Episode 8: Millennial Burnout: The Forgotten Generation

Are Millennials the forgotten generation? In this episode, we dive into the very real topic of Millennial burnout and why so many of us feel stuck in the middle. We grew up being told to go to school, get a good job, and everything would fall into place—but instead we’re juggling rising costs, endless responsibilities, and a world that changed faster than anyone prepared us for.

Caught between our parents’ generation—who often had more straightforward paths to stability—and Gen Z, who seem to have mastered turning the internet into income, Millennials are left wondering where we fit in. Why does it feel like we’re carrying so much of the burden?

We talk about why burnout is so common for Millennials, what makes our generation unique, and—most importantly—practical ways to ease the pressure. From shifting mindsets to exploring new ways to earn and create opportunities online, this episode is all about finding ways to move forward without completely burning out.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing everything “right” but still exhausted trying to keep up, this conversation is for you. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:04

Hello and welcome to the Brutiful Chaos with Kiki Podcast. This is episode 8, Millennial Burnout, The Forgotten Generation. Have you ever sat down at the end of the day completely exhausted and thought to yourself, how is everyone else doing this? Because honestly, I don't know a single millennial who isn't completely burned out right now. We were the generation that was told if we worked hard, went to school, got jobs, followed the rules, everything would fall into place. We were told that if we just put in the effort, we would build stable lives, buy homes, raise families, and eventually retire. But somewhere along the way, the rules changed for us. Most millennials are now in their 30s and 40s, and instead of finally feeling settled, it feels like we're just barely staying afloat. A lot of us are working full-time jobs, sometimes two jobs, plus side hustles, just trying to make enough money to pay the bills. I know personally my husband works two jobs, I own a business, and I'm starting a second business. And I don't know about you, but almost everyone I know is also carrying some kind of debt just to keep life moving. Credit cards, student loans, car payments, sometimes even just credit to cover normal bills. Meanwhile, we're raising kids, trying to give them the best life we can, signing them up for activities, buying groceries, paying for childcare, and somehow trying to save for retirement. Even though many of us just now are starting to think about retirement savings in our late 30s and forties. And it's exhausting. When you look at the generations before us, life looked so different for them. Our grandparents could support an entire family on one income. One parent worked, the other stayed home with the kids. Housing was affordable. College didn't leave you buried in decades of debt. Many people had pensions waiting for them when they retired. Then our parents' generation came along. They may not have had it quite as easy as their parents, but many of them were still able to buy homes at reasonable prices, start retirement accounts early in life, and build financial stability over time. But millennials, we got stuck in the middle of everything shifting. College tuition exploded, housing prices skyrocketed, wages didn't keep up with inflation, and suddenly the idea of stability started to feel like this moving target that keeps getting further away. And here's the frustrating part. Every time we think we're getting ahead, something happens that pushes the finish line further away. For example, back in 2020, my husband got a new job making more money, and finally we thought we would have a break. And then COVID hit, and then everything skyrocketed, and we're back where we started. Another example is right now I have to have a root canal next week, and we just got our taxes back. And now my entire taxes are going to my root canal. I don't know about you, but we just can't seem to catch a break. Are you in the same boat? Did you get a raise at work? Maybe you finally landed a better job, and for a minute you felt promising, and then inflation goes up, groceries cost more, gas goes up, rent goes up, and suddenly the raise barely makes a difference. It's like we're constantly running uphill just to stay in the same place. And because of that, hustle culture has become the norm for our generation. Somewhere along the way, work-life balance turned into work-life work. People have full-time jobs during the day, then drive Uber at night, or they start Etsy shops, sell things online, flip items on Facebook Marketplace, create content, run small businesses, anything that they can do to bring in extra money. And while there's absolutely nothing wrong with side hustles, the reality is a lot of us millennials didn't start them because we wanted to. We started them because we had to. Because one or two incomes just isn't even enough anymore. Sometimes I think about the millennial dream and what it looked like when we were younger. You picture this lifestyle where things are a little more relaxed, maybe living near the beach, having time to enjoy life. I live near the beach, but I definitely don't have a time to enjoy life. I maybe go to the beach once a year. I would love a life of feeling financially secure enough that you're not constantly stressed out about money. Sometimes I see someone living that life and it kind of reminds me of what I thought adulthood might look like. I was recently reminded about that actually. Have you ever seen the show C S the Key on MTV? Well, I saw that Brandon Gomes is actually DJing in Destin right now, and it made me think of that whole lifestyle. The beach, the music, the energy, the freedom, that kind of carefree coastal life that many millennials imagined at some point. And again, I'm not saying that people in our generation don't work hard to get where they are, but sometimes it just reminds you of what we thought the dream would look like. Meanwhile, our reality often looks like juggling jobs, paying bills, packing lunches, and trying to figure out how to afford groceries this week. And then there's the other side of it, the younger generation. Gen Z has figured out something that our generation didn't really have access to when we're growing up. They understand the internet economy. I feel like we were the guinea pigs. We started on Facebook and then kind of played with it, and then they are making millions before they're even 18. Just by creating content from their phones. TikTok, YouTube, digital businesses, brand deals, they figured out how to leverage the internet in a way that can generate income that used to take decades of working to achieve. And honestly, good for them. I'm not mad about it. Maybe a little jealous. But it does make you realize how different things are becoming. They may eventually create a huge sift in the workforce because