Mandy Buddenberg is not impressed by luxury,. For more about her budget lifestyle also check her Dutch blog mandyb.nl.
Can we get past the nonsense a moment? We are living in an era where everybody is posting about their flexed designer bags on Instagram, unboxing 3k sneakers on Tik Tok, and lying about how they are just taking their fifth luxury vacation of the year, which is only self-care. However, this is the actual question that no one dare ask: does luxury make you happy? Like, genuinely happy? Or are we all really such good liars to ourselves and our bank accounts weep in the corner? You see I have not come here to criticize anyone on their spending habits. It is your business and you can spend your whole salary on a Chanel bag. However, as a member of the few who has seen this cycle cycle through a thousand and one times, I believe it is time we had a frank discussion regarding what luxury actually does to us other than the likes on Instagram and the temporary euphoria of swiping that credit card.
The Luxury Trap We’re All Falling Into
The dynamic between this is this; you watch your favorite celebrity or influencer showcasing their newest Hermes purchase and all of a sudden you are persuaded that a Birkin bag is the solution to all your issues. You begin to reason, “Should I only have that one thing, I would be complete at last. You save and you make sacrifice and then you eventually have it. The dopamine hits hard some two weeks or so. Maybe three if you’re lucky? Then reality sets in. That bag is still in your closet with all the other items you were so desperate to own, and you are already browsing your feed to find the next item that will fill that gap. Does luxury make you happy in these moments? Spoiler alert: not really. It is the fact that we have conflated luxury and happiness. This is the perception we have been sold to believe that the more material wealth, the more successful you are and being successful means being happy. However, that is not how any of this works out. Surveys conducted in 2024 and early 2025 have demonstrated what psychologists have been arguing for many years: regardless of satisfying your basic needs and the comfort of your safety net, more money and more expensive items do not contribute much to the overall level of satisfaction in your life.
Why We Think Luxury Will Change Everything
It has real science as to why we succumb to this trap. It is referred to as hedonic adaptation and the bottom line is that it is how your brain is soothing itself to remain constantly dissatisfied. Whenever you make a purchase requiring a luxurious item, your brain will release dopamine, a feel-good chemical that makes you feel like you had finally arrived. However, your brain adjusts to this new normal much quicker, and all of a sudden that Gucci belt that was costing you a million dollars last month is, in fact, simply a belt. This is why does luxury make you happy is such a loaded question. Luxury will bring happy occasions, no doubt. But lasting happiness? It is a totally different monster. You can consider such celebrities who have all the money that money can purchase yet they have mental health problems. Millions of dollars belong to Drake, and he can afford any luxury, but his songs tend to be very personal in nature. Billie Eilish has no hesitation in discussing depression despite her tremendous popularity and the fact that she can afford everything she can ever think of. The disconnect between what we believe luxury will do in us and what it does is enormous. We fantasize about our lives changing totally and its not that way. You remain the same with the only difference that you have costly stuff in the closet.
The Social Media Effect Making Everything Worse
Now we should discuss how social media totally distorted our association to luxury. In the olden times you could relate yourself to your neighbors or colleagues. Now? You are placing yourself in the comparison with literally all people on the planet who post their highlight reel online. And believe me, no one is sharing pictures of their credit card bill or the regret of the buyer the day after he or she went shopping. The stress to keep pace is a fact and it is tiresome. You can have Kim Kardashian to carelessly model her vintage Hermes line worth more than most people can afford a house, or Tik Tokers who are unboxing PR packages worth thousands of dollars, and now your average good life looks insufficient. This comparison game that is always on is turning us miserable and it is actually convincing us that we should get a luxury. But this is what they are not demonstrating to you: the nervousness that ensues that life, the money-related stress, the emptiness once the cameras are switched off. Does luxury make you happy when you are in so much debt trying to impress internet strangers? Absolutely not.
