For the last few decades, luxury has been defined as one word: excess. This means that women were splashing out on designer handbags, luxury jewelry and a general non-stop consumerism. However, today, many women are deciding to quietly neglect this traditional approach to luxury and decide to choose their own definition of luxury.
Enter the soft life budget, a way of living that prioritizes peace, beauty and comfort without the financial burnout. This general shift is not about being frugal or cheap; it’s about being intentional with purchases and making smart decisions with your money. Nowadays, luxury is no longer what you decide to buy; it’s how you live and how you feel inside, rather than how expensive your bag is.
What the ‘soft life’ really means
The soft life movement began as an opposing response to hustle culture and overworking, which left many people feeling empty and burned out as their life solely around money and their jobs. This is especially apparent amongst younger women, who started to seek out rest, boundaries and emotional well-being in aims of making life more joyful.
Financially, this translates into spending that supports making life easier to ease stress. A soft life doesn’t mean rigid budgeting or punishing yourself for spending; it aims to make life feel lighter and more fulfilling.
From status spending to value spending
Traditional luxury spending often centers on physical visibility, such as designer logos, expensive cars and trend-driven purchases; however, soft spending prioritizes value-based spending. This is spending that is intentional, where women are investing in things that will genuinely improve their everyday life and will stand the test of time. An example of this is purchasing quality titanium jewelry that will last, rather than designer costume jewelry, which is flashy and is made of poor-quality metals.
Redefining what luxury looks like
Luxury under the soft lens looks different for everyone; for one person, luxury may look like purchasing an iced coffee before work every day, but for others it may look like purchasing a capsule wardrobe consisting of high-quality or unique pieces. These choices may not scream wealth to those online or to some who splash out on designer pieces; however, they create a sense of richness for the person who finds it meaningful, making their life feel more fulfilled.
The psychology behind intentional spending
The psychology behind spending is telling and can explain why consumers make purchases and why they may overspend. Often, overspending comes from emotional triggers such as stress, comparison or strict thinking, which can make people seek happiness in purchasing to fill this emotional gap. Soft life budgeting asks women to slow down and ask why they are spending.
Does this increase reduce stress or create it? Does it align with the life that you want to build? This mindset ensures that all purchases are intentional, reducing buyer’s remorse and replacing it with clarity, making money feel like a supportive tool rather than a source of anxiety.
High-low living: Splurge or Save
A key feature of soft life budgeting is knowing where to splurge and where to save your money. Where before some women may have splurged on an expensive watch, when they use their phone to check the time, this way of thinking encourages them to choose to spend their money on things that directly impact their life, and that are important to them, such as skincare or quality groceries. This means that you can cut back on things that don’t matter as much and save money on those things. After all, saving money doesn’t need to feel like deprivation; it means choosing where abundance actually belongs.
Soft life as financial empowerment
At its best, the soft life budget is an act of self-trust, where women look deeply inwards beyond trends and trust who they are and what they want. It allows women to align their money with their values instead of external expectations. By redefining luxury, according to them, women gain both stability and emotional freedom, outside of what they should and could be. After all, the soft life isn’t about doing less; it’s about living better with intentional choices that create ease in one’s life.
