10 Things That Feel Like Luxuries to Boomers and Basics to Millennials
When the Wi-Fi goes out, one person reaches for a book. Someone else gets under the desk to unplug the router because their work call starts in four minutes. Give them both the same internet bill, and they might disagree about whether a faster plan is worth it.
That difference shows up in kitchens, living rooms, and family conversations about what’s worth paying for. Some baby boomers remember getting along comfortably without services that millennials have built into their days. There’s plenty of overlap, too. Surveys can tell us who uses these conveniences. The way people fit them into their lives helps explain why the same purchase can feel like a splurge in one household and a given in another.
Wi-Fi That Reaches Every Room
An internet connection that handles email at the kitchen table might struggle when someone joins a video meeting upstairs while the kids stream a movie. That’s when better coverage starts to look worth paying for.
Pew Research Center found that 78% of millennials and 74% of boomers subscribed to home broadband in 2019. With adoption already that close, the more revealing question is what each household asks its connection to do.
A Smartphone That Gets You Out the Door
Leave your phone charging at home, and you might lose your directions, your boarding pass, and the message telling you where to meet. If you print your tickets and know the route, you can keep walking.
In Pew’s 2019 survey, 93% of millennials owned a smartphone, compared with 68% of boomers. That snapshot helps explain how people developed different habits. Once your phone holds half the details of your day, reliability matters more than the latest upgrade.
Delivery on an Ordinary Tuesday
If you usually pick up takeout yourself, paying someone to drive it across town can seem extravagant. Then work runs late, the fridge is bare, and that ten-minute pickup turns into another half hour before anyone eats.
YouGov data published in 2025 found that nearly two in five millennials used food delivery apps at least weekly, compared with 10% of boomers. On evenings like that, part of what the delivery fee buys is one less errand.
Streaming That Fits Your Schedule
A streaming subscription looks like an extra charge when you already have cable and like the channels you get. In a home without cable, it might be the only television bill. Pew reported in 2025 that 23% of adults ages 30 to 49 subscribed to cable or satellite, compared with 64% of adults 65 and older.
Those age groups only approximate the generations, but they help explain why a streaming subscription can land differently in two household budgets.
Air Conditioning That Comes With the Place
Two people tour the same apartment. One notices the big windows and imagines opening them in the evening. The other asks how hot the bedroom gets in August. Childhood memories can shape both reactions, but the local climate can settle the question fast.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s 2020 survey found air-conditioning use in about 109.5 million of 123.5 million occupied homes.
A Coffee Setup for Making Your Usual
If you’re happy with a pot of drip coffee, a grinder and frother may look like a lot of equipment for one cup. If you make the same oat milk latte every morning, those tools can earn their spot on the counter.
National Coffee Association research found that 64% of adults ages 25 to 39 drank specialty coffee in the previous week in 2025. Even among specialty coffee drinkers, drip machines remained a popular choice.
A Ride When Your Plans Fall Through
An airport trip before dawn feels different when you can book a car without asking someone to get up at four. In Pew’s 2018 survey, younger adults were more likely than those 50 and older to have used ride-hailing.
Most users rode less than once a month. That sounds about right for a backup you might use only when a flight leaves early, or your ride home falls through.
An Air Fryer That Earns Its Counter Space
An air fryer looks bulky until you discover how often you want to crisp two slices of leftover pizza without heating the whole oven. Here, the generations agree more than the stereotype suggests.
A CNET survey found that 56% of millennials and 56% of boomers used an air fryer. The person questioning the purchase may end up reaching for it first.
A Smart Speaker That Helps When Your Hands Are Full
A kitchen timer works perfectly well until your hands are covered in dough and you need to set it. Asking a speaker to do it takes a second.
Pew found that 41% of adults ages 30 to 49 reported having a smart speaker, compared with 24% of adults 65 and older. Little moments like that help explain how a gadget becomes part of a routine.
A Doorbell or Thermostat You Can Check From Your Phone
A doorbell notification can be handy when a package arrives while you’re at work. A connected thermostat can save you a trip downstairs when the bedroom feels too warm.
Pew found that adults ages 30 to 49 were more likely than those 65 and older to report having either device with AI features. Both remained minority purchases. Whether the upgrade feels worth it comes down to how often you’d reach for your phone to use it.
