We’ve all done it. Stopping by the new matcha place that’s all over social media that you just had to try. Rewarding yourself with a new beauty product for submitting your homework on time. Or, a personal favorite of mine, unwinding from a hard week with a thrift store run… only to awaken from a shopping haze to wonder how you spent that much at Goodwill.
Whether your vice is coffee, clothes, cookies, or Labubus, “little treat culture” has cemented itself in society and, more impactfully, in our wallets. Yet, as many young people are looking toward grad school, saving for their first home, or paying off student debt — all while prices are increasing across the board — those daily little treats seem to be becoming increasingly impractical.
So, are little treats out for 2026?
According to a new report from Intuit. the answer might be yes… sort of. The company surveyed 2,000 people about their money goals and attitudes going into the new year, and found that almost two-thirds of respondents view money as a primary life stressor. Particularly bleak: 44% of Gen Z respondents, who are now primarily in college or in their early careers, said they were living paycheck to paycheck.
It’s not like it’s been easy to save these days. Americans seem to be emptying their pockets faster for everyday expenses. An analysis from the Institute for Youth in Policy found that since April 2020, the rental market “has remained particularly strained,” with “typical” unit prices rising by 28.7% as household income only grew by 22.5% over the same period. At the same time, college tuition rates are going up, increasing 37.5%, adjusting for inflation, since 2000, according to the Education Data Initiative. Not to mention food prices: The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported grocery prices rose 2.4% from December 2024 to December 2025 and the cost of eating out rose 4.1% over the same period. (This seems small, but keep in mind that remnants of a huge spike in prices in 2022 still contribute to an overall “elevated” cost for U.S. households, according to a CBS analysis.)
For Gen Zers, the stakes feel even higher. “I have worked really hard to save a lot of money, but I still fear moving out on my own because I don’t have a consistent income,” Ginger*, a recent University of Florida alum, tells Her Campus. “I worry that I won’t have that stable income in the near future, so even though my bank account looks lovely, I fear spending too much money.”
It’s not all doom and gloom, though. Americans aren’t completely pulling back on spending; it’s more about reprioritizing, says Intuit Financial Advocate Giovanna “Gigi” Gonzalez. “Despite people acknowledging the higher cost of living, lower wages, [and] these structural issues, [Americans] still feel optimistic that they are able to turn their finances around,” Gonzalez says.
Enter: mindful spending — a way to get your little treats (within reason) and be smart about your money, too.
Mindful Spending is in for 2026
Intuit’s consumer report found that 2026 may be the year of mindful spending, or the idea of refocusing your attention and making intentional decisions with your money. “It’s the complete opposite of impulsive spending, where that’s more driven by emotion,” Gonzalez says. “Anti-mindful spending has been a big reason why [people] haven’t met their financial goals in the past.”
Simply put, consumers have started to realize that those daily $9 coffees may actually be stunting their financial progress. “It’s happened for the last year or two,” Gonzalez says. “People are starting to recognize that these little things do add up and over time. They do have an effect on making progress towards your financial goals.”
Kat*, senior at Columbia University, is currently finishing up graduate school and is hoping to save up for a new apartment and pay off some student debt. “I try to reward myself on occasion because grad school is like rolling a boulder uphill,” Kat tells Her Campus. “I definitely can’t afford all of the little treats I want. If I had infinite money, I would be drinking one strawberry matcha per day.”
Old-school money-saving advice might tell you to completely cut yourself off from any spending that’s not strictly necessary. However, social media is changing the way Gen Z approaches financial literacy and their spending habits, Gonzalez says, making financial advice more accessible and allowing people to find what works for them. “I’m a big fan, because that’s the way that it’s going to stick, if people find what works for them, as opposed to just listening to old money rules that are outdated and just don’t speak to today’s society,” Gonzalez says.
For Ginger, modern financial experts like Tori Dunlap, aka The Financial Feminist, resonate with her and helped her establish long-term financial goals. “I actually tracked every purchase I made for a month last year to analyze what was actually adding to my life and the motivation behind each purchase,” she says. “It really helped me be mindful moving forward.”
For many, it’s about choosing joy. Over half of Intuit’s respondents said personal joy is a huge contributing factor in their spending. 34% of all respondents said going out to eat is their top non-negotiable expense and 38% of Gen Z respondents said spending money on their hobbies and activities is most important to them. “I will always pay for Paramount+ with no ads,” Kat says. “Being able to livestream Survivor keeps me going through the semester.”
Then how, exactly, are people still managing to pay off debt or boost their savings? Nearly half of Intuit’s survey respondents (49%) said they live frugally to enjoy what matters most to them: cooking their own meals during the week to try a new restaurant and catch up with friends on the weekend, or avoiding online shopping to get new painting supplies. That’s very much aligned with Ginger’s thinking. “I am trying to spend on things that are productive to my work or social life,” she says. “Like, I’ll treat myself to a marg with my girlfriends, but not an Olipop alone.”
Gonzalez is in favor of this mindset instead of what she calls the “traditional money advice” people have been taught in the past. “This shift, Americans embracing joy, that’s signaling that people are like, ‘OK, I want to be smarter with money, but not depriving myself along the way,’” she says.
That’s probably why 49% of respondents to Intuit’s survey say they’re committed to mindful spending — and why that number may continue to grow.
How to practice mindful spending over restriction
So, how do you start this financial reset? “Keep it simple and be consistent, because it’s about getting over the fear of money and becoming more familiar with how money works,” Gonzalez says.
You can still have your vice, but try to be intentional and pick one item as your go-to little treat to factor into your budget. That way, you won’t feel like you’re depriving yourself. “There’s no fun in that, and you’re going to go back right back to old habits,” Gonzalez says.
Once your budget is established, she recommends doing a weekly check-in to ensure you’re staying on track. Of course, impulse purchases can still happen, but Gonzalez says that’s not necessarily a bad thing. “It really makes you feel confident about your money choices when you’re spending in alignment with what’s really important to you,” she says. “[Just make sure it’s] not just random things [you want] because you’re seeing it on social media or somebody telling you should get it.”
*Last name has been omitted for privacy.