20yo reveals wild way she became financially independent

A young Aussie living in Perth has revealed the wild way she became financially independent and why she’s known as the “rich friend.”

Gen Zers are living with their parents for longer than ever before, and one young Aussie has revealed the extreme measures she took to achieve financial independence.

Market research company Insights Exchange recently conducted a survey that found 39 per cent of 18-to-24-year-olds are still living in their family home, and given cost of living pressures, young people have been relying on parental support for longer.

Comparison site Finder’s 2023 cost of living report found Gen Zers were feeling the crunch the hardest, with 56 per cent feeling financially pressured to look for a second job compared to just 7 per cent of Baby Boomers.

Times are tough, especially if you’re just starting out in life. Maddi Miller, 20, is a prime example.

She can only afford to live independently from her parents because she’s creating X-rated content online.

Miller, who lives in Perth, dropped out of school in year 11, tried out TAFE but only made it a year into a boilermaker apprenticeship.

She now runs an OnlyFans account.

“I was still struggling financially, and couldn’t afford any sort of lifestyle. So, I decided to start a side hustle on OnlyFans, which I hoped would make some extra money,” Miller said.

Maddi owns her own home. Picture: Supplied

Maddi said that she is known as the "rich friend." Picture: Instagram/pixiedevi1

When she first started her account, she was still working in an administration job, making $32 per hour. However, once her OnlyFans became local knowledge, she decided to focus on that.

Starting an OnlyFans account might sound drastic, but Miller felt that there weren’t enough opportunities for her to get ahead the old-fashioned way.

“If I took an entry-level job or a retail job, I would have to move back home with my mum due to the cost of living,” she said.
“I also didn’t want to leave the town I grew up in either to search for opportunities in a big city. The only option was to really focus on making my OnlyFans account profitable.”

She explained why it is so hard for Gen Zers to get ahead. Picture: Instagram/pixiedevi1

Miller went from not being able to comfortably afford to rent her own place to buying her first property before she turned 21.

She has already paid off 65 per cent of her mortgage. While most people her age are paying off their Afterpay orders, she has managed to reduce her mortgage to a tidy $160,000.

This is below the average mortgage debt. According to Finder, the average home loan in Australia in 2024 is $607,963.

When Miller bought the place, she put down a $18,000 deposit on a small home in a mining town in Western Australia, with her repayments coming to $400 per week. She’s managed to get more than on top of the repayments purely due to the fact she can make more than $10,000 in a single week - but she knows her situation is unique.

“It is definitely hard for Gen Z to get ahead, especially with the cost of living crisis,” she said.

“Not as many people want to go to university or do an apprenticeship because the cost of schooling is too much, and the pay is not good enough to live off while doing an apprenticeship,” she told news.com.au.

She now runs an OnlyFans account. Picture: Instagram/pixiedevi1

She explained how she became the rich friend. Picture: Instagram/pixiedevi1

Miller said she’s now considered the “rich friend” among her peers because it is unusual for a Gen Zers to make good money.

“I am definitely considered the rich friend, I have had to cut off so many people. I get random people I went to school with reach out and ask to borrow money even though we were never friends,” she said.

“I understand my situation is unique because I am making great income for someone my age. Most others are having to choose between study and being broke, or working full-time, and even still, are struggling to get by financially without help from their mum or dad.”