A shame, isn't it? They have nothing better to do with their time.

FWIW, Breakingthechain or whatever his name is has done a pretty good job at trolling. Kudos. Trolling is surprisingly difficult around here since 99% of the community is very mature, but occasionally a few trolls run loose.

Millennial here, checking in. Homeowner as of 1 week ago. I also bought avocados the other day for $2 each :/
I'll have to look for better prices.

[TheGrimSqueaker]

This is largely due to Australia's generous tax policies towards property investors: if you buy a property and the rent does not cover the mortgage, you can deduct the resulting loss from any other income source. Also, if you sell a property after owning it for more than 12 months, half of the profit you make is tax-free. Both of these policies encourage speculation and forego tax revenue. The second policy alone is estimated to cost the country 19 billion dollars per year in lost taxes.

Yipes, that sounds like the way the US system was set up until the Tax Reform Act of 1986. When investors were no longer allowed to deduct losses on investment properties from other income sources, it gutted the investment real estate market. Prices on investment real estate tanked, and real estate turned into a cash flow negative investment when mortgaged (unless you can get a great bargain or DIY a lot). That effectively locked a bunch of smaller retirement investors out of the market and encouraged housing to be bought more for cash from heavily capitalized individuals.

Impact to renters was weird. The change in law didn't lower the rents; if anything, they went up. It also didn't significantly affect the price of homes being bought to live in. The loss of the investment vehicle killed off people's desire to buy smaller houses and rent them up, so it could have been a contributing factor in the McMansionizing of the USA. I also suspect it may have caused a lot of investment money to flow out of real estate and into other kinds of assets.

[transportation]

I just saw this gem on Twitter:

"Avocado Toast: Market Price"

https://twitter.com/sherlyholmes/status/938934404251971584

[SwordGuy]

Vulgarity is not a logical fallacy.

Indeed not: around here it's an art form.

Eh, not so much.   

About 40 years ago there was an article on the front page of the Wall Street Journal.   It was a feature story about the several time winner of the US national cussing competition.     That man was a true artist with words.    He did not use a single "naughty word" when he cussed someone out but by Gosh, your stomach would turn at the word picture he could paint of someone.

Wasn't able to find any sign of it still being around or I would have provided a link.   Perhaps someone is a subscriber to the Journal and they have archived their old issues online... ?

[RidetheRain]

Vulgarity is not a logical fallacy.

Indeed not: around here it's an art form.

Eh, not so much.   

About 40 years ago there was an article on the front page of the Wall Street Journal.   It was a feature story about the several time winner of the US national cussing competition.     That man was a true artist with words.    He did not use a single "naughty word" when he cussed someone out but by Gosh, your stomach would turn at the word picture he could paint of someone.

Wasn't able to find any sign of it still being around or I would have provided a link.   Perhaps someone is a subscriber to the Journal and they have archived their old issues online... ?

In line with people with a flair for words that sting I recommend googling or youtube-ing christophe the insultor. I saw him at a renaissance fair once and it was the most disgusting and hilarious show I've ever seen.

[nobody123]

Vulgarity is not a logical fallacy.

Indeed not: around here it's an art form.

Eh, not so much.   

About 40 years ago there was an article on the front page of the Wall Street Journal.   It was a feature story about the several time winner of the US national cussing competition.     That man was a true artist with words.    He did not use a single "naughty word" when he cussed someone out but by Gosh, your stomach would turn at the word picture he could paint of someone.

Wasn't able to find any sign of it still being around or I would have provided a link.   Perhaps someone is a subscriber to the Journal and they have archived their old issues online... ?

In line with people with a flair for words that sting I recommend googling or youtube-ing christophe the insultor. I saw him at a renaissance fair once and it was the most disgusting and hilarious show I've ever seen.

I always liked Ralphie's line in A Christmas Story where he describes his father's cussing ability: "Now, I had heard that word at least 10 times a day from my old man. My father worked in profanity the way other artists might work in oils or clay."  That always makes me laugh.

[marty998]

Supposably Avocados just hit $89 a box.

I guess the original premise is starting to ring true now...

https://www.9news.com.au/national/2018/01/18/20/08/avocado-prices-continue-to-skyrocket

[Cwadda]

"Millennials walking around like they rent the place."