This generation of awful kidults need to trendify everything.

This will be the lead story on news.com.au by the end of the week.

Edit: Today in " the world scares me " by Gen Z.

www.news.com.au/finance/work/careers/gen-z-jobseekers-are-bringing-parents-to-interviews/news-story/6272bee61fa04384eea90c4b38ebf5fa

1 in 5... 1 in 5.

Jan 14, 2024 23:43:36 GMT NATH45 said:

This generation of awful kidults need to trendify everything.

This will be the lead story on news.com.au by the end of the week.

Edit: Today in " the world scares me " by Gen Z.

www.news.com.au/finance/work/careers/gen-z-jobseekers-are-bringing-parents-to-interviews/news-story/6272bee61fa04384eea90c4b38ebf5fa

1 in 5... 1 in 5.

Ugh... One of my nephews is in high school and was bragging to me about his part time work.
I am impressed he has three jobs, less impressed his Mum got them all for him.

I am not sure why there is such a preference for avoiding hard things today.
Someone who can't front up to a job interview on their own... Is that someone you want as a reliable member of your team?

I have no issues with a 15 year old bringing Mum or Dad, and letting them wait around outside or introducing them before the interview. And no issues with Mum or Dad getting the kid a job, most likely the parents will have pushed for the kid to work anyway. But, if you're 25 years old and afraid of the outside world and need to bring Mum or Dad to the interview, that's a different story.

Jan 14, 2024 23:43:36 GMT NATH45 said:

This generation of awful kidults need to trendify everything.

This will be the lead story on news.com.au by the end of the week.

Edit: Today in " the world scares me " by Gen Z.

www.news.com.au/finance/work/careers/gen-z-jobseekers-are-bringing-parents-to-interviews/news-story/6272bee61fa04384eea90c4b38ebf5fa

1 in 5... 1 in 5.

That just proves that these parents aren't letting the birds fly the nest. 

This is going to sound rough but when my daughter turned 18 I stopped making Dr's appointments for her, etc. I wasn't completely heartless, I sat beside her when she made the calls, but how would she learn if I didn't cut the cord and made her do it herself. I have done mock interviews with her, but I would never go with her. When she was being taking advantage of by an employer I wanted to get involved, but didn't until after she left and then I wrote a nasty gram to head office. 

I find the issue with my daughter's age and younger is they don't like/want to make phone calls and get anxiety even thinking about having to do so, they don't want to meet in person for interviews and really have poor social skills despite being considered a very social group. 

It does sound rough but the opposite is equally rough for more subtle reasons. Me and my brother were mollycoddled by my mother, even as a young adult she not only did everything for me but insisted on doing so, despite my best efforts. For example, her method of teaching me to cook was to have me stand there while she cooked and narrated what she did. Naturally, I learnt nothing.

I was on my own for anything academic/job related so that wasn't a problem, but my life skills suffered as a result, and I became very insecure about it. After university I was living with my parents for financial reasons. While it was a comfortable life and especially handy during the pandemic years, that insecurity grew and grew, that feeling that I'd never be able to take care of myself. I was a manchild and not proud of it. I eventually took the decision to move out and it was definitely one of the best life decisions I'd made. Basically taught myself to cook and do other basic adult chores. I had some experience of that living in a student house but it's not really the same as living alone.

I don't blame my mother, she was parenting me in the best way she could, and she will probably never know the impact it had on me. But it's fine. I ended up in a good place, I love my parents very much and still see them regularly.

Jan 15, 2024 17:06:54 GMT iron maiden said:

I find the issue with my daughter's age and younger is they don't like/want to make phone calls and get anxiety even thinking about having to do so, they don't want to meet in person for interviews and really have poor social skills despite being considered a very social group. 

Allow me to offer a millenial's perspective. The younger generation have become accustomed to communicating primarily through text. Face-to-face is common. Phone calls - almost never. Everything is done online, through email. Even receiving mail is pretty rare, at least for me. I like it this way.

I had very strong phone anxiety until I got my first job, although I worked as a programmer, I had to pick up the phone and talk to people in my company on almost a daily basis. Turns out phone people aren't so terrifying after all! But there is an innate mild phone anxiety within me that will never go away. I much prefer talking face-to-face over the phone or even over a video call. For me there's something just "off" about the lack of physical connection, even if you can see the other person .

