For generation Z, “small pampering” is worth the budget of the month

The last thing Naomi Barles needed was a 30 -minute delay on the train. She still faced a two -hour route to her home in New Jersey. To pass the time, he decided to give a gift: two birthday cake cookies.

Soon, it became ritual. Whenever I had a good day at work – I received a compliment from the boss or made a good presentation – Barles, 25, a brand marketing assistant, repeated the dose. Then he added a $ 1.50 poppi soda to the pampering list. Even when the office machine was empty and needed to pay twice the nearby delicatessen, she didn’t care. “I deserve it,” he said.

“It’s something I may have without thinking too much. I don’t need to tell every penny,” said Barles.

She and many other Z generation young people embraced the so -called Treat Culture – the pampering culture – the habit of granting small luxuries, such as a $ 12 coffee, a $ 5 dessert or even a $ 30 keychain, to reward or practice self -care, even if it weighs in the budget. Although many do not feel financially safe, more than half admits to buying a “treat” at least once a week, according to almost 1,000 young people from Bank of America.

The idea of using small pleasures to deal with difficult times or celebrating achievements is not new, but gained strength in pop culture in 2011, in an episode of the Parks and Recreation series where characters create the motto: “Treat Yo Self.”

What differentiates generation Z is the way it has transformed custom into a community phenomenon online. At Tiktok, thousands share videos showing their latest “pampering”, either after failing a test, performing household chores or simply for consumption. The hashtag “Sweet Little Treat Meme” already has more than 23 million videos.

According to researcher Jason Dorsey, co -author of the book Zconomy, the phenomenon has become a collective experience that normalizes and even encourages these expenses. In a high price scenario, unstable job market and dreams such as buying their own distant home, these small spending gives generation Z a passing control of control.

“If I had finished my studies and I couldn’t get space in the market, I would probably also give me a treat,” said Gregory Stoller, a professor at Boston University, who receives dozens of professional counseling requests a week.

From pleasure to the account in the red

The problem is that, without control, small luxuries can weigh in the pocket. After a month by presenting three times a week, Barles realized that his account was about $ 50 lower than normal.

“At first it was harmless, because I thought, ‘Oh, it’s only $ 6, no problem.”

According to Bank of America survey, 59% of young people who buy pampering say they end up spending too much. “Buy Now, Pay Later” apps and instant deliveries further facilitate impulses, explains Stoller.

For some, spending grow fast. A $ 3 croissant can become a $ 200 ticket for a $ 350 show or self -care supplements, as happened with Alelina Aileen, 23.

Graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2023, she moved to New York to work as a financial analyst. He soon found himself overwhelmed by expectations at work. He tried to cut coffee to improve his mood, but it didn’t work. Seeing an influencer recommended supplements, he decided to experiment. Within a few weeks, I was sorry for the expense. He canceled signatures and started betting on smaller pampering, such as manicure and massage twice a month.

“It makes me more centered. It makes me feel ready to face the day,” he said, now product development manager at a beauty company.

Already Alanis Castro-Pacheco plunged into the pamper culture impulsively. In 2022, during college, friction with bedroom colleagues led her to buy an electric bass and an amplifier for $ 500 on the credit card. He regretted immediately, but the Christmas money and the pleasure of playing songs like Californication helped relieve the weight of the purchase. Today, at the age of 22, she still pays biweekly guitar classes at $ 75 each.

“Even today I look at the bottom and I think, ‘Okay, I need to take my money back,” he said.

The normalization of pampering

According to Tony Park, owner of Angelina Bakery in New York, young people were essential for business expansion. He bets on flashy products, such as giant croissants of $ 30, and says that more than half of the 11,000 weekly customers are from Generation Z.

“They may not have a lot of money in the account, but they spend the experience,” he said.

For the Bank of America Holly O’Neill executive, those who adhere to treat culture should consider a realistic budget or look for sustainable alternatives, such as borrowing books from libraries.

Naomi Barles decided to incorporate pampering into financial planning. She reserves $ 25 every two weeks of salary for this purpose.

“I burst the budget from time to time? Yes, burst,” he admitted. “But since I understand my habit, I prefer to organize my accounts around him.”

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