I dont classify as a Millennial or Generation Z, but I do have some opinions to go alongside those stereotypes. Especially when it comes to food.
I was born in ’95 – so I’m somewhat in the middle of being millennial and Gen Z. Yes, I grew up with technology, but I still played outside in the mud and rode my bike in the streets every night. I didn’t have a phone until I was about 14 and even then, it was some weird Motorola flip phone. So I don’t really fit in with all the stereotypes of either Millennials or Gen Z’ers - I just kind of mooch about relating to odd things here and there.
I’m in between the two generations (and if I’m honest I hate being referred to as either one because there’s so many negative stereotypes). So, I still love to actually go shopping (like Millennials) rather than just do it online (like Gen Z), especially for clothes as I want to try everything on and make sure it feels nice too. I just love the feeling of carrying around loads of new buys (though to be honest, my boyfriend carries everything) but the more bags I have the more I feel like my shopping trip has been successful! On the other hand, (Like a Gen Z-er) if I know what I want, I want it now. I think my generation is very impatient and we like the immediate gratification when buying things – so online next day delivery is a godsend if we can’t make it to the store. Or we’re just too lazy to go, because let’s face it, if we can get something delivered directly to us, ASAP, and all we have to do is open the front door in our PJ’s, we’re going to do that instead.
Photo by Henrik Dønnestad on Unsplash
But when it comes to food shopping, a lot of people my age find it a nightmare, probably because it’s so time consuming and you have to plan what you want to eat for like, more than the next hour. However, I always feel weirdly ‘adult-y’ when I’m out food shopping – especially if I’ve got a trolley. I’m not sure why but it just makes me feel like I’ve actually got my life together and I’m a functioning adult when I’m food shopping. Though I fully avoid the fresh aisles and just head straight to the freezers purely for ease – I love cooking, but I’m working full time and I really can’t be bothered with that hassle, so frozen meals are golden – especially if they only need a microwave and require zero effort on my part.
Apparently (according to Google) 89% of Z-ers are price-conscious, from personal experience, that is 100% true. I’m at that point where I couldn’t care less where I get my food from or what brand it is, as long as it tastes good, I’m fine with it, and even then, I still choose cost over niceness 8 times out of 10. But I still remember going through that phase at school where it was diabolical if your parents shopped at Netto or Aldi, and you were sure as hell going to get mocked for it if they did.
Right now, it’s amazing to see all the frozen food shops that are popping up – Iceland and Heron Foods have soared, and I think pretty much everyone my age shops at either one, or both in most cases, and the reason’s simple. They’re cheap, good quality, and there’s enough of them so that no matter where I go, with a quick search on google maps I’m in pretty close range to my favourite stores. Whether I’m shopping day-by-day or getting a full months’ worth of food, I know I can rely on my trusty freezer shops to see me through.
Do you have your own generational stereotypes? Let me know what they are!