What Actually Makes People Happy (And It’s Not What You Think)
The studies moving into 2026 continue to affirm what we sort of should already know but are not so fond of admitting: things that do actually make people happier are not related to the prices attached to them. Good relationships, significant experiences, self-development, making a difference in something bigger than yourself, a sense of purpose – these are the things that the data indicates actually increase the needle on life satisfaction. Remember about your happiest moments. Do they talk about what you have purchased, or do they talk about the moments you spent with people that you care about? For most of us, it’s the latter. That one spontaneous trip with friends in which it went awry but there was laughter till the tears. The discussion extended till the sunrise. The sensation of having finally mastered something you had been having a hard time learning. These are moments that do not need the luxury, but they can last us much longer than anything that we have ever bought. The same research study indicates that the happiness derived through spending money on experiences is more durable than the happiness derived through spending money on material things. The concert wherein you lost your head due to your favorite artist performing? That will make you happier in the long run than another designer handbag that will be out of fashion in next season.
The Real Cost of Chasing Luxury
Now, shall we tell the truth of what this craze about luxury is costing us. I do not only mean money, although that is also a part of it. I mean the stress, the worry, the incessant sense that you are a failure unless you’re dressed in the correct brands or are living the correct lifestyle. The world is living in a statement of desire because you are always in pursuit of the next luxury thing. You are never contented with what you possess since you keep thinking about what you do not possess. It is not joy, it is a hamster wheel to keep you running round and round. And the luxury industry? The reason they are making billions of dollars is to keep you on that wheel. The cost of alternatives is enormous as well. You are spending that money on designer clothes when you could be establishing your emergency fund, investing in your education or making genuine financial security that would help get you out of the stress levels considerably. Does luxury make you happy when you’re one emergency away from financial disaster? I’m going to say no.
Finding Balance in a Luxury-Obsessed World
The thing is the following: I am not telling you that you should never purchase anything nice to yourself. That is not realistic and quite frankly, it is not even my opinion. There is one huge virtue that you should do, in case you love fashion or anything that is beautiful and you can afford to enjoy it without losing your financial stability or mental health. Luxury is not the issue, but when we choose it as our identity and our main means of confirmation. It is all about being truthful to yourself about the reason you want something. Do you really need to spend so much money on that product because you feel that it will make you happy and even because it fits your values or are you spending it because you believe that it will help you feel better about yourself or because it will make you appear better in front of other people? These are one of the motivations that result in satisfaction and the other results in an empty wallet and you are back to the same insecurities you began with. Other individuals have taken the compromising path and invested in quality items that they will wear long term instead of following the trends. Other people have understood that their understanding of luxury does not lie in brands, but in time freedom, or the freedom to travel, or spending their money doing things they truly enjoy. There is no universal answer to this question yet there is a common denominator: intentionality is more important than the price tag.
Looking Forward to 2026 and Beyond
I believe as we continue into 2026 we will see more people realize this reality. The discussion is already taking a different turn. An increasing number of creators are being open about the negatives of the luxury culture, how the endless consumption is not making them happy. There is an increasing trend of more deliberate living, of doubting the relevance of the traditional signs of success. But does luxury make you happy? The answer is complicated. In small doses, it can make you happy, as long as you are mindful about it and do not go overboard. Never it will make us truly happy in any lasting way. That must be inward – it must be in your relations, in your mission, in your development as an individual. The luxury market is not fading away and so is our obsession with the beautiful and the expensive products. However, perhaps, perhaps we can begin to tell the truth more about what all this is costing us and whether it is offering what we believe it is. The best luxury at the end of the day is not what can be purchased in a store. It is its calmness, real happiness and freedom to live the life you want instead of being on a stage all the time. It is the true luxury, and the irony is, that it is free. The next time you find yourself buying because you are convinced that another purchase will finally get you happy, perhaps stop and consider what it is you are actually seeking here? Because I promise you, does luxury make you happy is not a question to be answered on the checkout counter. It is answered when you cease seeking external confirmation on what you are and start living a life that truly satisfies you, luxuries and all.
Mandy is a Dutch digital dash(aka nerd) running many platforms, including this one. She is a Dutch entrepreneur and writer but is also active in English. Branding and creating is what she does best. Next to that she works parttime as a social health worker/health care worker, guiding people to live their fullest and helping people with their problems. The combination is good for her and gives her the feeling she is giving back to society. After having a rough start back in 2015 she is back here again and want to travel more and meet need people (soulmates). She likes working and being busy is a blessing. Next to that she is spiritual and believes in karma. .