I’m going to be honest: I have been guilty of spending butt loads of money on iced coffees and the latest fashion trends. But…I’m not the only one. 

How many times each week have you decided to get yourself a little treat? It can be an iced matcha before work, the latest SPF moisturizer or a fresh bouquet of flowers from Trader Joe’s. On paper, these purchases seem unnecessary. In real life, they’ve become one of the defining rituals of millennial adulthood.

The “little treat” economy — the cultural habit of rewarding yourself with small, affordable pleasures as a daily practice — is one of the most widely recognized financial behaviors among younger generations. It lives online as a meme but underneath the humor, it’s seen as a coping mechanism for the challenging state of the economy.

Little treats are delayed adulthood — or it’s treated like that

Let’s be clear about one thing: younger generations have experienced financial blows due to a recession, a pandemic or the combination of both. Among this, Zillennials have entered into an era where the housing market’s median home price is more than the average take-home income. Student loan debt is brewing and inflation is rising everyday prices at outrageous numbers. 

If you can relate to me, most of us have grown up with a mindset promoted to us based on a structured and thorough plan: graduate college, work a stable job, buy a house, get married and start a family. Nowadays, this structured plan doesn’t fit everyone’s category anymore. It could be due to personal choice or the decision to not themselves through financial insecurity.

The little treat doesn’t cause any of this — it just emerged from it. When the traditional markers of adult progress — ownership, stability, accumulation — are inaccessible, the psyche doesn’t go without pleasure, so it has to find that pleasure. A $6 matcha latte may not solve the down payment on an apartment, but it’s something that is easily enjoyable, because it doesn’t require a hard credit check or co-signer. It’s evidence that good things are still possible.

What are we getting out of little treats?

Big celebrations are often harder to come by — smaller celebrations are getting more praise for how easy it is. These tiny rituals can be a Saturday trip to the bookstore or going candle shopping to stock on your summer collection. These aren’t treated as luxuries, but rather treated as delicate acts of self-care.

However, this trend has been met with controversy, too. Some critics have argued that daily spending or weekly spending on “little treats” increases the risk of overspending and prevents young people from saving on important things. While this is true, the math barely supports the narrative of the trend.

Buying a puff pastry doesn’t equal reckless spending — it’s about finding accessible ways to care for yourself in a world that feels expensive, overwhelming and fast-paced. It’s also worth noting how little treats can make the ordinary feel more special. In older generations, their milestones were often deemed as job promotions, home purchases or wedding anniversaries. Although these milestones are still celebrated, today’s young adults are likely finishing a difficult work-week by purchasing pizza or buying an iced coffee as a means to celebrate cleaning the house.

That’s probably why the little treat economy has resonated with so many people online. It gives people permission to stop waiting for a “perfect” future in order to experience joy, when you can experience the joys of life right now. Happiness doesn’t always arrive with a life-changing moment — it can show up simply in the form of a chocolate croissant or a lip gloss collection. Whatever your heart desires, there’s still room to make the day sweeter.

Do you support little treat culture? Let us know in the comments!