I think the not needing it is definitely part of it. My stepmother is in her 50s and claims that her and my father have been successful financially because of good decisions and hard work (2 4 bed houses between them, one of which they rent out). Their household income is £60-70k - i would need to earn that with a partner just to be able to afford a bog standard 2 bed house or a nice flat.

For my generation we can't possibly save for a deposit because prices are so high, so we're forced to rent at extortionate prices (which don't help with trying to save for a deposit either) for a ROOM in sub-standard housing with barely any rights. Even if we could save up enough, the mortgage required is so massive for something that isn't awful that the payments are going to leave you with barely any disposable income. So not only is the luxury of home ownership impossible for us, it also requires us to give up far more of our income than previous generations.

I'm lucky enough to be on a good salary, but as I live in London I'm still screwed. I have one of the best pensions available, but I dread to think what old age looks like for a lot of my generation who aren't so lucky. Retiring and living off a pension isn't so appealing when you've either got to pay rent because you never managed to afford your own home, or still have a mortgage because you couldn't get one until your late 30s at the earliest.

The housing market in this country is absolutely toxic for my generation, and is such a massive part of the financial difficulties we face. Being extremely sensible with your money and investing is crucial if you want to have any hope of coming close to the quality of life that our parent's generation had.