Jan 14, 2024 23:43:36 GMT NATH45 said:

This generation of awful kidults need to trendify everything.

This will be the lead story on news.com.au by the end of the week.

Edit: Today in " the world scares me " by Gen Z.

www.news.com.au/finance/work/careers/gen-z-jobseekers-are-bringing-parents-to-interviews/news-story/6272bee61fa04384eea90c4b38ebf5fa

1 in 5... 1 in 5.

time is a flat circle

HuffPo | Millennials Now Bringing Their Parents Along On Job Interviews

www.huffpost.com/entry/parent-job-interview_n_3907447

but otherwise a few things stuck out to me in the gen-z article, notably

50 per cent said they ask for unreasonable compensationMeanwhile, employers are pursuing great lengths to avoid hiring a recent graduate, including offering more benefits for older employees (60 per cent), paying higher salaries to older employees (59 per cent)

"dem kids are asking for too much money. better hire this older candidate, who we will pay more money"

make it make sense

additionally

47 per cent said they don’t dress appropriately for interviews, and 21 per cent said they refuse to turn their cameras on for virtual interviews.

what's appropriate? if it isn't a client facing role should anyone truly care, as long as it isn't an offensive t-shirt or short shorts? all the more so if it's a remote only job where they won't, y'know, actually see anyone in person

A few things to digest here.

OMG BOOMER ALERT!

50 per cent said they ask for unreasonable compensation. Meanwhile, employers are pursuing great lengths to avoid hiring a recent graduate, including offering more benefits for older employees (60 per cent), paying higher salaries to older employees (59 per cent)

It does make sense. Although a recent graduate may have the exact same qualifications as say, someone who is 10 or 20 years their senior. The recent grads, may and often will lack maturity, real life experience, versatility and often stability. In addition to other skills such as soft skills, leadership, etc. It's the central theme in every second movie about the new young hot-shot taking the lead, failing and then discovering it takes more to succeed in this world than simply a qualification and a sense of entitlement.  

47 per cent said they don’t dress appropriately for interviews, and 21 per cent said they refuse to turn their cameras on for virtual interviews.

For any role, it's neat casual at the very least. It's called professionalism. And refusing to turn the camera on, that is a blatant lack of respect.

Jan 15, 2024 18:55:08 GMT Emperor said:

It does sound rough but the opposite is equally rough for more subtle reasons. Me and my brother were mollycoddled by my mother, even as a young adult she not only did everything for me but insisted on doing so, despite my best efforts. For example, her method of teaching me to cook was to have me stand there while she cooked and narrated what she did. Naturally, I learnt nothing.

I was on my own for anything academic/job related so that wasn't a problem, but my life skills suffered as a result, and I became very insecure about it. After university I was living with my parents for financial reasons. While it was a comfortable life and especially handy during the pandemic years, that insecurity grew and grew, that feeling that I'd never be able to take care of myself. I was a manchild and not proud of it. I eventually took the decision to move out and it was definitely one of the best life decisions I'd made. Basically taught myself to cook and do other basic adult chores. I had some experience of that living in a student house but it's not really the same as living alone.

I don't blame my mother, she was parenting me in the best way she could, and she will probably never know the impact it had on me. But it's fine. I ended up in a good place, I love my parents very much and still see them regularly.

Jan 15, 2024 17:06:54 GMT iron maiden said:

I find the issue with my daughter's age and younger is they don't like/want to make phone calls and get anxiety even thinking about having to do so, they don't want to meet in person for interviews and really have poor social skills despite being considered a very social group. 

Allow me to offer a millenial's perspective. The younger generation have become accustomed to communicating primarily through text. Face-to-face is common. Phone calls - almost never. Everything is done online, through email. Even receiving mail is pretty rare, at least for me. I like it this way.

I had very strong phone anxiety until I got my first job, although I worked as a programmer, I had to pick up the phone and talk to people in my company on almost a daily basis. Turns out phone people aren't so terrifying after all! But there is an innate mild phone anxiety within me that will never go away. I much prefer talking face-to-face over the phone or even over a video call. For me there's something just "off" about the lack of physical connection, even if you can see the other person .

