‘Things feel a lot tighter now’: Young People are turning to ChatGPT for therapy and skipping ‘sober Ubers’ to save money — why cutting costs has become an urgent matter for Gen Z

Self-care for many Gen Zs used to mean shellac nails, oat milk lattes and a colourist on speed dial. But with prices rising and paychecks stretched, beauty routines are starting to look a lot more practical.

Searches for “press-on nails” are up 10% since February, while “blonde to brunette hair” has surged 17%, according to Google as reported by The Wall Street Journal — a signal that more women are choosing budget-friendly beauty over high-maintenance habits.

For Aeryn Briscoe, a 25-year-old digital marketing specialist in Chicago, that meant cutting Amazon Prime, canceling Netflix and swapping bi-weekly salon manicures for DIY polish. “Things feel a lot tighter now,” Briscoe told the Wall Street Journal.

Briscoe lives independently and manages her finances without help from her parents — a reality that makes non-essential spending feel like a luxury. But for her and many others, self-care is evolving. It’s no longer about splurging, it’s about making thoughtful, strategic choices with their money.

What the shift in spending habits means

The Canadian Survey of Consumer Expectations from the first-quarter of 2025 shows that the escalating trade conflict with the U.S. is damaging consumer sentiment.

Research from The Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan and Abacus Data found that women have less than $5,000 in savings. And this is likely why the shift in spending is showing up in closets and vanities alike.

“Women are the lion’s share of the apparel business,” Marshal Cohen, Circana’s chief retail-industry adviser said. “So when he sees women driving a downturn in apparel, he says, “that signals to me that there is a pullback in discretionary spending.”

That doesn’t mean style is being sacrificed — it’s simply being reimagined. Miranda McClellan, for instance, told the Wall Street Journal she’s turning to DIY solutions to stretch her budget. Rather than spending on a new pair of Nike sweatpants, she revived her faded ones at home using black fabric dye. The upgrade was cost-effective, sustainable and still on-trend.

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The new playbook

When you're facing down a budget crunch, even the most routine expenses can suddenly feel negotiable or downright unnecessary.

For Briscoe, therapy sessions were one of those costs. At $200 a session, weekly appointments quickly became unsustainable. So, she got creative and a little techy, turning to ChatGPT for mental health support. While it's no substitute for professional therapy, the chatbot's free daily message limit offers her a space to reflect and decompress without the financial strain.

Others are finding their own hacks. Stephanie Umeh realized her rideshare habit was draining her wallet. That’s when she introduced her own rule: “No more sober Ubers.” Unless safety or a time crunch demands otherwise, the subway’s her go-to. She’s also ditched pricey meal delivery apps.

According to Deliverect Canada, 54% of Canadians used Uber Eats in 2024, and 49% turned to DoorDash.

That many food delivery orders is not just a few lattes — that’s a vacation, a student loan payment or even a decent emergency fund.

If you're looking to cut back, try setting your own cost rule. Choose a category — like takeout, beauty or ride shares — and ask: Is this essential, or can I replace it with something cheaper or less frequent? You don’t need to change your whole lifestyle, just find one habit to tweak and continue the momentum from there.

Sources

1. The Wall Street Journal: Young Women Are Starting to Recession-Proof Their Lives (April 12, 2025)

2. Bank of Canada: Canadian Survey of Consumer Expectations—First Quarter of 2025 (April 7, 2025)

3. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan: New research from HOOPP and Abacus Data finds half of Canadian women have less than $5,000 in savings; most Canadians feel unprepared for retirement (June 20, 2024)

4. Deliverect Canada: The State of the Food Delivery Industry in Canada in 2025