For years, technology has given us the illusion of a simpler life. Ordering dinner in a matter of seconds, buying virtually anything with a single click, working remotely, entertaining ourselves without leaving home.
Yet something seems to be changing.
More and more people, especially Millennials and Gen Z, are choosing activities that require more time, more effort, and even greater inconvenience. It may seem like a paradox, but it says a great deal about our relationship with time, well-being, and, ultimately, money.
When convenience is no longer enough
Over the past twenty years, technological innovation has pursued one clear goal: making our lives easier. Fewer queues, less travel, less waiting, less effort.
However, according to an article published by Corriere della Sera, a new trend known as friction maxxing is emerging. It consists of embracing small inconveniences in everyday life in order to make experiences feel more authentic and meaningful. More and more people seem to prefer shopping in physical stores rather than online, attending live events, taking in-person classes, consulting a paper map instead of relying on GPS, or engaging in hands-on activities that require time and attention.
In other words, what until recently was considered a waste of time or an inconvenience is now increasingly perceived as something more human and personally fulfilling.
Time has become our most valuable asset
For a long time, luxury was associated with possessions: a handbag, a car, a watch.
Today, that concept is changing. Increasingly, true luxury is seen as having time to devote to ourselves, our relationships, and meaningful experiences.
According to the World Happiness Report, social relationships and a sense of community are among the factors that contribute most to people’s well-being, often more than income itself once a certain economic threshold has been reached.
In this context, choosing offline activities is not so much about rejecting technology as it is about using our time more intentionally.
The economy of relationships
One of the most interesting aspects of friction maxxing is its impact on consumption.
Activities centered on human interaction are growing in popularity: independent bookstores, creative workshops, craft studios, book clubs, local markets, and community spaces. People are no longer paying only for a product or a service, but also for the experience of sharing it with others.
This is an interesting shift from a financial perspective as well: spending is becoming less associated with accumulating possessions and more with seeking meaningful experiences.
Spending not to own, but to live
This phenomenon is part of a broader transformation in consumer behavior.
Many young people say they would rather invest in travel, cultural activities, sports, education, and social experiences than in material possessions. Not because objects have lost their value, but because experiences create memories, relationships, and a sense of belonging that are difficult to replace.
From this perspective, the new luxury is not having everything immediately. It is having the time and the freedom to choose how to live.
The paradox of chosen effort
There is another particularly interesting aspect.
We pay to go to the gym when we could avoid physical effort. We go hiking instead of taking a cable car. We attend pottery classes instead of buying ready-made objects. We read printed books even though five-minute video summaries are readily available.
Many of the activities we find most rewarding require effort, patience, and presence.
The paradox is that the very difficulties technology has tried to eliminate are once again being perceived as something valuable.
What does this have to do with financial education?
More than you might think.
Managing money means deciding which aspects of our lives we want to value. It means understanding whether we are spending out of habit or by choice, whether we are buying for immediate gratification or for lasting benefit. It means taking the time to define our life goals and developing the most appropriate plan to achieve them. It means being patient and disciplined enough to stay the course toward the results we want, without being distracted by immediate but short-lived rewards.
The growing popularity of trends such as friction maxxing suggests that many people are redefining the very concept of convenience. Saving time does not always increase our well-being.
As every thoughtful saver knows, someone who has a clear vision of where they want to go and how to get there, it is patience and discipline that ultimately provide the greatest and most lasting rewards.
A kind of wealth that cannot be measured in clicks
Paradoxically, the more we are offered a world at our fingertips, the stronger our desire becomes for experiences that require presence, patience, attention, and genuine human relationships.
Perhaps the new luxury is not having access to more things as quickly as possible, but rather having the freedom to slow down and devote ourselves to activities that allow us to discover and develop our talents, while building our self-confidence through the results we achieve.
To learn how to manage your resources more consciously and plan effectively to achieve your life goals, take part in the in-person and online activities of the Museum of Saving, browse our blog, and explore the many publications available on our website www.museodelrisparmio.it.
24 June 2026