The Reasons Young People Are Buying Fewer Luxury Goods Are Quite Obvious

Living in Fullerton, I often see young people in cafes and shopping malls. It seems more pronounced because we have a college and university in our neighborhood.

However, looking at the Asian community here, just a few years ago, luxury goods were really trending among those in their 20s and 30s.

Saving up to buy a Chanel bag or getting a Louis Vuitton knockoff through a Chinese friend to post on Instagram was a form of flexing.

But these days, the atmosphere has definitely changed.

The biggest reason is money.

It's said that it's not easy for young people to land a decent job these days.

Just because you graduate from college doesn't mean you get a good job right away, and even if you do, after paying rent, car payments, insurance, and phone bills, you might wonder where your paycheck went.

Meeting a friend also costs money. "It's been a while, let's grab a meal."

Just casually going out can lead to a bill of $40 to $50 with tips at a restaurant.

If you catch a movie, considering the ticket price, popcorn, parking fees, and gas, you can easily spend $100 in a day.

If it's a date, it can be even more.

The value of $100 back in our day feels different for today's young people.

After going out, $100 disappears from your card, so who would buy a bag that costs thousands of dollars just to show off?

I think about it too. Luxury goods have become too common.

In the past, carrying a nice bag would make people think, "That person must have some money," but now that doesn't hold much weight.

When you go to shopping malls, there are so many people with luxury bags, and there are plenty of second-hand options and similar-looking products.

So, from the perspective of young people, the reasons to spend thousands of dollars are decreasing.

They'd rather use that money to travel more, go to concerts, dine at nice restaurants, or take up sports.

These days, using cheaper products with similar designs, known as dupes, isn't seen as shameful.

Our generation thought, "If I'm going to buy a bag, I should buy a good one and use it for a long time," but young people are quicker to calculate.

"This one is $3,000, but that one is $150. But they both hold stuff, right?"

Then there's nothing more to say.

Of course, this doesn't mean that young people dislike luxury goods.

If they had money, they'd want to buy nice things.

However, it seems they don't want to sacrifice their lifestyle just to buy luxury items.

I think this is a return to normalcy.

With tough job markets, high housing prices, and significant rent costs, what's the point of pretending to be well-off with just one bag?

In a world where a regular day of meeting friends for a meal and watching a movie can cost $100, it seems we've entered an era where having a little more money left in the bank feels more comforting than showing off, "Look what I bought."

People see the bag, but in the end, I see the credit card statement.