Need it or just... want it?
Before you add that $48 lip oil or the TikTok-viral home decor item to your cart, here’s your gentle reminder: Just because it’s trending doesn’t mean it’s worth your money. In a world where social media makes spending look effortless and glamorous, it’s easy to confuse a “want” with a “need”—or worse, let the algorithm decide for you.
To help us spend smarter (and save with more intention), we tapped two financial experts who know a thing or two about money mindfulness: Courtney Alev, Credit Karma’s consumer financial advocate, and Tori Dunlap, founder of Her First $100K and host of the Financial Feminist podcast.
The Algorithm Isn’t Your BFF
“Start by asking: Who benefits most from this purchase—me, or the brand?” Tori instructed. “The algorithm’s job is to convince you you’re missing something: that this serum will make you confident, or this new phone will make you productive.”
To outsmart the scroll, she recommends running your buys through a few key filters:
The Time Test: Would I still want this if I waited 48 hours?
The Joy Test: Can I see myself actually using this in my real, day-to-day life?
The Trade-Off Test: What am I saying “no” to by saying “yes” to this?
Try the Poop Test (Yes, Really)
Courtney and Tori co-signed on a surprisingly effective rule for intentional spending: The Poop Test. It’s a cheeky twist on Marie Kondo’s “spark joy” rule, and it’s a fast way to check if something’s really valuable to you, not just the ‘For You’ page. Courtney explained that with this rule, if the item is something that you wouldn’t keep if it had poop on it—like, you’d rather toss it than clean it—“it probably doesn’t deserve your money or mental space.”
More Quick Tests
Courtney swears by a “notes app trick” to curb impulse spending. “Anytime I want something, I add it to a list in my phone. Then I check back at the end of the week or month. Most of the time, I’ve forgotten about half the items, which tells me they weren’t worth buying in the first place.”
For another solid gut check, Tori said to ask yourself: “Would I still want this if no one else could see it?” She instructed that “If the answer’s no, that’s a sign I’m spending for validation—not because I truly want it.”
