Spider-Man, How Did You Afford the Apartment?

Image: Sony/Marvel

While watching Spider-Man: Brand New Day, there was one thing I couldn't stop thinking about: Peter Parker is basically starting his life again; the people closest to him don't remember him; he doesn't seem to have much money and, from what we can see, he doesn't exactly have a normal nine-to-five job. Yet somehow, Peter has an apartment in New York, keeps his Spider-Man equipment running and has access to technology that I can only imagine costs a lot of money.

Forget the villains for a second. Peter, how are you paying rent?

That was probably why I found him strangely relatable. Take away the superpowers, and Peter is basically another young adult trying to figure out what comes next. The difference is that while I'm sitting here wondering how people my age are affording cars and apartments, Peter has somehow already managed to get one.

One of the phrases from the film that has made its way onto social media is “big potato stuff.” Young people have started using it for the bigger milestones in their lives: graduating, buying a car, moving out or landing that first proper job. I understand why it caught on, because those things really do feel big when you're trying to reach them. I can scroll through my phone and see someone my age moving into their first apartment, someone else buying a car and another person travelling. My reaction isn't necessarily jealousy, though. Most of the time I'm just genuinely curious about how they managed to do it.

That question becomes even more complicated in South Africa. Statistics South Africa reported that unemployment among people aged 15 to 34 reached 47.4% in the second quarter of 2026. Old Mutual's research also found that many working young South Africans are dipping into savings for everyday expenses, while others are supporting both younger and older family members.

The problem is that a milestone doesn't tell you how somebody got there. Two people can both have apartments while having completely different financial situations behind them. One might pay the entire rent themselves, another might split it with someone, while someone else may have help from their family.

The same goes for cars, holidays and the lifestyle we associate with having “made it.” Standard Bank's 2026 Youth Barometer found that some younger South Africans are also using credit to manage their cash flow or even fund side hustles. That doesn't make the achievement fake; it just means there is usually more happening behind it than we can see.

This is the part I think social media leaves out. We often see the finished result without seeing the maths that made it possible. I don't just want to know that somebody moved out. I want to know what they had to earn, save, sacrifice or figure out before they could.

Peter Parker’s New York apartment. Image: Little Caesars/Sony Pictures

Peter obviously has an advantage here. He is Spider-Man. He is incredibly intelligent and has access to technology most of us don't have. I don't have a Spider-Man suit, but I do have a phone and the internet. Those things aren't going to magically pay my rent, but they can help me understand what getting there would actually require. I can calculate what living alone would cost, research salaries, learn skills, look for ways to increase my income and work backwards from the life I eventually want.

Maybe that's the question I should be asking when I see someone else's “big potato stuff.” Not ‘why don't I have that yet?’ but ‘how would I realistically get there from where I am now?’ Because I don't necessarily want Peter Parker's apartment.

No, I’m lying; I definitely do.

But I also want to know the process. I still want to see the budget.