younger generations are discovering ways to make money without following the traditional path of going to school, getting a job, and climbing the ladder for 40 years. They don't have to go work at Walmart or Walgreens or work in retail. Uh meanwhile, us millennials are still grinding away at the system and it's tiring. One place where I think a lot of families are really struggling with the pressure right now is everyday spending, especially food. Let's talk about something simple like dinner. If a family of four goes out to eat, even somewhere casual, you're probably looking around $45 to $60. If it's a sit-down restaurant, you could easily be spending $75 to $100 for one meal. Now compare that to cooking at home. You could make spaghetti, for example, a box of pasto is about $2, a can of tomato sauce and paste, three dollars, ground beef, $7.50, garlic bread, four dollars, and maybe a simple salad for another four dollars. That entire meal might cost around $25 total to feed everyone. That's the cheapest meal possible, in my opinion, and it's still $25 for a family of five. Just five years ago, that would have been about twelve dollars. So it's double the price. I've also found a way to kind of cheat to be able to eat out more than I probably should. I love Chick-fil-A, and that's the cheapest place I've found to be able to eat out. So basically, what I do is I get like bulk items and then I split it between all the families. So for example, a 30-count nugget is $22, and then large fries are $3.09. So I usually get about three large fries and the 22 count nugget, and then split it between the family, and then you know, usually use something extra at home just to beef up the meal a little bit. So for around $35, I can feed my family a five at Chick-fil-A. Which I don't feel is too terrible, seeing as spaghetti is $25 in itself. And then we can have yummy Chick-fil-A for $35? Heck yeah. So now that we've talked about millennial burnout and the cost of everything, let's talk about something a little more helpful. What can we do about it? Because we can't magically fix the economy overnight. There are some things that we can do to ease the pressure a little bit. And some of these things might sound small, but small changes can add up over time. One thing a lot of people don't realize is how many opportunities exist now to make extra income online. Not necessarily in a way that takes over your life, but in ways that can supplement what you're already doing. For example, TikTok has become a huge opportunity for people who want to start earning extra money from home. Once you reach a thousand followers on TikTok, you can start doing things like TikTok Lives and TikTok Shop. TikTok Shop allows creators to promote products and earn commissions when people buy them through your link. And the crazy thing is that you don't need millions of followers to make money doing it. Some creators with only a few thousand followers are making hundreds of dollars a month just by reviewing products or showing how they use something in their daily life. And if you think about it, a few hundred dollars a month could cover groceries, gas, or even help pay down some debt. Another option is selling things online. A lot of people have started flipping items from thrift stores, clearance tracks, or even things sitting in their own house that they don't use anymore. Platforms like Facebook Marketplace and online resale sites have made it really easy to turn unused items into extra cash. You could also consider digital side hustles like selling printables, templates, or small digital products. Once those are created, they can continue selling without having to constantly put in more time. Another tip that can help reduce financial stress is really looking at where your money is going each month, not in a judgmental way, just in a curious way. Sometimes we can find small expenses adding up that we didn't realize were happening. Subscription services, delivery fees, impulse purchases, cutting back on even one or two of those things can free up a little breathing room in the budget. And like I mentioned earlier, cooking more meals at home can make a huge difference over time too. Even replacing two restaurant meals a week with home-cooked meals could save a family hundreds of dollars a month. One thing that helps a lot of families is batch cooking. Cooking larger portions and planning meals ahead of time can both save money and energy during the week. Another thing that can help with burnout is giving yourself permission to simplify life a little bit. Not every activity or purchase is necessary. Even though it can feel like it sometimes, giving yourself permission to scale back can remove a lot of pressure. Not every kid activity has to happen at the same time. Not every weekend has to be packed. Sometimes slowing things down can actually save money and gives you space to breathe again. Building even a small emergency savings helps too. Even setting aside $20 a week can slowly create a cushion for those unexpected expenses. And lastly, something I think millennials really struggle with is allowing ourselves to rest. We've been taught to hustle constantly, work harder, do more, push through exhaustion. But burnout isn't something that you can just power through forever. Eventually we collapse. So sometimes the most productive thing you can do is actually step back, recharge, and remind yourself that you're doing enough. Because at the end of the day, most millennials aren't lazy. We're actually one of the hardest working generations out there. We're just carrying a lot. And maybe the most important thing is protecting your mental health. Burnout is real, constant stress is real. And it's okay to admit that sometimes this season of life is just really hard. But here's one thing about millennials: we're also one of the most resilient generations. We grew up with through recessions, economic crashes, a global pandemic, rising inflation, and constant change in the job market. We've had to adapt over and over again. Maybe the dream looks different than we imagined when we were younger. Maybe retirement won't look the same as it did for our parents. But we're still showing up every single day. We're building lives for our families. We're still doing the best that we can with what we have. And that matters. So if you're feeling burned out lately, you're definitely not alone. Thanks so much for listening to another episode of Brutiful Chaos with Kiki. If this episode resonated with you, please share with your other millennial friends who might be feeling the same way. I'm gonna leave you with this song that I wrote after just kind of feeling burned out, exhausted, and just beat down. This song is about rising up from the ashes like the Phoenix. It's called I'll Rise Up From the Ashes by Kiki P.

SPEAKER_00 11:40

I am broken, kneeling at your feet. I am lost without sight, with nothing left to find. I am burning from the heat, but I will rise up from the ashes like the rising phoenix from the fire, and go you'll see me through the mess.