INSIGHTS Life With a Millennial By Mary Kane Monday, January 19, 2015 12:00 AM Understanding how a Millennial thinks is not always easy. Trust me, I’ve had first-hand experience trying to figure them out. Up until a few weeks ago, my boyfriend’s 27 year old son Brett lived with us. In some ways he’s very typical of his generation, in other ways, not so much. After a brief stint at a Connecticut community college, he was smart enough to realize that college isn’t for everyone (Sallie Mae was so disappointed) and was able to turn a part-time retail job into a full-time gig at a high-end furniture store, where he’s landed on his feet with a good salary and health benefits. He works hard for his money but like most of his peers, loves his material things, treats his iPhone like a lifeline and is very brand conscious. When it comes to spending money, Brett fits the Millennial mold with apparel, technology and food at the top of his shopping list. Like many of his generation, he studiously researches quality products and compares prices, usually on his iPhone. He shops regularly at Costco for the bulk buying deals and uses his J.Crew and Banana Republic credit cards carefully, always on the prowl for a sale. Although he doesn’t wear glasses, he only buys Ray-Ban sunglasses and has a growing collection totaling six pairs. When it comes to technology, he is instinctively expert, whether it’s controlling his home environment through his iPhone or wiring the family room for surround sound. I suspect he’s not fond of talking on the phone and rarely answers it. Texting us, even while he was downstairs and we were upstairs, was often the preferred form of communication. How-ever, he never failed to immediately respond to my text asking “Will you be home for dinner?” The house has been eerily empty the past few weeks but when he comes home for a visit we both still smile at his “Hey Kids” greeting, which is music to a Boomer’s ears.