In this episode of Where’s My Money, Reagan White is joined by three generations - Gen X, Y (Millennials), and Z - to compare how they think about cash, spending, and saving. Glen (Gen X) talks housing market stress and tight budgets. Ruzbeh (Gen Y) reflects on growing up through the GFC and the struggle to buy a home. Maia meanwhile (Gen Z) opens up about early-adult pressure and future investments. They dig into retirement, financial independence, and smart money choices, uncovering both generational differences and the same old money worries.
This episode of Where’s My Money brings three generations into the same room to compare how they really think and feel about money. Glen represents Gen X, carrying decades of lived experience, a nearly-paid-off mortgage and the emotional toll of supermarket prices. Ruzbeh steps in for Gen Y, fresh into home ownership and discovering just how heavy a thirty-year mortgage feels. And then there’s Maia, our Gen Z voice, navigating her first full-time job, Auckland rent and the reality that buying a home might sit completely out of reach.
We start with a rapid-fire round for a bit of fun — everything from a surprise thousand bucks to crypto, property, retirement and the biggest money mistakes they’ll actually admit to. But once the dust settles, the conversation shifts into something far deeper.
All three generations share different stress points, whether it’s rising costs, insecure futures or the pressure to make the “right” choices with limited money. Glen talks about growing up with nothing and still feeling that weight today. Ruzbeh opens up about buyer’s remorse and the shock of falling house values. Maia reflects on how scary it feels to enter adulthood already behind.
What unites them is simple. Money is stressful for everyone, no matter your age, stage or starting point — and financial independence means different things depending on the world you grew up in.
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