Millennials are hitting back at the “nonsense” idea that by forfeiting their daily shop-bought sandwich they will be able to afford to buy a house.
Their outrage comes after estate agents said that by giving up six “luxuries”, such as takeaway food, phone upgrades and overseas mini-breaks, they could save enough for a deposit for property in five years.
The research, carried out by Strutt and Parker, said that preparing lunch at home rather than buying sandwiches or salads could save £2,576 on average a year, the Evening Standard reports.
The average price of a property in London is £617,651, according to rightmove.
Many pointed out that the maths simply does not add up:
The median price of a sandwich at M&S is £2.80, an ave deposit in London is £91,409…. don’t buy 32,646 sandwiches, kids. pic.twitter.com/JoZ1CtYFsH
Average London house price: £471,761 Boots Meal Deal (once a day): £3.99 Years needed to buy a house using money saved from forgoing a sandwich at today’s prices: 323 years https://t.co/NdQ6cAlq7I
November 14, 2017
Tbh I don’t think it’s the fact that I occasionally treat myself to a Pret sandwich that means I can’t afford £500,000 for a shit hole in zone 6 pic.twitter.com/oBuNmOtrZe
November 14, 2017
Some pointed out that the only way many can get onto the housing ladder is by getting some help from their parents.
“WHY CANT I AFFORD A HOUSE?” I wept into my ham sandwich Luckily a Strutt & Parker spokesman overheard. “Is that flora? Don’t buy it & you’ll save £1k a year and along with £27k from your parents you’ll be sorted” He left me with a smile on my face and home ownership in sight.
November 14, 2017
Listen, kids, if you want a house all you need to do is give up sweeties! (And have parents who give you tens of thousands of pounds)
Next person who writes a nonsense article about millennial buying habits and buying a house, I’m running up in their three bed and snatching all their spoons.
November 14, 2017
I’ve been making my own damn sandwiches for a decade and I’m no closer to buying a house than my friends who’ve been chowing down on pastrami baguettes every day for the same period. THE SANDWICH NARRATIVE NEEDS TO DIE.
November 14, 2017
Others pointed out that coffee and sandwiches can rarely be seen as “luxuries”.
‘Luxuries’ apparently include most little things that stop life being incredibly dull, just alternating between being at work and sitting at home.
Mad how the millennial luxuries are coffee, sandwiches, and a vegetable https://t.co/f0WKdjT2ZW
Next week: “Millennials are killing the meal deal sandwich market!”
MILLENNIALS ARE KILLING… …EACH OTHER! IN THE FIRST ANNUAL STATE-MANDATED MILLENNIAL GAMES, WITH THE PRIZE BEING A HOUSE FULL OF FANCY SANDWICHES AND AVOCADO TOAST
November 14, 2017
Real life: HOUSE PRICES HAVE BEEN SPIRALING FOR DECADES, WAGES ARE STAGNANT, COST OF LIVING IS UP Some prick: no sandwich for u
When you find out that your insatiable sandwich habit is what’s preventing you from buying a house. pic.twitter.com/wMit3yAhXh
The advice is reminiscent of the much-criticised suggestion that if millennials stopped buying their favourite avocado on toast they would be able to buy a house.
That suggestion came from Australian millionaire and real estate mogul Tim Gurner who implied that young people can’t afford to buy property because they are wasting money on overpriced coffee and fancy toast.
He said: “When I was trying to buy my first home, I wasn’t buying smashed avocado for $19 [£11] and four coffees at $4 [£2.30] each,” Gurner said on the show. “We’re at a point now where the expectations of younger people are very, very high.
“The people that own homes today worked very, very hard for it,” he said, adding that if they “saved every dollar, did everything they could to get up the property investment ladder.”