boomer PSA to Gen Z: if you’re cold calling me for a job, please do not start your message “yo” this is a serious business, with serious people and money, and if we are not familiar with one another, based on that I am not going to hire you to represent the work we do

Boomer Dad: when I was your age I already had a house. Me: when you were my age a house cost $44,000. Boomer Dad: so? You make more than I did. Me: the cheapest house near my job is $390,000. Boomer Dad: well you don’t have to live near your job. Me: it’s an hour away already. Boomer Dad: I used to commute 45 minutes. Me: gas was 89 cents. Boomer Dad: … Boomer Dad: interest rates were high when I bought too you know. Me: your salary matched the rates though. Boomer Dad: your grandfather helped me with the down payment. Me: … Boomer Dad: … Boomer Dad: I’ll talk to your grandfather. Me: he passed in 2011 dad. Boomer Dad: … Boomer Dad: I know that.

My boomer mom watched me save for 3 years for a down payment. Knew exactly what I was saving for. We even looked at houses together a few times. Found one I loved. Put in an offer $10,000 over asking. Felt like it was finally happening. Got outbid by $40,000. Called my mom crying. She went quiet for a second. Then told me she was the one who outbid me. Said it was a good investment and she couldn’t pass it up. Then offered to rent it to me at market rate. Said I should be happy it stayed in the family. I’m paying rent. To my mom. For the house I almost bought.

My boomer dad thinks the Federal Reserve is just a government bank that helps regular people. I told him the Fed is a private institution owned by member banks. That its primary mandate is price stability not full employment. That every rate hike that made his savings account look better made someone else’s mortgage impossible. He said that sounds like a conspiracy theory. I showed him the Fed’s own website. He said he’d have to look into it. Then turned on the news. Which is owned by the same people who own the banks.

my boomer uncle spent decades saving for retirement. barely traveled. packed lunches every day. drove the same old car forever. always said he’d enjoy life later. he passed away with around $800k in the bank. his kids split it and burned through most of it pretty fast. crazy how some people spend their whole lives saving money they never really got to enjoy.