No Religion or Politics – What WILL We Talk About?

There have probably been years when family gatherings were more fraught with conversational pitfalls, but 2025 has to rank up there for most possibilities of thrown mashed potatoes from offended cousins.

Why not come armed to the table – not with reasons you are right, but fun topics that everyone can enjoy?  You may even get out of doing the dishes thanks to your sparkling conversation.

Also, if you have some relatives that tend to ask awkward personal questions, I’ve got you covered with some handy statistics.

Here are three ideas of across-the-aisle friendly table topics to enhance your Turkey Day:

  1. What’s the weirdest or most surprising thing that’s ever happened at a holiday meal?
  2. If you could add the strangest dish or food to the Thanksgiving meal, what would it be?
  3. If you could have any superpower just for Thanksgiving Day, what would it be (e.g., instant leftovers packer or gravy re-filler)?

 

And three handy statistics for those uncomfortable questions from Uncle Marv:

So, Joey, when are you going to settle down and make an honest woman out of Penelope?*

  • In 2021, a record 25% of 40-year-olds had never been married, up from just 6% in 1980.
  • Projections suggest that one in three young adults currently in their late teens will never marry by age 45 if current trends continue.

Still living at home with your parents, Cooper?**

  • For the broader group aged 18-34, about 1 in 3—approximately 33%—were living with parents in 2021 and 2022.
  • The rate began sharply increasing after the Great Recession (2008), peaked during and just after the pandemic, and now remains elevated due to ongoing high rents, expensive housing markets, and stalled income growth.

It seems to be taking a long time to finish that degree, Jim.***

  • The average time to finish a bachelor’s degree is approximately 5.1-6 years for first-time, full-time students.
  • Only about 45-49% of students graduate within 4 years at their starting institution.
  • There are many reasons for this, Aunt Betty.
    • Working part-time or full-time while in college.
    • Inability to access required courses.
    • Financial barriers.
    • Other personal or family obligations.

Happy conversing!

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Kristi Sullivan

My name is Kristi Sullivan and I have been helping people achieve financial security since 1996. I am a fee-only financial planner and public speaker. I do no investment or insurance sales for commissions. My clients pay me for guidance through their financial questions. I also work with employers to educate their employees about personal finance. I have been helping people make financial decisions for 18 years. I have worked in employee benefits and with individual clients/families. I hold the Certified Financial Planner designation. Sullivan Financial Planning, LLC is a Registered Investment Advisory firm with the State of Colorado. Areas of expertise include prioritizing savings goals, investment allocation, and wealth manager searches.