This Indulgent Retirement Trend Is Popular Among Young Professionals — But Financial Planners Are Providing a Dose of RealityGen Z is spending more on non-essential purchases like travel and entertainment.

A "soft life," or one that values comfort and well-being above all else, is gaining traction among the younger generations — and impacting theirretirementplans.

Generation Zis particularly embracing "soft saving," socking away less money for the future to spend more in the present, according to anIntuitProsperity Index Study reported byCNBC Make It.

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Nowadays, young investors are funneling money into causes that align with their personal views and prioritizing a better quality of life over additional cash in savings accounts, the report found. They spend more on hobbies and non-essential purchases, liketraveland entertainment, than Gen X and boomers.

And it's leading somefinancial plannersto issue warnings about the importance of balance.

"Spending money on things that truly make youhappyis great … [but] people should satisfy their near-term needs and stay on track with their long-term goals before spending freely," Andy Reed, head of investor behavior at investment management firmVanguard, told CNBC.

Tim Melia, certified financial planner at Embolden Financial Planning LLC, shared a similar perspective withU.S. News & World Report: "To be sure, a balance needs to be found. A sound financial plan needs to be in place to assure comfort and solvency in our later years. But that equation becomes different if people choose to work further into what were once traditional retirement years."

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But it's not all bad news for young professionals: Gen Z and millennial savers who don't subscribe to the "soft saving" strategy might actually be on track for a better retirement than Gen X and baby boomers, thanks toincreasing automatic enrollments in 401(k) plans.