[Peakster]

I'm seeing an interesting trend lately.

Most people I know that are slightly older than me (pre 1985) here in Canada bought the $250K 'starter' home, drive their new cars, and spend like it's going out of style. AKA: breaking out the credit cards.

Conversely, most people I meet that are a little younger at me have never owned a car and don't intend to! They're quite happy shacking up with 3 other friends in a 2 bedroom apartment and paying $165/month in rent each. They generally party in less expensive ways and are content getting by with the basics.

All this change just within a few years of birth dates. Oddly this changeover is almost precisely when children are born with parents that were not part of the baby-boom (I was born in '85 and my dad was born in '60).

The thing that has me concerned is that when our 'new generation' displaces the 'baby boomer' workforce, what on earth is going to happen?!? I mean we're suddenly going to go from selling big screen TVs, people packed in expensive restaurants, soaring home sales (at least in Canada) to an economy where bachelor apartments are the in thing, no one is planning to have children anymore, and toilet paper and pasta sauce are the major household purchases? Yikes!

How do you people feel about this? Are you seeing this trend too? What a bizarre circumstance.