If you’ve been scrolling through your phone and suddenly found yourself buying things you don’t really need, you’re not alone. There’s a new spending pattern people are calling doom spending, and it’s showing up in bank accounts everywhere.
- What exactly is doom spending?
- Why are people doing it?
- What does it actually cost you?
- How do you stop doom spending?
What exactly is doom spending?
Doom spending happens when you shop to cope with bad news, stress, or anxiety about the world around you. You might see a disturbing headline about the economy or politics, feel overwhelmed, and then suddenly you’re checking out with three new candles and a pair of shoes you weren’t planning to buy.
Unlike regular retail therapy, doom spending is directly tied to negative news cycles and feelings of helplessness. You can’t control inflation or housing prices, so you buy something small that gives you a tiny hit of control and happiness.
According to a recent survey by Credit Karma, 27% of Americans have admitted to doom spending in response to stressful current events. The pattern shows up most often in younger adults who spend hours online consuming news and social media.
Why are people doing it?
Your brain wants relief
When you’re stressed or anxious, your brain craves something that feels good right now. Shopping triggers a dopamine release. The problem is that the relief is temporary, and the financial consequences stick around.
The world feels out of control
You can’t fix the economy or change political outcomes. You can’t lower grocery prices by yourself. Buying something gives you a sense of agency, even if it’s an illusion. You made a choice. You got something you wanted. For a moment, you had control.
Social media makes it worse
You’re scrolling through bad news, then an ad pops up for something that promises to make life easier or better. The transition from stress to shopping happens in seconds. You don’t even have to leave the app.
Everything is already uncertain
If saving for the future feels pointless because everything seems unstable, why not spend now? This thinking shows up in different forms across social media trends. Some people justify purchases with creative math, while others shop away their anxiety without thinking about it at all.
What does it actually cost you?
Doom spending might feel harmless in the moment, especially if you’re only buying small items. A $15 purchase here and a $30 purchase there don’t seem like much. The problem is how quickly it adds up.
Here’s what regular doom spending can do to your finances:
- You rack up credit card debt that grows with interest every month
- You drain savings you were building for emergencies or goals
- You end up with clutter and things you don’t actually use
- You feel guilty and stressed, which can trigger more doom spending
- You lose progress on things like building compound interest through saving and investing
The cycle becomes self-reinforcing. You spend because you’re stressed, then you’re stressed because you spent, so you spend more to feel better.
How do you stop doom spending?
Notice the pattern
Start paying attention to when you shop. Do you buy things after reading the news? After a bad day? After scrolling social media for too long? Once you see the pattern, you can interrupt it.
Put space between impulse and purchase
When you want to buy something, wait 24 hours. Add it to a wishlist instead of your cart. Most of the time, the urge passes. If you still want it tomorrow, it might be a real need or a purchase you’ve actually thought through.
Limit your exposure to triggers
You don’t have to check the news every hour. You can mute accounts that make you feel anxious or inadequate. Delete shopping apps from your phone if they’re too tempting. The less you see, the less you’re triggered to spend.
Find other ways to cope
Shopping isn’t the only way to deal with stress. Go for a walk. Call a friend. Make something with your hands. Move your body. These activities also boost your mood without the financial hangover.
Work with a spending plan
Having a budget gives you guidelines. You can build in some fun money for impulse purchases. The difference is that you’ve already decided how much you can spend without derailing your other goals.
Try a waiting period for news consumption
Check the news once a day instead of constantly. When something stressful happens, step away from your phone entirely for an hour. This creates a buffer between the anxiety and the spending response.
Track your doom spending
Write down every purchase you make when you’re feeling stressed or anxious. At the end of the month, add it up. Seeing the total can be a powerful motivator to change the habit.
Some people are going in the opposite direction entirely, embracing trends like using what they already have or trying extended shopping bans. These approaches work for some people, though they might feel extreme if you’re just starting to address the problem.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is doom spending the same as retail therapy?
Doom spending is a specific type of retail therapy triggered by anxiety about current events and world news. Regular retail therapy might happen after a bad day at work or a breakup. Doom spending happens in response to things completely outside your control, like economic news or political developments.
How much doom spending is normal?
Any amount of spending driven by anxiety rather than actual need can become a problem if it happens regularly. There’s no safe threshold. The question is whether your spending aligns with your values and financial goals, or whether you’re shopping to avoid uncomfortable feelings.
Can doom spending lead to serious debt?
Yes. Even small purchases add up quickly when they happen multiple times a week. If you’re using credit cards and not paying them off in full, you’ll pay interest on emotional purchases long after the initial feeling has faded. Over time, this can create significant debt that affects your credit score and financial stability.
What if I only doom spend on small things?
Small purchases still count. Five $20 purchases a week equals over $5,000 a year. That money could go toward emergency savings, paying down debt, or investing for your future. The size of each purchase matters less than the frequency and the total impact.
How do I know if my spending is doom spending or just normal shopping?
Ask yourself why you’re buying something right now. If you’re shopping because you feel anxious, overwhelmed, or helpless about things in the news, that’s doom spending. If you’re buying something you planned for and saved for, that’s normal shopping. The difference is in the motivation and timing.
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