How much does it cost to leave mum and dad's house? According to young Italians, to go and live alone in a dignified way you need at least 1.500 euros a month. This is no small feat, considering that – according to the latest Istat survey – the average salary of Italians amounts to 1.327 euros. And yet, the price of independence from parents has not increased compared to 30 years ago: in 1984 young people thought they needed at least 690 lire a month, which - in due proportion - is equivalent to today's 1.500 euros. This is what emerges from a survey by Findomestic Banca which, on the occasion of its 30th birthday, analyzed and compared with the collaboration of Ipsos the purchasing behavior and values of today's 30-year-olds and those of 30 years ago.
But if the income needed to leave home hasn't increased, why is it that one in four 30-year-olds still lives with their families today? What has changed since the early eighties? “These are two distant and distinct universes – reads the research presented today in Rome -. Born and raised in an expanding reality, today's sixty-year-olds aspired to become someone through stable life paths and planned stages. Today's young people, on the other hand, live in a condition of constant change, without the possibility and prospects of development, they breathe skepticism, they are forced to continuous adaptation phenomena".
Furthermore, the help of parents continues to be crucial for their children even when they no longer live under the same roof. Whether it's paying a fine, a bill, an installment or a simple supermarket bill, at the end of the month young people say they have received an average of 280 euros a month from their families. A very different perception from that of parents, who instead claim to spend at least 380-400 euros a month in this way.
In terms of consumption, the item that has the most impact on the budgets of today's young people is transport (thirty years ago it was the mortgage), followed by expenses for the house and those for mobile phones, telephone top-ups and the internet. As for priorities, as many as 70% of today's 30-year-olds put job stability first, family second and health third. The house owned, which is often not considered an achievable destination, slips off the podium. The 30-year-olds of the 80s, on the other hand, put the family in the lead, followed by work and the home.
Finally, the precariousness of life today is also reflected in the methods of consumption: "Today's young people are looking for purchases that are easy to make, light to maintain and simple to return - concludes Astrofinance - with formulas such as low cost, e- commerce, the sharing economy and cloud shopping”.
