Saving vs Spending: Why Premium Now Needs a Reason
Premium isn’t disappearing, it’s becoming more deliberate. 81% of our community still splurge on beauty and skincare while trying to save, yet 91% feel some guilt afterwards.
Our community is made up of engaged beauty, skincare and lifestyle shoppers who test, review and talk honestly about what earns a place in their basket. This week we asked them about one of the most familiar tensions in modern shopping: the pull between saving money and spending on premium.
The answer is rarely one or the other. 36% say both feel true at different times, 86% catch themselves splurging right after promising to save at least some of the time and 45% describe their money mindset as balanced. Premium spending has not disappeared, it has become more deliberate, more justified and far more sensitive to price.
For brands, the message is clear. Beauty and skincare is the category shoppers protect most fiercely, quality and longevity are what unlock a premium purchase and a well-timed offer turns hesitation into a yes. The brands that win will be the ones that make premium feel like good value, not a guilty pleasure.
Chapter 01
The Promise and the Splurge
Saving and spending are not two camps, they are two moods. Only 16% see themselves purely as savers, while the largest share, 36%, swing between both depending on the moment.
Which statement feels more true right now?
How often do you splurge right after saying you’d save?
- Sometimes37%
- Often31%
- Always18%
- Rarely12%
- Never2%
When budgets tighten, the cuts land elsewhere first. Eating out goes before anything else for 42%, while beauty and self-care is the first casualty for just 9%. It is one of the most protected spends in the basket.
When money is tight, what’s the first thing you cut back on?
Chapter 02
Where the Money Goes
Asked where they splurge even while trying to save, the community points overwhelmingly to beauty and skincare. At 81%, it sits almost 30 points clear of food and dining, the next most popular indulgence.
What makes the price feel right? Practical reasons lead, with 63% pointing to better quality and longevity. Emotion follows closely, 46% say it comes down to how a product makes them feel.
What justifies a premium purchase for you?
Multiple answers could be selected, so totals exceed 100%.
“You buy cheap, you buy twice.”One shopper’s mantra captures the mood of this week’s results. Premium is increasingly framed as the smarter long-term choice, from foundation that suits sensitive skin to fragrance that lasts all day.
Chapter 03
Investment or Indulgence?
Few shoppers see premium as purely one thing. Only 8% call it an investment and 18% an indulgence, while 64% say it depends on the item or is a bit of both.
Are premium purchases investments or indulgences?
- Depends on the item37%
- Both27%
- Indulgences18%
- Investments8%
- Not sure5%
- Neither5%
feel at least a little guilty after buying a premium item they didn’t strictly need. Only 9% feel no guilt at all.
The guilt is real but it can be eased. Value is the strongest antidote, 59% say knowing a product is good value would help, ahead of a clear budget at 30%.
How guilty do you feel after a premium buy you didn’t “need”?
What would help you feel less guilty?
Multiple answers could be selected, so totals exceed 100%.
Chapter 04
The Deal Effect
If there is one non-negotiable in this week’s data, it is price promotion. 65% say a sale or discount pushes them towards premium a lot or a huge amount, while just 3% are unmoved.
How much does a sale or discount push you towards premium?
Deals open the door, but homework closes the sale. 56% research before a premium purchase and only 9% buy mostly on impulse. Yet once the treating starts, 77% admit it turns into overspending at least sometimes.
Research first or buy on impulse?
How often does treating yourself turn into overspending?
Chapter 05
Making It Balance
Most shoppers have a system. 30% build treats into their budget and 45% describe their current mindset as balanced, though 21% admit they are trying to save and not quite managing it.
How do you reconcile saving with wanting nice things?
Which best describes your money mindset lately?
“I love high-end stuff, but I usually wait for a sale to feel better about the price.”Premium demand is alive, but it needs permission. Prove the value, show the results and give shoppers a reason to buy now. The guilt soon gives way to loyalty.
Turn premium hesitation into a reason to buy
Kaidron helps beauty brands understand what their audience saves, splurges on and trusts. Talk to us about custom surveys and community insight for your next product.
Source: Kaidron community survey, Saving vs Spending on Premium, November 2026.
All figures are shown as percentages. Single-select results are rounded to total 100%. Multi-select results total more than 100%. Quotes are from open-ended answers, lightly edited for clarity.