Being rich is no longer trendy, but being financially savvy is — here’s why flying with rewards points is now cooler than yachting in Tahiti

Show-off culture “is at its peak when markets are stable, when there’s some level of attainable aspiration,” says marketing company Brave Bison. If you’re well employed in a flourishing economy, you might see jet-setters flying to and from exciting vacation destinations and think to yourself, “Maybe someday I’ll travel the world, too.”

Then a global pandemic hits, and the cost-of-living crisis deepens, and priorities shift to paying the bills and setting aside an emergency fund. Forget airline status.

Given current economic conditions, there’s little patience for extravagant elites. That means there’s no shame in taking a trip on the cheap this summer — in fact, it might just be the most fashionable thing you could do.

Don’t dismiss travel ‘dupes’

Newer social media platforms have ushered in an era of content that is more authentic, transparent and relatable — where users are sharing how they employ financial tools like credit cards to manage their finances more effectively.

Young people are increasingly using social media as a search engine, the New York Times reports, because they prefer learning from the first-hand experiences of ordinary people. They’re turning to influencers who share travel tips about sharing accommodations and flying at certain times of the week.

A popular term among the anti-aspiration crowd is “dupe,” meaning a cheap alternative or “duplicate.” It’s often used as a joke — like a job being a dupe for generational wealth, or a toothbrush being a dupe for dental insurance — but it’s also a way of celebrating savings hacks and raising them to the same level as something expensive or unattainable.

Take, for example, airline elite status. Frequent flyers might get priority boarding or free passes to airport lounges, but to get there you need to spend a lot of money with an airline. Some airline-branded credit cards aim to help you expedite this process, but the caveat is hefty spending requirements, and they typically require you to have a high credit score.