doom spending

Doom spending is buying things you don’t need to cope with stress or anxiety, especially worry about the economy, the news or your own finances. It’s the shopping version of doomscrolling.

What doom spending means

The logic goes something like this: rent is out of reach, a house feels impossible and the headlines are bad, so why not order the takeout, book the trip or add the jacket to the cart? The purchase gives a short burst of relief. The problem is that it often makes the money worries worse, which leads to more stress and, sometimes, more spending.

People use the term about themselves as often as about others, usually with a bit of self-awareness: “I know this is doom spending, but I’m buying it anyway.”

Examples

• “Bad news at work, so I doom spent $60 on candles. Don’t judge.”
• “‘I’ll never afford a house anyway’ is basically the doom spending motto.”
• “Deleted my shopping apps because the doom spending was getting out of hand.”

Where the term came from

Nobody is credited with coining doom spending. It follows the pattern of “doomscrolling,” the habit of endlessly reading bad news online, and gained wide attention in late 2023. A Credit Karma survey run with Qualtrics in November 2023 found that 27% of Americans said they doom spend, rising to 35% of Gen Z and 43% of millennials. Coverage of that survey, including a CNBC piece in 2024, helped the phrase spread.

Doom spending vs. retail therapy

Retail therapy is shopping to cheer yourself up after a bad day. Doom spending is broader and gloomier: it’s tied to a sense that the future is uncertain, so saving feels pointless.

Related terms

• Loud budgeting: the opposite, saying no to spending out loud.
• Vibecession: when the economy feels worse than the numbers say.
• Side hustle: extra income on the side.

More workplace terms in our work and money slang guide.