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Comfort spending: Little treats are the new indicators of a bad economy
It’s not a bag charm, it’s a pick-me-up. It’s not just an iced-coffee, it’s a coping mechanism. See how recession indicators have evolved in 2026
It starts innocently. You realise you need dish soap, so you start a Blinkit order. Four minutes in, you’ve added cherry-scented hand cream, matcha-flavoured chocolate and pastel highlighters to the cart. The total is still under ₹1,000, which, you’ve told yourself, is a responsible financial decision. You’ve also told yourself that these are hard times, you’ve denied yourself bigger things. You deserve this treat.
For those in previous generations, this kind of treat used to be lipstick. Cosmetics companies noticed that in times of economic lull, when people had no money for larger luxuries, lipstick sales would climb. In the early 2000s, Estée Lauder chairman Leonard Lauder popularised the term Lipstick Index as a recession indicator, the micro escapism a sign of a macro problem. Two decades on (and with a beauty boom in full swing) the lipstick has company. In our weak moments, we’re picking up bag charms, novelty collectibles, specialty coffee on a weekday afternoon, limited-edition socks, Japanese stationery, HYROX accessories and One Piece merch featuring Monkey D. Luffy.
None of these purchases is life-changing. That’s precisely the point. They are just meant to change the mood of the moment.
Madé Lapuerta, creator of @DataButMakeItFashion, has put up posts pointing out how much we’re relying on little indulgences to keep us sane. And how they’re just inexpensive enough to justify, indulgent enough to feel special, and small enough to slip into a cart without a guilt trip.
It’s a move that baffles older folks, who would reserve treats only for a special occasion. And who would choose their reward carefully. Nearly every well-to-do Boomer has a story about walking into the Taj Hotel, or some kind of posh club for the first time, or shopping at Zara without waiting for the sale. They waited for payday, saved up, kept their eye on a prize and cashed in.
Young folks today just can’t deal with that formula. The payday isn’t big enough, saving is harder, big-ticket prizes almost never live up to the hype… smaller treats hit harder. They’ve been shamed for it – enough suited economics “experts” have claimed that young people can’t afford to buy homes because of their daily Starbucks habit. Guess what? The math isn’t mathing. Young people broke down the payment plans to show that even if they gave up caffeine, it wouldn’t be enough to fight an economic system so heavily stacked against them. At least coffee offered a little kick.
The phrase ‘I deserve a little treat’ began as an internet joke. It’s now a budgeting category. Financial planners are now studying Americans who use credit-card points to buy not flight upgrades but groceries. There are new signs of a world in flux: Smaller popcorn buckets at Imax-Odyssey screenings, flash-discount sales for veggies, skirt hemlines rising, neon hair colour, even the rise in cases of domestic violence. Buyers are grateful for quiet luxury, because going logo-free is perfect for a time when discretionary spending has dried up.
Online, the shift is subtle but obvious. Make-up gurus who used to do smokey-eye tutorials now also mention the per-gram price of eye-shadow when they recommend their favs. Sneaker resellers are struggling; Air Jordan design trackers have gone quiet after the pandemic. Travel portals are doing Reels about 5 Visa-Free Countries That Are Cheap This Season. Food influencers track the dynamic pricing of Indian avocados like it’s the US dollar.
As for us regular folks, we’re just getting by – managing rent, layoffs, situationships, the quest for non-sticky SPF 50 that is actually colourless, and a protest scheduled at 4pm on a weekday. Isn’t that a lot of weight for a small bag charm to carry? Why hate on this?
From HT Brunch, August 1, 2026
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