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How ‘deinfluencing’ can help you save money and increase overall happiness
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Senior Writer
Updated
Sun, November 30, 2025 at 1:25 PM EST
4 min read
Your social media feeds are likely flooded with advertisements and endorsements for everything from dog food to makeup to workout clothes. Every day, influencers attempt to convince us that happiness is just one more product away.
Yet many of these products are things you probably never thought about purchasing until they came across your feed. And that feeling of financial FOMO can be hard to ignore. Nearly half (48%) of social media users have impulsively bought an item they first saw on a social media feed, according to Capital One Shopping. In fact, consumers spend an average of $754 each year on social media impulse buys.
Now, a growing trend called deinfluencing is pushing back against the nonstop pressure to “add to cart.” Instead of telling you what to buy, creators are now urging you to slow down and rethink the hype. If you’re trying to save money, deinfluencing could be the key to preventing social media-fueled impulse buys and reclaiming control over your spending.
What is deinfluencing?
Deinfluencing is a social media trend that pushes back against unnecessary consumerism. Instead of telling you what to buy, creators highlight what not to buy, why certain products aren’t worth the hype, and how to make more intentional spending decisions.
At its core, deinfluencing encourages people to question marketing tactics and slow down purchase decisions so they can better prioritize long-term financial goals over instant gratification.
But content creators don’t have to do it all alone — consumers can also deinfluence themselves by being honest about whether a purchase is aligned with their financial values or if they’re being enticed by a savvy marketing campaign.
“Deinfluencing is all about encouraging mindful purchasing by hitting the pause button,” said Nicholette Leanza, a psychotherapist at LifeStance Health. “If a person is feeling really drawn to buy something they don't really need, it’s helpful for them to take a breath and step back from all the noise.”
Read more: 5 psychological money hacks to cut spending and increase savings
How to deinfluence yourself
Deinfluencing may start with the source — influencers creating more honest content — but it also requires users to change the way they consume social media and react to advertising.
For example, taking time to reflect on your desired purchases, even if you eventually decide to move forward and click “buy,” can prevent you from making impulsive decisions. Leanza explained that if you resist making a certain purchase for a day or two, the urge to buy often fades. “It's about creating that mental space between stimulus and response — or in other words, impulse and then buying,” she said.
It can also help to ask yourself questions such as, “What was I feeling before the purchase that triggered me to buy it?” or “What need was I trying to fulfill?” Leanza said this can help you understand why you’re tempted to make impulse purchases and learn to avoid spending that results in buyer's remorse later on.
Another way to filter out the noise is to reduce the amount of influencer content you’re consuming by unfollowing or muting creators who are constantly trying to sell you a new product or service. Many social media platforms allow users to adjust their settings to see fewer advertisements.
“Social media algorithms are pattern-recognition systems that analyze our past behavior to predict our future preferences,” Leanza explained. “When we engage less with superficial and materialistic content, the algorithms will adapt…and begin giving us content that aligns more with our shifted interests.”
Read more: Are you guilty of ‘spaving’? How to avoid this financial trap.
3 tips for more mindful spending
Apart from avoiding the urge to splurge on what you see online, there are other ways you can combat impulsive spending.
Create a values-based budget
Impulse buying might give you a momentary dopamine hit, but the aftermath — like credit card debt or a tighter budget — can quickly transform that happiness into regret.
Creating a values-based budget is a great way to filter out purchases that don’t align with your financial priorities and goals. It helps create a clear line between what you’re tempted to spend money on at the moment and what actually matters.
Identify your spending triggers
Impulse purchases are often sparked by a trigger, such as a certain emotion, situation, or environment. So, explore what triggers you to spend money on a whim. Maybe it’s doom scrolling when you feel frustrated or overwhelmed, or seeing your friends post about luxury items they’ve recently purchased.
Knowing your triggers can help you limit your exposure to the kind of content that tempts you to spend.
Put purchases on ice
If you do see something in your feed that catches your eye, set a hard rule that you have to wait a certain amount of time before going through with the purchase. If you’re still thinking about it a few days later, it may be worth considering. On the other hand, you may forget about it altogether.
Read more: How the 30-day savings rule can help you stop impulse spending and save more money