A simple solution, really

Absolutely, BUT, achieving many things that bring happiness in your life does cost money anyway.

Starting a happy family? You need a place for everyone to live, a food for everyone to eat, clothes to wear, all the expenses going into creating wonderful moments for your family, be it a small homely party or an adventure.

Having friends? You need to hang out somewhere, do something together, and that would likely drain your wallet.

Opening something new, going for a trip? Tons of money again.

Like, sustaining your life to begin with? You wouldn't believe it - a lot of money.

So, we cannot pretend that money and happy living are two completely disconnected entities. Money is essential in providing the lifestyle one wants to have. And no amount of content and gratitude will help you if you're broke as hell and doing slave job to survive.

So, the coffee example is not about buying a dopamine hit. It's about sustaining the kind of life one wants to see. A cup of coffee, in this case, is not an embodiment of consumerism, but a personal ritual.

This is literally mocking that take. It is saying, even if you drop those little dopamine hits you won't be magically transported into a lavish fantasy life.

The implication and "punchline" here is that millennials only have $300/year of free spending money. It's self-deprecating/morbid humor.

That's the entire point! What the fuck is saving 600 dollars going to do for you? It's sad that the shitty coffee is all we have left. Don't you get it? No matter how much you struggle, you won't escape. And when we find some little solace in life, we have people putting us down for it, wanting us to just...stop enjoying what little of life we have left, and just work like robots for the end goal of...what? Just dying of some disease we can't afford to threat anyway?

Yeah people, don't buy good food as a treat, no cinema or nice video game (and god firbid, no buying books you can't find in the library), no travel, nothing!

What a life.

Typical "if you aren't living life the way I do, you aren't living life."

The best part of my life is writing sarcastic comments on shitty takes like this. That's free and I'm a still in debt. Explain.

Those of us who like coffee and treats from time to time also fuck our partners, go on walks, and look at the fucking moon. Don't be such a puritan. What makes life worth living then, praising jesus? Lmao

Just.... Fuck you. So much.

Are you stupid or something?

lol, fuck off, troll.

Maybe you should try a different roast or cafe?

As a trained barista I very much disagree.. while I don't work as one professionally, coffee, or rather espresso, has been a core part of my life. The same way a sommelier might find pleasure in life through buying expensive and exotic wines (and by extensions tasting them), there have been periods of my life where I almost exclusively survived by buying expensive espresso roasts and tasting the resulting coffee.

In today's world many passions and pleasures that can be intrinsic to someone's being cost money. I couldn't even tell you how much money I have spent on espresso beans, coffee equipment (machines, grinders, etc), audiophile equipment, synthesizers, and records. These are the things, along with my family and job, that make life worth living for me — and my family is not always available, and my job not always good. If I'm struggling to wake up in the morning, I dial in a new bean. If I had a tough day, I put on a record.

man you seem tense. you should some self-care, go treat yourself.

My pour over Honduras honey process actually brought me joy throughout my day today. There was nothing sad about it.

Blame can be channeled - for better or worse.

It makes sense to blame the powerful for deteriorating quality of life. The question is what to do with it.