Millennials ditch the traditional Aussie pub shout to pay their own way
Young Australians have ditched the nation’s tradition of shouting each other rounds in bars, clubs and pubs. VOTE, HAVE YOUR SAY
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Exclusive: Young people have ditched the Australian tradition of shouting each other rounds in bars, clubs and pubs, and would rather pay their own way.
Popular instant payment app Beem It, which has had 850,000 downloads, has just launched a new split payments system and the majority of its users between 16-24 years-old are using it to make getting paid back less awkward — and prevent friends from freeloading.
Data obtained by News Corp has shown groups created on the app include family groups (40 per cent), ‘Boys Trip’ or ‘Lads Nights’ (15 per cent), and 10 per cent are named ‘Ladies Lunches’ or ‘Girls’ weekends away’.
Beem It CEO Angela Clark said they use it regularly from midweek to the weekend during the evening, and many use it to help split bills for social nights out, one-off events like weddings, hens nights, birthdays and group holidays.
She said Schoolies groups have also been created, with 75 per cent of them being set up by girls age 17.
Groups can be created with up to 12 people, and the average spend for a group night out is $400.
Fifty per cent of funds are spent on food, 25 per cent on transport and ticket entry and 20 per cent is spent on drinks.
“The app takes the stress out of splitting bills in the moment and ensures you get pad back your fair share of the bills, especially if someone gets the Uber, drink, tickets or dinner,” she said.
“No matter which bank you’re from, money can be instantly transferred across it when all users have attached their debit card to it with a simple swipe after a big night out once it keeps track and calculates what everyone owes equally. Or, users can just find out what they’re owed and give cash.”
Social researcher Claire Madden told News Corp Generation Z’s concept of money has changed with technology and new spending habits.
“They are making transactions through their phone and have auto payments and cash isn’t handled by them as it once was by others,” she said.
“They also have to balance other categories like paying for their Netflix and Spotify, and they’ve had to in some ways manage finances from an earlier age (in the digital age).”
Ms Madden also said younger people were also consuming less alcohol.
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Social analyst Mark McCrindle agreed, saying Australia’s drinking culture had changed.
“ABS data on alcohol sales shows we are drinking less, and the whole social activity of heading out for drinks or a meal and shouting rounds has faded in a lot of people’s experiences,” he said.
“Young people are also pulling back on their spending and cost of living is weighing on their minds with prices going up and wages being flat.”
‘IT JUST GETS UNCOMFORTABLE’
Rebecca Watene, 28, from Camperdown, said she has to make “every dollar count” now she has a 13-month-old son, Marlon.
She regularly uses the app to make sure she doesn’t overspend when out with her friends.
“We don’t really shout rounds when I go out because it just gets uncomfortable and messy when you have to chase up others to get the money back,” she said.
“You can often get a situation where there’s cheap drunks that don’t need to go in several rounds and then there’s people who can handle more alcohol and will drink more — but shouting everything adds up.”
She said she is very conscious of what she spends so she can still pay for essentials and have a good time out.
“My husband and I have an excel spreadsheet of monthly budgets and part of it is a social budget,” she said.
“The app helps because I know what I can spend on a night out and make sure I don’t overpay, which I used to do before I had our first baby, even paying an extra $5-$10 makes a difference.
“We have to be frugal and have enough money to support him.”
‘SHOUTING DRINKS CAN GET EXPENSIVE’
Claire Herms, 28 from Carlton said she has found the app lets everyone be “more accountable” with what they spend on a night out.
“You go out for dinner and drinks and you don’t want to go round to every single person and get the cash from them,” she said.
“The culture of tapping your card is so easy and it can disconnect you from what you are actually spending out of your pocket.
“Shouting drinks can get quite expensive and it’s just not economical.”
Ms Herms said she and her partner are planning on buying a house and are conscious of getting themselves into a better financial position.
“We are trying to save and don’t want to blow all of our cash month to month, and all of our friends are on board with this as we are all at the same life stage.”
‘IT HELPS US PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE’
Jacqueline Platt, 33, from Paddington, said she uses the app so everyone in her circle of friends pays fairly.
“It helps me make sure my spending doesn’t get out of control,” she said.
Originally published as Millennials ditch the traditional Aussie pub shout to pay their own way