it’s deeper than ‘shopping less’
"If money weren’t an issue, I would…”
If money weren’t an issue, what would you do?
Maybe you’d:
Leave the job you hate
Ditch the toxic relationship
Build a new product, get creative
Start a company
When I tell people about what I’m building on with Spendish, they often ask: “So, you’re helping people shop less?”
My answer is: not quite.
As a marketer, I’d be out of a job if people stopped shopping or consuming—consumption drives economies.
The problem I’m tackling is that bad consumption habits are stopping people from building wealth. The wealth they need to take risks and do what they want.
People taking fewer risks isn’t just a personal issue; it could be catastrophic for our economy.
In recent years, the number of new startups founded has decreased drastically. In part, due to less risk-taking on behalf of investors.
Yet, to quote Crunchbase, “Entrepreneurs who are able and willing to bootstrap their ventures — relying on their own resources and revenue generation — can leverage the current downturn to their advantage.”
You can take risk and become free.
Risk-taking is a privilege, don’t waste it
In theory, many people in the West should have the opportunity to leave a job or relationship they hate, or even start a business. Yet, they don’t.
If we don't take risks, who will?
For the majority of the rest of the World, taking such risks is simply inconceivable. Economic realities, wars, and societal status (e.g. gender or caste) predetermine futures. To an extent that most of us cannot begin to imagine.
So why, in the West, are so many trapped by our own spending habits, living paycheck to paycheck? Essentially, waving the privilege that is risk-taking.
Can we blame Capitalism?
Capitalism is a framework for economic growth. The problem isn't that it exists—again, it's a framework—it's how we engage with it. One trait of a capitalist economy is consumption. And sometimes, over-consumption.
We over-consume to soothe emotional pain or to keep up with societal pressures—often at the expense of long-term wealth building.
Many of us spend compulsively to cope with very human feelings:
People who feel unworthy, spend money
People who seek status, spend money
People who are stressed/bored, spend money
Humans use money to reduce emotional pain.
Why I’m building Spendish
Today, if you’d like to build healthier spending habits, you’ll be presented with a budgeting template. Maybe, some tough love from a partner or friend to keep you ‘in check’.
I know, from experience, that these things alone don’t work.
It’s all cognitive and rational. Tactics that rely on willpower, which often tapers off by the third week of the month. Right when fear of failure, shame, and guilt about money take over again. New temptations arise.
To cope, we spend again and give up.
Something needs to shift emotionally if we want to break this pattern.
I trust you can find the strategies on how to budget, save, or invest—but I’m here to help with the psychology of money and spending. To help you be more mindful and build lasting habits.
Why I care
Because I know what people are capable of when they ask, “If money weren’t an issue, I would…”
Getting a grip on our finances is about more than just ‘shopping less.’
This makes it sound trivial—a first-world problem. Instead, it’s about making people financially responsible so they feel more confident; to innovate and become better. To build companies, raise children, take care of those around them.
I want people to feel like they have choices—not to be stuck doing something they hate because they live paycheck to paycheck. Economically speaking, unmotivated people who stay in jobs they hate are extremely unproductive.
To stop being a prisoner of their own lifestyle.
My credentials
I’m a recovering shopaholic (who’s saving more than she ever has this year)
I run a marketing agency—so I know what brands do to sell you stuff
I’ve tried saving, budgeting, and ‘no buys’ for years and understand why they don’t always work
I studied Psychology at university
Ultimately, I just know how you feel.
The content I write on here and post on Instagram, are driven by your needs/questions. I’d love to learn what drives you to overspend. Or feel guilty/bad about money.
Drop me a comment/message to chat.