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\n\t\tAre you bankrupting yourself with \u2018little treats\u2019? (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tAre you bankrupting yourself with \u2018little treats\u2019? (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
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How we feel influences how we spend our money. <\/p>\n
Young people in particular, disappointed by their low financial prospects, have swung the other way and started spending<\/a>. Other surveys<\/a> point to people spending as a way to get out of emotional lows. <\/p>\n It\u2019s estimated that Brits spend \u00a341billion<\/a> each year on impulsive, emotionally driven buys.\u00a0<\/p>\n As we move into winter, a time when seasonal affective disorder <\/a>might rear its ugly head, or when fatigue and burnout from heightened socialising and pre-Christmas work deadlines collide, our finances might take more of a hit. When we don\u2019t feel our best, we\u2019re more likely to seek out comfort in the form of spending. <\/p>\n Liz Kelly, therapist and author of This Book Is Cheaper Than Therapy<\/a>, tells Metro: \u2018When we feel down, it\u2019s essential to have compassion for ourselves, so it\u2019s natural to crave some form of comfort. The short-term dopamine rush of a new pair of shoes, a skincare item, or sports gear is enticing.\u2019<\/p>\n The problem is, the credit card<\/a> bill that later comes might lead to more stress\u2026 and so the cycle continues.<\/p>\n Kelly advises her clients to think about their personal values when this temptation hits. If you value health<\/a>, you might choose to pause and put the money you were considering dropping on a Primark<\/a> t-shirt towards an exercise class instead. That way, the spending leaves you feel better, not guilty.<\/p>\n To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web Another way in, is to reframe how you perk yourself up when low mood hits. A new survey from the Post Office found that two thirds of those polled actually lift themselves up by transferring money into a savings<\/a> pot. <\/p>\n By moving \u00a330 into your own holiday fund pot, rather than into a Nando\u2019s takeaway order, you might get to experience the satisfaction, control, and happiness those polled experienced.\u00a0<\/p>\n A third of the 2,000 adults polled said it only takes as little as moving in \u00a31 to their savings to get a \u2018thrill\u2019, and feel less stressed.<\/p>\n Professor Brit Grosskopf, professor of economics at the University of Exeter, explains that reframing saving as a way to feel better can help us break the needless spending cycle. <\/p>\n \t\t \u2018When we\u2019re feeling low, our brains crave a quick boost of dopamine and buying something can deliver that instant reward. The trouble is, it\u2019s fleeting \u2013 the pleasure fades quickly. You can try to replace the \u2018dopamine hit\u2019 from spending with something that delivers a more lasting sense of reward, like moving money into savings and watching your progress grow.\u2019<\/p>\n Grosskopf says it\u2019s about retraining the brain to link positive emotions with saving and stability, rather than spending.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2018A useful first step is to pause and understand what\u2019s really driving the impulse to spend,\u2019 she recommends. <\/p>\n \u2018Often, it\u2019s not about the item itself, but about soothing an emotion \u2013 perhaps stress, boredom, or the need for a sense of control. Naming that emotion can help break the automatic link between how you feel and what you buy.\u2019<\/p>\n Creating space between the impulse and the action is key. Grosskopf says one trick is if you\u2019re browsing online for instance, put the items on a wishlist instead of in the shopping cart \u2013 that way you can review this 24 hours later, and likely with a clearer head.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2018Another helpful thing is to look back over your recent purchases and highlight which ones genuinely added value to your life and which didn\u2019t. You\u2019ll often see clear patterns \u2013 for example, spending more after a difficult day \u2013 and that awareness alone can shift behaviour.\u2019<\/p>\n The association between spending and joy is deeply ingrained, so don\u2019t be too hard on yourself if it takes time to shake this off in favour of saving. Grosskopf thinks imagining the future, and where you want your finances to be, can help move you out of impulse spending.\u00a0<\/p>\n Kelly suggests looking to free or low-cost things with a wellbeing benefit in times of burnout or low mood. That might be a hike, tidying up the possessions you already own, or reaching out to a friend. The urge to shop might go \u2013 and your wallet will stay intact.<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow
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\n\t\tRetrain the brain away from emotional spending (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
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