Millions of Australians are quietly regretting what they bought, from flashy SUVs to holidays upgraded one click too far
There is a particular feeling that arrives a few weeks after an expensive purchase.
Not in the showroom, nor while booking the holiday, and not even while standing at the counter convincing yourself you “deserve it”.
It’s later, usually when the credit card statement arrives.
Suddenly the oversized television, designer handbag, luxury SUV or “once-in-a-lifetime” holiday upgrade starts looking slightly less life-changing and slightly more financially challenging.
New research from Finder suggests Australians are carrying around plenty of spending regret, with 7.7 million people admitting they regret how much money they spent on at least one purchase.
While younger Australians appear particularly vulnerable to impulse spending, many Baby Boomers may read the figures with the quiet confidence of people who have already survived several decades of regrettable purchases.
Clothing and shoes topped the regret list, with 14 per cent of Australians admitting fashion purchases later made them wince.
Women were more than twice as likely as men to regret spending on clothing.
Cars came in second at 11 per cent — a category that feels deeply familiar in Australia.
Many of us have owned, or nearly bought, a car that made little sense outside the moment itself. The giant four-wheel drive that never leaves suburbia, or that prestige SUV now mostly used for supermarket runs and awkward parking attempts.
Holidays followed closely behind at 10 per cent.
Travel has a remarkable ability to suspend financial logic. Cocktails suddenly cost $34, airport upgrades become “memories” and hotel breakfasts somehow feel compulsory despite costing more than dinner back home.
Then come the purchases quietly sitting around the house long after the excitement faded: phones, gaming consoles, exercise equipment and impulse online buys that looked much better at 11.30pm.
Technology purchases landed at 9 per cent, while jewellery, weddings and sporting equipment also featured prominently.
Even pets appeared on the regret list, which may sound harsh until you remember there are Australians currently staring at an energetic labradoodle while calculating the combined cost of premium kibble, grooming appointments and obedience school.
Interestingly, just 5 per cent regretted what they spent on property.
That may reflect confidence in real estate, or simply the human instinct to avoid emotionally unpacking a 30-year mortgage.
Weddings also checked in at 5 per cent despite many couples still recovering from chair covers, flower walls and enough canapé platters to feed a small regional town.
Sarah Megginson from Finder said Australians often justify discretionary spending in the moment, particularly with travel and fashion.
“It’s very easy to justify purchases in the moment, especially when it comes to things like fashion and travel,” she said.
“But over time, those decisions can erode savings and weigh more heavily on people.”
Finder’s advice is refreshingly simple: wait 48 hours before making non-essential purchases over $100.
That pause probably kills a surprising number of purchases.
Many expensive decisions rely heavily on urgency, including flash sales, countdown clocks, and that old FOMO-inducing “only two rooms left” trick. Human beings can be remarkably rational right up until somebody adds artificial pressure and free shipping.
Perhaps age helps.
Older Australians have usually lived through enough spending mistakes to recognise the feeling early, of the ambitious purchase, that burst of excitement, and the slow realisation that the repayments lasted longer than the thrill.
Sometimes before they even reach the checkout.