The Major Difference Between Boomer and Millennial New Year’s Resolutions

We already know that millennials and boomers disagree about how to parent, when to replace their mattresses and how much effort to put into skincare, but can they at least agree on New Year’s resolutions? Turns out, not really.

The main difference, according to personal finance comparison site, Finder, is that while many boomers are focused on resolutions related to their physical appearance, millennials are setting their sights on financial goals. Finder discovered that boomers plan to focus their resolutions on health, more than half of all millennials—an estimated 53.12 percent of the generation—will concentrate on money-related goals.

Why the difference? We spoke to a boomer and a couple millennials for some insight. Mel, 34, told us that graduating from college right around the 2008 financial crisis has made her uber money conscious as an adult. “That whole ‘millennials spend all their money on avocado toast’ thing is so frustrating to me. My friends and I are way more aware of our finances than our parents’ generation—mostly because we have to be.” In 2022, Mel and her partner are getting serious about setting and sticking to a budget. “It’s a huge goal of ours to buy a house in the next few years, and I think the new year is a great time for a fresh start on how we approach spending.”

Kathy, 62, is unapologetic about her weight-centric resolution. “I would say that 85 percent of the New Year’s resolutions I’ve ever made are about losing weight and getting back to the gym,” she tells us, adding that while she doesn’t typically stick to her healthy eating and working out plan for very long, it’s a nice reset after the nonstop indulging of the holidays.

Another millennial, Jen, 28, told us that while she isn’t making a resolution this year (“I’ve never kept one, and have no reason to believe this year will be different.”) she does have a theory about why millennials are less likely to set body-focused goals. She points out that her generation’s (and the younger generation’s) move toward body positivity and embracing yourself as you are right now. “Honestly, even if I did make it my New Year’s resolution to lose weight, I probably wouldn’t tell anyone about it. It’s not cool anymore to bend over backwards for unrealistic beauty standards.”

Here’s the thing, though: Your New Year’s resolution is exactly that—yours. Whether you choose to focus on your finances, lose a few pounds or sit the whole resolutions thing out, that’s your prerogative. Just please stop making jokes about millennials and avocado toast.