I had pretty terrible social anxiety when I was younger, finishing high school and things like making appointments or speaking on the phone were a nightmare to me.
Of course, I ended up having to do all of those things and to start off they were incredibly hard, but got easier over time.
Brain plasticity is a thing.

Where we seemed to have gone off the rails is by building personalities around our shortcomings and dislikes.
Someone is not an introvert as much as they have introverted tendencies.
We have replaced "it's hard" with "I can't"
It is a shame and it is no boast for people who find those things easy, because it is just their nature....
But we are all starting to accept people being pigenholed by tendencises that could be changed.

" introvert " became a buzzword a few years ago, and as you said iNCY, you're not introverted, but have introverted tendencies. Wanting regular solitude, isn't a bad thing. Nor does it mean, you're introverted. Of the guys I know, who I truly define as introverted - they are introverts. Very quiet people, deep thinkers, and enjoy.. more so need time for reflection and very much enjoy and need that quiet time to recover from social interaction or prepare for them. I don't get offended if they're needing their space, or contact is few and far between. Of the people who have proclaimed they are introverted... well, most of them I know, are loudmouths who want attention. Posting pictures of wood cabins with #qoutes is as about as introverted as many of these people get. It's also used as a justification for many for being detached, distant or aloof. Or just not giving a shit. 

To your point, this is a generation obsessed with labels. Being introverted, having ADHD, or being gay or trans for that matter isn't a personality. They're part of your identity, sure. But if your personality or identity doesn't extend beyond purposely adhering to a text-book definition ( and that is a reality for some people ) then it's to your own detriment and you're likely going to miss out on so much of the potentially positive things in life.  

Jan 17, 2024 7:05:07 GMT NATH45 said:

Of the guys I know, who I truly define as introverted - they are introverts. Very quiet people, deep thinkers, and enjoy.. more so need time for reflection and very much enjoy and need that quiet time to recover from social interaction or prepare for them

Exactly. This is the definition of an introvert. Introverts gain mental energy from solitude, and feel drained in any situation with a lot of external stimulation such as a crowded, noisy bar. Extraverts are the opposite. I use the phrase "social battery" to help describe my introversion to people, and I know I'm not the only one who uses that phrase.

A lot of people think being shy or untalkative makes you introverted. It doesn't. They often correlate but they are not the same. I am strongly introverted but not many people would describe me as shy.

On the cripple anxiety young people face while adulting...  

Screen time is a reality of life in this day and age, and despite our best efforts to limit it or control it in our children, it is a reality. Now, I could pen some pseudo-eastern philosophy on balance, and that's very much what we and most parents aim for. Screen time is counterbalanced by play time and social/human interaction.

I doubt there is a logical human being out there who will argue that 12 hours in front of a device is a good thing, and/or that social or human interaction isn't essential... ( I'll wait... nope, he's still gone ) We all understand the side effects of too much screen time and isolation has on children ( hint : it makes them weird ) but that small minority that is still arguing for WFH are really failing to see the impact this is having on young people. Sure, when you're a teenager things are awkward ( hence, the awkward teenage years ) and even as you mature into your 20s, things aren't always smooth sailing. But being able to navigate the real world is learnt in the real world by watching, observing, learning, engaging, communicating and building on soft skills. Sitting alone in a small room, you're not getting any of that. Hence why we have a minority percentage of this generation afraid of answering a phone call. Life sucks sometimes, but like any skill it is strengthened by doing it, over and over again. Not by avoiding it and demanding society evolves around your current crippling lack of confidence. 

Jan 17, 2024 6:49:24 GMT NATH45 said:

" introvert " became a buzzword a few years ago, and as you said iNCY, you're not introverted, but have introverted tendencies. Wanting regular solitude, isn't a bad thing. Nor does it mean, you're introverted. Of the guys I know, who I truly define as introverted - they are introverts. Very quiet people, deep thinkers, and enjoy.. more so need time for reflection and very much enjoy and need that quiet time to recover from social interaction or prepare for them. I don't get offended if they're needing their space, or contact is few and far between. Of the people who have proclaimed they are introverted... well, most of them I know, are loudmouths who want attention. Posting pictures of wood cabins with #qoutes is as about as introverted as many of these people get. It's also used as a justification for many for being detached, distant or aloof. Or just not giving a shit. 

