Millennials were told the 2008 recession was a “once in a generation” economic crisis. Almost two decades later, déjà vu has struck.
While the U.S. market rose following President Trump’s decision to pause global tariffs on most countries—and global banks reset their recession risk assessments—lingering fears of economic collapse are driving millennials to TikTok, where they’re passing down survival tips to Gen Z.
“We don’t panic during recessions, we prepare for them,” content creator and marketer Itzett Romero said on TikTok. “Listen to your millennial friends.”
Romero advised her 70,000 followers to “make alliances” by sharing the cost of subscriptions and bulk grocery items with friends and neighbors.
“Cannot stress buying bulk and buying EARLY,” a user commented on Romero’s video. “You don’t want to be in the store when everyone is panicking.”
In a separate video, TikTok user @yaptrapped, who graduated college in 2011, also emphasized sharing. “Make friends because you can share a lot,” she said. “We survived a long time like that.”
@yaptrapped Just my thoughts. #recession #millennial
♬ original sound – yaptrapped
Financial advice was also widely shared across various videos. In one video, TikTok creator Rach to Riches advised that people “Build up your emergency fund, you should have three to six months of living expenses saved.”
Separately, Saprina Danise, a creator focused on personal finance, said she will scale back her retirement contributions. “Anything above my minimal contribution I am diverting into my emergency fund for the foreseeable future,” she said in a video.
@moneywithsaprina Replying to @FAM_embroidery here’s what I’m doing with my money right now
♬ Avoid Copyright – Wolf
Other popular tips offered budget-friendly recipes and grocery shopping strategies. Advice included checking your fridge before heading to the store, meal-prepping with what’s already in the pantry, buying meat in bulk to freeze, stocking up on shelf-stable goods like canned tuna, and cooking from scratch using dry ingredients like beans.
Other millennial creators took a separate approach, simply sharing a glimpse of what life during 2008 looked like. “Working crappy retail jobs, making just barely above minimum wage, living at home with my parents,” user @sellingnwa shared on her TikTok. “On the weekends I was putting on business casual outfits and going to house parties.” She explained how jungle juice—a cheap liquor concoction—was served with no food.
@sellingnwa 2008… what a time to be alive #recession #2008recession #millennial
♬ original sound – 📚Stephanie📚
One user commented on that video saying that millennials “know how to party on a budget.”
“You wan’t to know how to survive a recession,” another user commented. She offered a quick response in the description, “Cheap booze, that’s how.”
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