People often fall into the trap of spending to “fill the gap.” This is how Lily Ellis, 20, from Oxford, UK puts it when she reflects on her spending habits. “I noticed how my self-esteem affects my money a few years ago when I started earning. With the new disposable income I had, I was regularly buying lots of things that I didn’t necessarily need, like clothes to keep up with trends, makeup, beauty procedures, meals out, accessories and gifts.” Of the women Refinery29 spoke to for this article, spending on makeup and clothing for a boost was a recurring theme. More recently, Ellis has been watching videos on TikTok about “overconsumption” and it’s made her realize that she needs “to find better coping mechanisms.” She typically spends about $65 at a time every few days, and thinks she’s spent almost $20,000 in total on these kinds of purchases since she started working (she lives with her parents and doesn’t pay rent). “I am clearly using shopping as a serotonin boost,” she adds. “At the time of buying it does lift my mood, but only for a short amount of time.”