To your point, this is a generation obsessed with labels. Being introverted, having ADHD, or being gay or trans for that matter isn't a personality. They're part of your identity, sure. But if your personality or identity doesn't extend beyond purposely adhering to a text-book definition ( and that is a reality for some people ) then it's to your own detriment and you're likely going to miss out on so much of the potentially positive things in life.  

I get it.
I test as extroverted and I don't really like people all that much, while my wife is highly introverted but loves and cares about people.


Most of the time it's not introvert or extrovert, but the fact I'm an asshole

Jan 17, 2024 2:20:10 GMT NATH45 said:

A few things to digest here.

OMG BOOMER ALERT!

50 per cent said they ask for unreasonable compensation. Meanwhile, employers are pursuing great lengths to avoid hiring a recent graduate, including offering more benefits for older employees (60 per cent), paying higher salaries to older employees (59 per cent)

It does make sense. Although a recent graduate may have the exact same qualifications as say, someone who is 10 or 20 years their senior. The recent grads, may and often will lack maturity, real life experience, versatility and often stability. In addition to other skills such as soft skills, leadership, etc. It's the central theme in every second movie about the new young hot-shot taking the lead, failing and then discovering it takes more to succeed in this world than simply a qualification and a sense of entitlement.  

47 per cent said they don’t dress appropriately for interviews, and 21 per cent said they refuse to turn their cameras on for virtual interviews.

For any role, it's neat casual at the very least. It's called professionalism. And refusing to turn the camera on, that is a blatant lack of respect.

It seems to go in cycles because I know a few companies who every few years 'clear out the pool' so to speak, laying off the older for the cheaper fresh faced grads. Their business suffers for it but they keep doing it. A perfect world would be a integration of both, but I find the issue is the older people not wanting to mentor the younger thinking they will be training their replacement. But in the end that's exactly what should happen. Joe retires and Jordan who worked under Joe for years in able to step in with little issue and starts training AJ the most recent hire. Instead, Joe holds on a little too long, Jordan gets grumpy waiting for Joe to retire and leaves to a company where he is now Joe and then Joe finally retires and there's a huge gaping area of expertise missing between Joe and AJ. The business suffers and has to hire a Jordan back or wait for AJ to become proficient. 

Jan 17, 2024 6:49:24 GMT NATH45 said:

" introvert " became a buzzword a few years ago, and as you said iNCY , you're not introverted, but have introverted tendencies. Wanting regular solitude, isn't a bad thing. Nor does it mean, you're introverted. Of the guys I know, who I truly define as introverted - they are introverts. Very quiet people, deep thinkers, and enjoy.. more so need time for reflection and very much enjoy and need that quiet time to recover from social interaction or prepare for them. I don't get offended if they're needing their space, or contact is few and far between. Of the people who have proclaimed they are introverted... well, most of them I know, are loudmouths who want attention. Posting pictures of wood cabins with #qoutes is as about as introverted as many of these people get. It's also used as a justification for many for being detached, distant or aloof. Or just not giving a shit. 

To your point, this is a generation obsessed with labels. Being introverted, having ADHD, or being gay or trans for that matter isn't a personality. They're part of your identity, sure. But if your personality or identity doesn't extend beyond purposely adhering to a text-book definition ( and that is a reality for some people ) then it's to your own detriment and you're likely going to miss out on so much of the potentially positive things in life.  

THANK YOU! YES! The labelling. Good god! I'm someone who doesn't even like titles at work. I understand wanting a diagnosis and getting the help you need but I told my daughter back in Junior High I didn't understand why her generation were so hung up on trying to 'out FML' each other. What I mean by that is god forbid you are actually a normal kid. No, you have to have this mental ailment and some kind of trauma to 'fit in' now and wear it like it's the only thing that makes you who you are. 

