Faced with higher prices for just about everything, Gen Z is taking a novel approach to saving money.

Some 62 percent of those aged 18 to 29 say they don’t make plans for the weekend because they don’t want to feel financial regret afterward, according to a survey of 4,100 adults - including 603 Gen Zs - published last month by polling firm Harris Poll.

The thrifty mindset prevalent in younger adults reveals their desire for financial, social and physical health, said Harris Poll Chief Strategy Officer Libby Rodney.

“Hard socializing is over,” she said in a statement. “Gen Z wants soft socializing: quieter, cheaper, sober-optional and good for their health. The center of social gravity has moved from the nightclub to the workout, the class and the calmer room.”

And 68 percent of the time, Gen Z says going out on the weekend just isn’t worth the cost.

The results suggest a generation that has an intentional approach to finances and understands the costs versus benefits of a money decision.

The resilient generation?

Gen Z’s money mentality has proven useful in areas where other Americans are facing a financial crisis. Take retirement - multiple studies published in 2026 reveal that Americans have far less money saved than they need for their golden years.

The average worker believes they need $1.25 million to retire comfortably, but more than half have less than $500,000 when they stop working, according to a July survey from financial services firm Schroders.

The Silent Generation and baby boomer days of getting a pension - monthly retirement payments from an employer - are long gone.

Instead of the employer covering the cost of retirement through a pension, many companies have switched to 401(k) accounts that require employee contributions and have rules about when you can withdraw money.

Gen Z workers aged 24 to 28 have adapted to this reality. They’re the most likely age group to be on track to retire comfortably, even beating out baby boomers, a November 2025 analysis from brokerage firm Vanguard found.

Homeownership is seemingly out of reach for the average American. The median home in the U.S. costs nearly eight times the median salary for those aged 20-34 - a ratio that was at 3.2 in 1990 - according to the World Economic Forum.

Yet Gen Z hasn’t given up on the dream of owning a home. Some 67 percent say homeownership is an “important life goal,” according to a November 2025 survey from Realtor.com.

They are taking an intentional approach, focusing on their career over buying a home early in life to financially prepare for the major purchase later, the study found. Almost 75 percent have started saving for a down payment.

Smarter than you think

Gen Z’s penchant for staying home on the weekends is evidence of a wider mindset - they can make smart money decisions amid the country’s uncertain economic times, said Hana Ben-Shabatt, founder of research and advisory firm Gen Z Planet.

“Gen Z is more savvy than reckless, and their behavior reflects how they adapt to the economic conditions around them,” Ben-Shabatt told The Independent in an email. “They view money as a tool to buy freedom rather than accumulate possessions like previous generations.”

In general, Gen Z has more awareness of financial information than previous generations thanks to a wealth of education available online.

They’ve used these resources to learn the basics of personal finance, said Cosmo P. DeStefano, a retired certified public accountant and author of Wealth Your Way: A Simple Path to Financial Freedom.

“Gen Z may be the most financially aware generation we've seen,” DeStefano said in an email to The Independent. “They're skeptical of lifestyle inflation, wary of debt, and they started thinking about investing younger than their parents did. That instinctive honesty about what you can and can't afford is the foundation everything else is built on. I give them a lot of credit for it.”

They also benefit from having a wide range of sources for financial advice, but can struggle, at times, with filtering out the bad advice from the good.

“Gen Z understands that behavior matters more than income, which is the hardest lesson in personal finance for a lot of people,” DeStefano said. “They’re still developing, however, the filter that helps them separate the truth from the noise, the meaningful from the irrelevant.”

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