💔 Breaking the “Doom Spending” Cycle
Let’s be real — adulting is hard. The news is scary, your boss is moody, and the planet is basically a treadmill on fire. So what do we do? We doom scroll, see a TikTok of someone organizing their fridge with tiny baskets, and before you know it — BAM — you’ve spent ₹3,000 on a mushroom-shaped nightlight and a pillow shaped like a loaf of sourdough.
Yeah. That’s doom spending, baby.
🧐 What the heck is doom spending?
Doom spending is when you’re so stressed about the future (economy, climate, your Tinder date) that you go “YOLO” and blow money on things that bring instant dopamine but zero long-term joy. It’s retail therapy, except the therapist is your credit card and the session never ends.
🛍️ Signs you might be a doom spender:
- You know the exact delivery time for Shein / Amazon Fresh / Zomato.
- Your bank sends you “friendly spending alerts” and you swipe them away like junk mail.
- You’ve bought three different water bottles this month because “this one has a straw.”
- You genuinely believe a new planner will fix your life (spoiler: it won’t, but I still bought one).
📦 Why do we do this? (a little psychoanalysis with jokes)
It’s not your fault. Really! Your brain is just trying to protect you from the void by going “OOOOH SHINY”. When the world feels out of control, we grab the steering wheel by buying things. It’s called maladaptive coping, which is a fancy way of saying “I’ll deal with my feelings via express shipping.”
And the apps know it. Ever notice how Instagram shows you an ad for “cozy blankets” right after you text your ex? That’s the algorithm smelling your emotional blood in the water. 🦈
🛑 How to break up with doom spending (without becoming a monk)
Look, I’m not here to tell you to meditate for six hours or move to a Himalayan cave. I like warm showers and almond croissants too much. But here are some ridiculously effective, slightly sarcastic ways to curb the doom drain:
1. 👀 The 24‑hour rule
See something you desperately need? A cat-shaped tea infuser? Wait 24 hours. Put it in the cart, then walk away. 9 out of 10 times, you’ll forget about it, and your future self will thank you for not owning another thing that collects dust.
2. 📱 Unsubscribe from temptation
Unsubscribe from marketing emails. They are love letters designed to empty your wallet. Every time you see “SALE ENDS SOON,” imagine a little goblin shaking a piggy bank — that’s the CEO of that brand. Don’t fall for it.
3. 💸 The “Doom Jar” method
Every time you want to impulse buy, transfer that money to a savings account named “Future Vacation” or “Emergency Pizza”. Watching that number grow is more addictive than unboxing a $5 wish necklace.
4. 🧠 Ask: will I care in a week?
That LED strip for your headboard? The limited edition cereal? Will you care next Friday? Probably not. You’ll be worrying about something else (like why your phone battery dies so fast).
🎭 A day in the life of a recovering doom spender
7:00 AM: Wake up, see news, feel existential dread.
7:05 AM: Open Amazon “just to look”.
7:10 AM: Almost buy a mini waffle maker.
7:11 AM: Remember the 24‑hour rule. Close app.
7:12 AM: Feel smug.
7:13 AM: Transfer ₹800 to “I’m Awesome” savings.
12:00 PM: Coworker shows you a meme, you laugh, doom urge gone. Victory.
It’s not about perfection. It’s about pausing long enough to let the rational part of your brain catch up to the lizard part that wants a banana‑shaped pencil case.
🧸 What to do with all that extra cash?
Okay, so you’ve successfully NOT bought 17 pairs of earrings. Congratulations, you’re richer! Now what? You could:
- 💵 Pay off a tiny debt – it’s like removing a lego from your shoe.
- 🌱 Invest in a index fund – watch your money make money while you sleep (it’s like having a very boring, reliable elf).
- 🍕 Buy a really good pizza – because you still deserve joy, just intentional joy.
🧯 The emergency brake
If you feel the doom spending urge hitting hard — like your finger is hovering over “Buy Now” and your heart is racing — try this emergency protocol:
- 🫵 Put the phone down. (Yes, on the table, not in your lap.)
- 🚶 Walk to another room. Preferably one without screens.
- 💧 Drink a glass of water (dehydration can mimic impulsivity? I made that up, but it works).
- 🧦 Touch something soft. Sock, cat, pillow — whatever.
- 😮💨 Breathe. You’re okay. You don’t need a pasta‑shaped lamp to be whole.
📢 Share this with a friend who “treats themselves” daily
We all have that one pal who says “I deserve this” after every minor inconvenience. (You deserve electricity and friendship, not necessarily a gold‑plated garlic press.) Send them this post. They’ll laugh, then cry, then thank you.
✋ Remember: the best things in life aren’t things.
They’re naps, sunsets, and the feeling when your friend sends you a funny voice note. And those are free. (Unless you count the data plan, but we don’t.)