Top 10+ things boomers still pay for that younger people don’t bother buying

1. Diamonds, 2. GPS devices and printed maps, 3. Department store credit cards, 4. Greeting cards, 5. Paper Bills and Chequebooks, 4. Software, 3. Cable TV Packages, 1. Infomercial Gadgets

Every generation has defining traits - and boomers are known to be loyal to the products and traditions of their time. Believe it or not, this was a time when subscriptions would come to your door - usually in print - and owning something physically was the norm. Gen-Z, however, are far more used to online products and digital versions. Here are ten things that the younger generation are no longer bothering to spend their hard-earned cash on... (Picture: Getty)

1. Diamonds

1. Diamonds, 2. GPS devices and printed maps, 3. Department store credit cards, 4. Greeting cards, 5. Paper Bills and Chequebooks, 4. Software, 3. Cable TV Packages, 1. Infomercial Gadgets

Diamonds are forever, right? Except for right now. Millennials started the trend of dodging traditionally mined diamonds, favoring lab-grown alternatives instead - and Gen-Z are no different. While engagement rings and tennis bracelets still have their place, younger consumers are opting for thrifted, vintage pieces or lab-grown diamonds instead. However, it may not be for the reasons you think: Pandora's CEO told Fortune that it isn't necessarily because of sustainability but rather the stone size, design, and price (Picture: Getty)

2. GPS devices and printed maps

1. Diamonds, 2. GPS devices and printed maps, 3. Department store credit cards, 4. Greeting cards, 5. Paper Bills and Chequebooks, 4. Software, 3. Cable TV Packages, 1. Infomercial Gadgets

A TomTom is a bit of an ancient relic now - and a real life map? Well, you're about as likely to see one nowadays as you are a unicorn, at least with the younger generations. Map-reading is definitely a useful skill for any upcoming apocalypse, but most of Gen-Z will prefer Google Maps, Apple Maps or Waze, all of which are totally free (Picture: Getty)

3. Department store credit cards

1. Diamonds, 2. GPS devices and printed maps, 3. Department store credit cards, 4. Greeting cards, 5. Paper Bills and Chequebooks, 4. Software, 3. Cable TV Packages, 1. Infomercial Gadgets

Back in the day, a department store credit card was just as common as your classic credit card, and could allow you to get points and discounts at the stores you visited the most. However, most millennials and Gen Z don't visit one physical department store enough for it to be of much use, choosing to shop online or at a variety of different stores. According to research by Splitit, nearly 63% of Gen Z shoppers are more loyal to their credit cards than any one specific retailer(Picture: Getty)

4. Greeting cards

1. Diamonds, 2. GPS devices and printed maps, 3. Department store credit cards, 4. Greeting cards, 5. Paper Bills and Chequebooks, 4. Software, 3. Cable TV Packages, 1. Infomercial Gadgets

The age of Hallmark still lives on in boomers - while they're likely to send a card for every anniversary, Gen-Z are far more likely to only send cards on super special occassions, or even make their cards from scratch - preferring that homemade, boutique look. However, greeting cards aren't completely dead. According to the Greeting Card Association, while boomers continue to buy the most greeting card units, millennials actually spend more overall, having spent the most money on greeting cards since 2015 (Picture: Getty)

5. Paper Bills and Chequebooks

1. Diamonds, 2. GPS devices and printed maps, 3. Department store credit cards, 4. Greeting cards, 5. Paper Bills and Chequebooks, 4. Software, 3. Cable TV Packages, 1. Infomercial Gadgets

Venmo, Monzo, Paypal, Chase...there's no shortage of online banking apps that Gen-Z now use (mostly for free) compared to balancing cheques yourself with a chequebook. Boomers still may even get their electric bills by post, while Gen-Z prefer to save the paper and see everything online, often with alerts letting them know when something is due (Picture: Getty)

4. Software

1. Diamonds, 2. GPS devices and printed maps, 3. Department store credit cards, 4. Greeting cards, 5. Paper Bills and Chequebooks, 4. Software, 3. Cable TV Packages, 1. Infomercial Gadgets

Paying for Microsoft Office was the standard, as was photo editing packages, antivirus software and other software that you just had to have. While Gen-Z will still pay for software if it's essential to their job, for example, most of the time they will prefer a free version, such as Canva, Google Docs and Malwarebytes (Picture: Getty)

3. Cable TV Packages

1. Diamonds, 2. GPS devices and printed maps, 3. Department store credit cards, 4. Greeting cards, 5. Paper Bills and Chequebooks, 4. Software, 3. Cable TV Packages, 1. Infomercial Gadgets

In 2024, Ofcom reported that, for the very first time, less than half of 16-24-year-olds are watching broadcast TV in an average week. While Netflix and other streaming services aren't exactly free, they're far less hassle for Gen-Z than scrolling through a long TV guide. While streaming price hikes and the introduction of adverts are frustrating some users, Gen-Z still find the likes of Netflix and Prime Video far easier to use (Picture: Cheng Xin/Getty Images)

1. Infomercial Gadgets

1. Diamonds, 2. GPS devices and printed maps, 3. Department store credit cards, 4. Greeting cards, 5. Paper Bills and Chequebooks, 4. Software, 3. Cable TV Packages, 1. Infomercial Gadgets

Shopping Network is no more, but Gen-Z have replaced the late-night gadgets that used to hold a charm for older generations with TikTok shop...which actually operates all day, instead. According to Fiverr, TikTok Shop had the largest influence (34%) on gift-finding for Gen Z. So, we may have swapped infomercials for TikTok influencers and Barbie dolls for Labubu's, but let's not be too harsh on the older generations...we'll be part of one soon enough, after all (Picture: Getty)

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