HOW GEN Z HAS REDEFINED ITS FIRST 'BIG SPLURGE'

A decade ago, your first big purchase was predictable. A car. A branded bag. Maybe even a down payment on a home. These were trophies of financial freedom, the first proof that you had “made it.”

- JEEL GANDHI

But for India’s Gen Z, that milestone looks entirely different. Their first big splurge is no longer a possession. It’s a ticket, a group trip, a weekend away, a music festival—in short, a memory.

Instead of delaying gratification, this generation is simply redefining it. And in doing so, they're reshaping how young India spends, saves and thinks about financial wellness.

A survey of 4,621 respondents by Under 25 found that 37% would make their first big splurge on a vacation or trip, compared to 26% for a car/bike, 20% for gadgets and just 14% for branded clothes or sneakers. The first celebration of independence is no longer about ownership.

What pushed Gen Z to spend different!?

This is a generation that grew up in volatility: covid, inflation, layoffs, rising rent, a broken housing market. For their parents, security meant accumulating assets. For Gen Z, it means autonomy. The ability to make a choice when they want, how they want. They have come to associate independence not with ownership, but with mobility. So, they don’t see a vacation as an indulgence.