Breaking The Chain Of The Sandwich Generation Is Not Easy, But It's Not Impossible

The sandwich generation chain can be cut with hard efforts such as managing finances well. (Unsplash/Markus Spiske)

JAKARTA - Artist Febby Rastanty bluntly admits that she is one of the sandwich generations. However, this former member of the vocal group Blink did not feel burdened with this status.

The sandwich generation is often considered a burden. But not with Febby, who actually focuses more on the wisdom he feels while financing his family's life.

"I did pay for my family, my mother, my sister. If I think it's a sandwich generation, there are benefits too, because apart from seeing it as early to repay our parents," said Febby through a video clip shared by the Instagram account @podcatsvokes.

In addition, by becoming a sandwich generation, Febby admitted that he was unknowingly forced to be smart in managing finances. The hope is not to repeat the same mistakes so that it burdens the next generation.

Sandwich generation is often heard in the past few years, along with the rise of information about finance.

However, this term was actually first introduced in 1981 by professor and director of the Kentucky University practicum, totaling, United States, Dorothy A. Miller.

In short, the sandwich generation is a term for people who have to work at productive age, but not only to meet their own needs, but also others.

It is used as a sandwich because this group is trapped between the economic needs of its families such as children, parents, and in-laws.

Citing Investopedia, the sandwich generation referred to adults in their 40s to 50s, who care for their own parents and children at the same time.

This condition is analogous to a sandwich where a piece of meat is squeezed by two breads. The bread is likened to a parent (upper generation) and a child (lower generation), while the main contents are in the form of meat, vegetables, and sauce squeezed by bread.

The study by the Pew Research Center predicts that one of the seven US residents between the ages of 40 and 60 simultaneously provides financial assistance to children and parents.

With added pressure in managing careers and personal problems, as well as the need to contribute to retirement, individual sandwich generations are under significant financial and emotional pressure.

Even in some cases, this generation of baby boomers must postpone retirement due to additional financial obligations.

About 12 percent of parents in the US are the sandwich generation. According to the same study, full-time workers spend about three hours outside of their working hours taking care of their parents and children. More than half of caregivers are women, and women often spend more time taking care of their children than male caregivers.

According to Patty David, vice president of consumer insight at the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), the concept of a sandwich generation needs to be changed.

"If you define them, they (generations of sandwiches) care for younger people and older people," said David, confiscated The Washington Post.

I don't think it's about age anymore. It's about the circumstances and what's happening in their world," David added.

The sandwich generation has a sufficient life burden, even very heavy. Why is the sandwich generation happening?

Citing the Financial Services Authority (OJK) page, there are many factors behind it, but in general this is due to the failure of parents' finances.

Not to fully blame parents, but parents who do not have good financial planning for their old age have the potential to make their children the next generation of sandwiches.

Like a circle that has no end, the child also has a chance to follow in his parents' footsteps, so that he becomes an independent parent in the future. This cycle will eventually just continue.

Can the chainandwich generation be stopped? Of course, although this is not an easy matter. Extra consistency and effort is needed to be done.

There are several things that can be done from now on so that the chain of the sandwich generation can be cut off, for example having plan savings such as for weddings, pilgrimages or Umrah, education, tourism, and others.

In addition, having health insurance and reducing a consumptive lifestyle is also important to do in order to break the chain of sandwich generation.

No less important, according to the OJK, is to prepare emergency funds, pension funds, and children's education.

"Education funds are no less important as an effort to break this chain. With education funds, parents can prepare children's education costs for the future so as to ease the burden in the future," wrote the OJK on its official website.

However, despite the weight of the burden borne by the sandwich generation, there are valuable lessons that can be learned by being part of this group, as experienced by Febby.

Being part of the sandwich generation requires Febby to be smart in managing finances and learning so as not to repeat the mistakes made by her parents from a financial perspective.

"So it's even more encouraged to think about how to manage money better, because after all we don't want to repeat the mistakes made by our parents. The money management is not good," said the 28-year-old woman.

"The way is to mitigate, finances are not good, yes, by way, for example, try investing from now on. Don't be like most of the spending but saving (continuing) doesn't exist at all," concluded Febby.