Jan 17, 2024 8:17:45 GMT Emperor said:

Jan 17, 2024 7:05:07 GMT NATH45 said:

Of the guys I know, who I truly define as introverted - they are introverts. Very quiet people, deep thinkers, and enjoy.. more so need time for reflection and very much enjoy and need that quiet time to recover from social interaction or prepare for them

Exactly. This is the definition of an introvert. Introverts gain mental energy from solitude, and feel drained in any situation with a lot of external stimulation such as a crowded, noisy bar. Extraverts are the opposite. I use the phrase "social battery" to help describe my introversion to people, and I know I'm not the only one who uses that phrase.

A lot of people think being shy or untalkative makes you introverted. It doesn't. They often correlate but they are not the same. I am strongly introverted but not many people would describe me as shy.

I am definitely an extrovert in that I come alive in social settings, but it costs me. I call it a 'people hangover' because that's exactly what it feels like. In fact if I have 'peopled' too much in a weekend, I literally feel drained and need a few days to build my energy back up. I don't know what that is, but let's call is 'age'. :lol:

I call it being " peopled out " but I don't think I'm entirely introverted.

I also don't think the entirety of Gen Z are awful, anxiety riddled human handbags for their parents to carry around, it is a minority that runs to TikTok to express their emotions that is giving a generation a bad name. Most are generally well adjusted kids, nay young adults.

I also think they aren't experiencing anything previous generations haven't felt. The impacts have just been amplified and accelerated by the isolation caused by lockdowns and continuing to self isolate throughout excessive screen time and WFH models. It may be news to a few, but chatting or arguing online doesn't make up for a lack of human interaction. As a retailer, I watched the same people come in every day, particularly older people, as they needed to interact with other people, they needed to socialise. It's human nature. Even for the introverts.

And in a backwards way we're endorsing and encouraging excessive periods of isolation despite understanding the negative impacts it has.

iron maiden , I like the way you put it; "her generation were so hung up on trying to 'out FML' each other."
I strongly believe that this is wrapped up in a victimhood mentality that is sweeping the world.
If nothing is our fault, then how can we be responsible for making it better.

Humans have a fear of failure wired into them, it is helpful in an evolutionary sense as it is what stopped someone trying to wrestle a sabertooth tiger or whatever.
The issue is that when these fear and aversion responses are left to run wild in a modern society we end up with people who think not wanting to answer the phone is actual disability.

It is also the case with disorders that fall on a spectrum, like autism.
At the mild end of the spectrum someone may struggle with social cues etc and at the other end someone has a profound and debilitating illness.
Someone at the mild end of the spectrum shouldn't define themselves as autistic though, it is such a limiting mindset as to what that person can achieve.
One of my good friends has a son on the spectrum who goes to school with my niece.
He has an autism diagnosis and he gets easier work than all the other kids in his class, he might not be capable of doing the same as the brightest kids, but he is way brighter than the level of work he is given and if you challenge him he will tell you he can't do hard work because he's autistic.
His brother wants his Mother to get him a diagnosis too, so he can get easier work... What are we doing as a society?

If she had of added AI she could have raised 7 figures in seed funding

Yes, I realise that it is parody!

THE FED SAYS: "Higher for longer"
THE MARKET HEARS: "Rate cuts by the middle of the year"

Then the Feb CPI comes in:

The path to 2% annual inflation isn’t a smooth one, and the data wasn’t investors’ friend on Tuesday. The Consumer Price Index increased by 0.3% in January, a tenth of a point more than expected and up 3.1% from a year earlier. The core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy components, rose 0.4% last month to stretch its 12-month gain to 3.9%—matching the December change and arresting a trend of declining inflation in place for most of the past year.

Market is shocked as a result... Does this mean that rates will be higher for longer they ask incredulously?

They want the rates to drop, they need to stop increasing pricing. Not that hard. But companies want to rise prices and expect no one else will. Then whine when everyone else does it and the feds say no rate cuts then.

I personally am loving how they keep increasing pricing then whining that Gen Z will not engage in their services. Like meals at many restaurants for two are near $100 and they complain that Gen Z is taking dates out anymore. Drinks at a bar are skyrocketing, live music skyrocketed, movie costs skyrocketed and Gen Z dropped them all. Even downtown nightlife has been basically dropped over costs.

