'I'm not going to give that up. It's my right'
From teenagers to heads of household and empty nesters, cost of living is ever-present in their lives and informing their everyday choices. But when do they draw the line?
For years now, Irish consumers have been told they are living through a cost of living crisis. But in the conversations we are having through the Real Insights Network, people are no longer talking about it as a temporary shock that will pass.
Instead, they're talking about it as something more permanent: a new reality they have learned to live with.
Prices are still being felt everywhere. In the food shop. At the petrol pump. At lunchtime. In subscriptions, contracts, coffees, nights out, holidays, treats, and all the small decisions that make up an ordinary week. What stands out is not just the pressure itself, but how fluent people have become in managing it.
Across our panel, we heard a clear pattern of resilience. People are comparing, switching, tracking, sharing deals, setting reminders, using tools, cutting back in some places and protecting spend in others. They are not passive in the face of higher costs. They are working hard, often quietly, to keep life moving.
And that matters for brands.
Because this is not simply a story of consumers spending less. It is a story of consumers spending more deliberately. They are making sharper decisions about what is worth it, what can be swapped, what deserves loyalty, and what still gives them a lift.
The small treat has become especially important. A favourite tea. A coffee on the go. A beauty product. A lunch with friends. These might look disposable from the outside, but for many people they are the moments that help them feel normal, in control, or rewarded. They are not always the first things to go. Sometimes they are the things people protect.
Recognising the effort
For brands, the challenge is to understand this new value equation. Consumers are savvier, more resourceful, and more emotionally aware of what each spend means. They want value, but not always the cheapest option. They want reasons to justify choosing better. They want brands that recognise the effort they are making, and offers that feel useful rather than tokenistic.
The opportunity is not to shout louder about price. It is to show where a brand genuinely fits into people’s lives now: as a source of lift, reassurance, smarter value, or practical help.
The cost of living has not gone away. People have adapted around it. The question for brands is whether they have adapted too.