Life
Millennials Would Give $5 Million To A Friend Who Can Do This For Them
Looking back on my friendships, there are many things I wish I could repay. From driving 12 hours round trip to visit me for a weekend to agreeing to struggle through a weekly fitness class with me, my friends have been there for me in ways I'm eternally grateful for. Of course, they did these acts for free, but if I could afford to pay them back, I would — and so would many Millennials. PayPal recently asked 1,000 Americans aged 18-55 to put a price on some invaluable acts of friendship. They found that Millennials value friends who go on trips with them more so than any other generation, which makes sense since our travel buddies also have to deal with us asking to take just one more photo for Instagram.
While different generations answered with different values, they tend to agree on which acts are worth more. Sure, that shirt you lent your BFF looks really great on them, but it's not like you threw them a party. And if you really want to be someone's best friend, introduce them to their future spouse. You'll be rolling in their affection and imaginary dough.
Here's what Millennials think different acts of friendship are worth:
Moving Help: $1,327
Moving sucks and any friend willing to help is a godsend, so it's no surprise that Millennials would price helping out on moving day at $1,327. But helping lug all of your furniture up three flights of stairs is worth vastly different amounts along gender and generational lines.
Men would only pay their pal back $997, which is more than seven times less than the $7,551 women think the work is worth. Gen X also thinks help on moving day should set them back $8,483, while Baby Boomers wouldn't pay more than $381.
Taking A Nice Vacation Together: $2,244
Millennials would pay their friends $2,244 for going on a trip with them, which is definitely enough to pay for round-trip airfare somewhere cool.
Throwing You A Surprise Party: $1,491
Throwing a surprise party requires a lot of planning in order to show your friend a great time on their birthday, which is why Millennials would give $1,491 to the friend who organized the unexpected affair.
Those Sold Out Seats At A Beyoncé Concert: $1,206
Millennials said they'd want to give their friends $1,206 for getting them tickets to a sold out concert. Gen Z would pay more with $1,950 while Gen X and Baby Boomers would only pay $223 and $164 respectively.
Driving You To The Airport: $617
Sure, you might toss your friend $20 for the gas they spent coming to get you from the airport, but that's nothing compared to the $617 Millennials would give their friends simply for performing this act of kindness.
Being A Workout Buddy: $619
I directly owe my best friend for the majority of my workouts over the past four years, because without her I don't think I would've ever stuck to my exercise routine. Other Millennials must feel similar since they'd give their fitness partner $619, which is enough to pay for an average year-long gym membership.
Reservations At The Spot That's So Hot Right Now: $196
If your friend got you reservations to that cool new restaurant you've been dying to go to, you might be willing to spend $196 on their meal. That's how much Millennials would pay anyway.
Lending You Their Clothes: $151
I've borrowed a ton of clothes from friends before but I've never given them money for lending me a cute top. While I definitely appreciate it, Millennials see it worthy of paying $151. That's worth more than any shirt I own (but still less than the $306 Gen Z thinks this act of friendship is worth).
Setting You Up With The Love Of Your Life: $5 Million
You can't put a price on love, which is probably why Millennials would give a whopping $5 million to the person who introduces them to their spouse. Every generation agreed the friend responsible for setting them up with their soulmate should be a millionaire, with Gen Z willing to pay almost $2 million and Baby Boomers offering up a cool $15.9 million.
I'm glad no one is actually expecting millions of dollars for setting me up with my future spouse, but it's nice knowing that Millennials put such a high value on their friendships. And while we might not be able to pay our besties back in cash, we can certainly repay their great deeds with our own.