Gen Z are not introverts by default, they just cannot engage with the prices for a night out anymore. They tend to do coffee shops and nights at friend's houses. Rather than buy a few rounds of drink at a bar, they vape up at a friend's house. Rather than go to a theater, they watch streaming media with friends. They prefer to go to museums or parks than shopping like previous generations did as they are cheaper.

People want to blame the pandemic, but Gen Z is very vocal about why they do not go out as much as prior generations. It is they lack the cash for most activities prior generations took part it, and most free places that prior generations hung out are gone or ban youths. This stuff is not changing post-pandemic so neither are youth habits. They hang out with friends in virtual spaces because they have no cheap real spaces to do so in. Like many malls nationwide banned people under 18 and most cities got rid of places to hang out downtown with hostile architecture to discourage people from just hanging around.

Related to rates, mortgage rates dropped almost two points leading to a record spike in investment firms buying low income housing in the 4th quarter. Send a very strong message that rates are all that is checking inflation right now, and once they drop, inflation will spike again.

www.news.com.au/finance/work/at-work/city-held-hostage-as-tradies-demand-240k-salary/news-story/ab39e7a1a7f9ee892d2c6a4e3b295c30

Funny way to frame a union looking for a 5% pay raise due to increased cost of living. Don't want paid professional help, any home repair store in the US south will get you methheads and migrants willing to work for 50 a day. Sure many would love trips to Aussieland.

And people claim you will make less with a union after dues.  You know how much meth you can get with 225k a year?  Hell latinos would cut a man I bet to earn that much.  They work for 10% that in the US.

Apr 30, 2024 0:23:49 GMT c said:

Funny way to frame a union looking for a 5% pay raise due to increased cost of living. Don't want paid professional help, any home repair store in the US south will get you methheads and migrants willing to work for 50 a day. Sure many would love trips to Aussieland.

And people claim you will make less with a union after dues.  You know how much meth you can get with 225k a year?  Hell latinos would cut a man I bet to earn that much.  They work for 10% that in the US.

It is all frightening that is starting wages.


In victoria we had one project budgeted for $16 billion that cost $26

www.abc.net.au/news/2023-12-15/north-east-link-vic-budget-blowout-jacinta-allan/103232986

But the government is pressing on with a $216 billion project.

www.9news.com.au/national/victoria-news-calls-for-suburban-rail-to-be-scrapped-amid-further-cost-blowout/69394d7f-d4f5-4db8-9f93-0403abae6654

Our state is broke this is a tax and spend to stop our asses falling through the floor.
State labor governments are owned and beholden to the trade unions, so the money keeps getting funneled to these big projects.
The 401k industry in Australia is privatised and workers are forced by law to contribute 11% to retirement.
Most of the construction industry funds are owned by the trade unions and the higher the wages, the higher the contributions and this money also flows back to the left side of politics.

Power of unions. They are the sole check to rising costs of living. Generally cash goes to union projects because they are tried and true as well. These systems work because non-union jobs tend to do tits up in union dominated areas as few skilled people will work outside of a powerful union. Which means generally unskilled people are used instead.

US fixed this problem with most construction being private contractors paid off the books. Those violent hoards of dangerous illegal immigrants work 10 hour days for 50 to 100 bucks a day cash and are thankful for the opportunity. Mix in a few meth addicts and that is your US construction force.

No reason Australia could not crush the unions the same way. But the savings if they are crushed will be kept by the top, not passed on.

Apr 30, 2024 2:19:59 GMT c said:

Power of unions. They are the sole check to rising costs of living. Generally cash goes to union projects because they are tried and true as well. These systems work because non-union jobs tend to do tits up in union dominated areas as few skilled people will work outside of a powerful union. Which means generally unskilled people are used instead.

US fixed this problem with most construction being private contractors paid off the books. Those violent hoards of dangerous illegal immigrants work 10 hour days for 50 to 100 bucks a day cash and are thankful for the opportunity. Mix in a few meth addicts and that is your US construction force.

