Podcaster Raj Shamani has sparked a debate by saying that buying a home feels “entirely out of reach” for most youngsters in today’s economy. Shamani, 28, was making a wider point about why Gen Z feels comfortable spending on smaller luxuries like expensive coffee rather than saving the same amount of money for milestone purchases like real estate.Raj Shamani on why Gen Z feels comfortable spending on expensive coffee.The 28-year-old host of the business podcast Figuring Out with Raj Shamani aired his views in an X post that has since sparked a debate on the social media platform.Why Gen Z spends on expensive coffeeRaj Shamani argued that many youngsters have become less motivated to save for traditional goals, such as buying a house, because those goals feel increasingly unattainable due to high property prices and stagnant salaries.Instead, they prefer to spend their money on smaller luxuries, such as store-bought coffee drinks.“The reason Gen Z spends comfortably on small luxuries like high-end coffee is that long-term milestones like buying a home feel entirely out of reach in this economy. So they prioritise immediate quality of life over distant financial milestones,” he said in his X post.Some readers may remember the words of Australian property developer Tim Gurner who, in 2017, sparked a row by advising young people to cut back on expensive habits such as buying avocado toast and frequent café visits in order to save for a home.(Also read: Zerodha's Nikhil Kamath takes a U-turn, buys a house after advocating staying on rent)Raj Shamani’s post sparks discussionShamani’s post sparked a similar discussion about the rising cost of living and skyrocketing real estate prices that have made home ownership difficult for many Gen Z and millennials.“I ran the math and realized I only need to skip my daily iced latte for exactly four thousand years to afford a down payment, so yes, I am absolutely getting the extra espresso shot,” quipped one X user.“I don’t agree to this. Many Gen Z who spend on expensive coffee and small luxuries are often from families that already have homes or financial support, so it’s more about lifestyle inflation and social media influence than the economy making big goals impossible,” another countered.Tanvi Raut Dessai, founder of Filter Coffee, disagreed with Shamani, arguing that youngsters spend on small luxuries while simultaneously saving for bigger goals.“Most young people I know still want the house, the stability, the savings and the larger financial goals. They’re just not willing to live a completely joyless life while waiting for all of it to happen,” Dessai said.(Also read: The rise of the ‘rent economy’: Why young Indians no longer want to own everything)