Thrifted table lamps. A battered water bottle from college. A winter coat that re-emerges every season.
If there’s a trend that sums up America’s rising malaise with high inflation and a persistent cost-of-living crisis: it’s underconsumption - intentionally buying less and making items last as long as possible. The growing movement couldn’t come at a better time - a recent survey, from career platform Resume Now, found that 92 percent of Americans cut back their spending in 2025.