No reason Australia could not crush the unions the same way. But the savings if they are crushed will be kept by the top, not passed on.

The problem is the nation's where people are paid better and are receiving pay rises are suffering worse under cost of living pressures than the USA, with Australia, NZ and Canada being prime examples.

You can't outrun inflation through pay rises.

In terms of grocery shopping have you been giving more developmental guys (store brands) a shot? I heavily disagree with people who claim it's the same shit... it's not. But some of them have become part of my roster. Been giving a lot more tryout matches lately. Not all of them stick the landing naturally.

Jul 28, 2024 22:43:59 GMT @ness said:

In terms of grocery shopping have you been giving more developmental guys (store brands) a shot? I heavily disagree with people who claim it's the same shit... it's not. But some of them have become part of my roster. Been giving a lot more tryout matches lately. Not all of them stick the landing naturally.

It's definitely a trial and error system with these. Some are great and you can barely tell the difference, some are total crap. It's often the opposite of what you'd think would be easy to replicate too. There's a home brand dark chocolate that you can barely tell the difference from Lindt and it's less than half the price. But I had some baking paper recently that you'd think would be all the same and the cheap one was utter garbage, more leaks than the AEW locker room.

I’m store brand on most food pantry items. The exception is I only buy Kikkoman soy sauce. I tried the Kroger soy sauce and that was utter garbage.

I can't do generic brands. They're cheap, they're nasty. And I think the only generic item I've ever liked was a " Black & Gold " chicken potato chip that was swimming in chicken flavouring - an absolute delight.

We're probably a little smarter with our shopping now. We had our staples that we would buy regardless of being on special or not, but when the overall cost of buying everything for us seems to be up 50% on what it was a few years ago, it forces you to look for it on special and buy a few.

---

I've had this discussion with a few people, and no one can really give me an answer. Why when everything is going up, why has the price of a computer stayed the same?

The first computer I bought myself at 16 in 2000 was $1,400 - including the monitor, etc. The second was around $850, by just replacing the tower and the third was around $1,000. All of my laptops have been $700-$1,000 until my recently purchased $2,000 Envy.

My parents bought a banger of a PC in 1996 and as a full multimedia machine that it was, including all the toys - it was $3,000.

Today, you'd expect to pay $700-$1,000 on a mid range laptop. All-in-1s are around the 1K mark, stand alone towers are cheaper again.

Everything else is more expensive, except the actual computers. In fact, in a lot of cases - adjusting for inflation, computers are cheaper today than at any point.

??

Jul 29, 2024 0:17:09 GMT Gyro LC said:

I’m store brand on most food pantry items. The exception is I only buy Kikkoman soy sauce. I tried the Kroger soy sauce and that was utter garbage.

Kikkoman is perfectly good but Pearl River Bridge is my soy sauce brand recommendation. Is that Kroger one in a plastic bottle? That's always a bad sign.

Jul 29, 2024 1:40:08 GMT NATH45 said:

I can't do generic brands. They're cheap, they're nasty. And I think the only generic item I've ever liked was a " Black & Gold " chicken potato chip that was swimming in chicken flavouring - an absolute delight.

We're probably a little smarter with our shopping now. We had our staples that we would buy regardless of being on special or not, but when the overall cost of buying everything for us seems to be up 50% on what it was a few years ago, it forces you to look for it on special and buy a few.

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I've had this discussion with a few people, and no one can really give me an answer. Why when everything is going up, why has the price of a computer stayed the same?

The first computer I bought myself at 16 in 2000 was $1,400 - including the monitor, etc. The second was around $850, by just replacing the tower and the third was around $1,000. All of my laptops have been $700-$1,000 until my recently purchased $2,000 Envy.

My parents bought a banger of a PC in 1996 and as a full multimedia machine that it was, including all the toys - it was $3,000.

Today, you'd expect to pay $700-$1,000 on a mid range laptop. All-in-1s are around the 1K mark, stand alone towers are cheaper again.

Everything else is more expensive, except the actual computers. In fact, in a lot of cases - adjusting for inflation, computers are cheaper today than at any point.

??

Most store brands are made by major manufacturers and are the same as the brand names.