Guess What? Millennials Save More Than You Do.

When you hear the term Millennial, what comes to mind?

Lazy, entitled and childish, especially in the workplace. At least, that’s what the papers say.

Well. Haters gonna hate — but they should probably stop. A new study from Bankrate.com proves that millennials may just be more adult than the rest of us, at least when it comes to financial savvy. They save like crazy, and they’re doing it well, even while financial security is slipping for the country as a whole.

More millennials than any other group in the study saved 6 to 10 percent of their salaries a month, and most of them were more financially secure than they were a year ago. This is even more impressive when you consider that millennials are ALSO the group most likely to be working part-time (a phenomenon that may be due to the Gig Economy, a topic which interests us greatly, and definitely the group with the most student loans. They seem to have a lot of lessons to teach the rest of us, hmm?

And then there’s their entrepreneurial spirit. Ever heard of the 30 Under 30 List? It’s worth checking out. There’s 29-year-old Marcela Sapone, co-founder of Hello Alfred, a personalized butler app that’s raised $12.5 million in venture capital. Or take Tyler Haney, 27, whose idea for tech-savvy workout-gear company Outdoor Voices was rejected more than 70 times before she raised $8 million to found it. Talk about tenacity.

So why are millennials so good with their money? And where does that aforementioned tenacity come from?

Hardship. Let’s don’t forget: this generation came of age post-9/11 and during the Great Recession of the 2000s. Between war and economic crisis, the world was constantly shifting under their feet across every possible front. So they had to learn to dig in their heels. Apparently, they did it really well.

But no one seems to believe that. Worse, our criticism is actively doing them harm. A recent Pew Research Center Study found that 49% of millennials think they’re wasteful. We’ve been saying it, and they believe it, despite all evidence to the contrary. So let’s see what millennials can truly accomplish, shall we? And perhaps learn a few fiscal lessons from them, while we’re at it.