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For most, their early twenties are a blur – a balancing act between work, long nights at the pub and finding the time to sleep.
But the question Gen Z have on their mind is this: why waste time drinking with friends when you can invest in your future?
One couple has taken this sentiment to the extreme, collecting luxury kitchenware and storing it in their parents attic – hoping one day they’ll be able to deck out their future home.
Isaac Griffiths, 20, and Caitlan Gregory, 19, have racked up a collection of over 200 items from Le Creuset – an exclusive brand charging up to £550 for a casserole dish.
‘Alcohol is so expensive nowadays and the mugs at the warehouse sale were cheaper than a pint,’ Ms Gregory explained. ‘So would I rather have a cocktail or a new mug? I’d rather have a new mug.’
Mr Griffiths added: ‘Me and Caitlan are not crazy clubbing people we just like saving money.’
The homeware company specialises in cast-iron pans and colourful crockery and is typically found in the home of professional chefs and the likes of the Duchess of Sussex, Megan Markle.
However, the premium French homeware brand has started marketing to Gen Z.
Isaac Griffiths, 20, and Caitlan Gregory, 19, have racked up a collection of over 200 items from Le Creuset
Le Creuset are encouraging young people to ditch the pint glass and buy a stoneware cappuccino mug instead
With a trending hashtag – #LeCreuSlay- and a following of over 300k people on TikTok, Le Creuset are encouraging young people to ditch the pint glass and buy a stoneware cappuccino mug instead.
Ms Gregory, a student, told MailOnline: ‘A lot of people’s grandparents or parents have one or two items from Le Creuset and it’s a prized possession.’
Yet the couple view collecting their ‘priceless’ cookery stash as a standard hobby among their friends.
Ms Gregory said: ‘All my friends love it, a lot of them have started to think they should collect stuff for their home.’
Mr Griffiths added: ‘There’s a massive TikTok presence as well, there is a lot of engagement with that content on social media.’
The only catch is that roughly 75 per cent of Gen Z aren’t homeowners, including Ms Gregory and Mr Griffiths.
The couple individually live with their parents and rarely use their extortionate pots and pans.
‘We use parts of it day to day but the majority of it is stored away until we get a house and it will all come out then,’ explained Ms Gregory.
The couple’s sole focus is buying a house, and they dream of having a picture-perfect dinner party, where they can serve food using all their French homeware
While their collection would be the envy of most professional chefs, their cast-iron pans occupy a space in the attics of their individual family homes
Mr Griffiths explained that there is a massive community on social media dedicated to Le Creuset
‘Probably in five years we want to be married. We want to have a house, hopefully in three years and be engaged around then.
‘We have a joint bank account and we buy stuff off that.
‘When we buy a house its going to be expensive so if we have nice stuff already we’ll save the money for then.’
For now, the couple will continue to grow their collection and hunt for the best discounts at car boot sales, charity shops and warehouse events run by the brand.
If they break up they’ve claimed the collection would be split equally.
‘But it’s not going to happen,’ Mr Griffiths exclaimed.
