Five tips for managing your finances in 2023
Find out the UK’s financial priorities for 2023 and our tips to help you budget during the rising cost of living.
How to avoid “spending regrets”
Are you consumed by buyer’s remorse? Read this to help take control of your spending.
April 16, 2026
Do you ever experience that sinking feeling in your stomach when you've overspent, overpaid, or bought something you don't really need? It's called buyer's remorse, and it’s more common than you might think.
Although going on a spending spree can spark feelings of joy, it can also lead to a far more uncomfortable emotion: regret. Over the last eight years, we’ve conducted research to understand how many people regret their spending choices. In 2018, nearly half (49%) of people admitted to regretting a purchase they made that year, compared to 35% in 2025.
This decline comes alongside a reduction in overall spending, with purchases such as fast food down £80 a year from 2018, suggesting consumers may be taking a more considered approach. However, with more than a third of the UK still experiencing buyer’s remorse, it’s worth exploring where regrets persist and how spending habits continue to shift over the last eight years.
Spending regrets & cutbacks
It would be easy to assume that big-ticket items are the purchases people regret most, but our research identified smaller purchases as the main culprits. In fact, when we look at people who regretted spending money, their biggest regret in 2025 included clothes (£245), items for their home they didn’t need (£139) and takeaways or delivery food (£192).
As a result, many are planning to make everyday cutbacks in an effort to improve their financial situation over the next 12 months. One in five (21%) say they plan to eat out less and buy fewer clothes, while 18% intend to order fewer takeaways. Others are taking more decisive steps to improve their finance, including selling possessions (12%) and buying fewer coffees out (10%).
Larger, experience-led costs are also being reconsidered. Average spending on attending weddings fell to £166 in 2025, down from £259 in 2024, while spending on sporting events declined from £309 to £211. At the same time, home-based entertainment continues to grow, with average spending on streaming services increasing to £182 in 2025 from £157 the year before. Together, these trends suggest consumers may be reassessing their spending habits and adjusting where they choose to allocate their money.
Taking control
With many looking back on their spending with regret, it’s not surprising that nearly 69% of people want to change their spending habits in 2026.
If you’re among this group, you may want to consider some of the priorities cited in our research. The research revealed a big focus on eating out less (21%), buying fewer clothes (21%), ordering fewer takeaways (18%) and buying less coffee out (10%).
For more money-saving ideas, read our tips for reducing your outgoings.
The final word
Less money spent on superfluous items is more money that can be put aside to help you meet your financial goals. Then, what you do with it from here is your choice. You may want to put your money into a cash ISA, or you might prefer to have easy access to your savings for purchases you know you’re not going to regret.
Learn more about Marcus savings accounts here.
Research conducted by Opinium, surveying a nationally representative sample of 2,000 UK adults from 2018-2025. All statistics referenced on this page are taken from the results of that survey.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualised professional advice. Articles on this website were commissioned and approved by Marcus by Goldman Sachs®, but may not reflect the institutional opinions of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., Goldman Sachs International Bank, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC or any of their affiliates, subsidiaries or divisions. Information and opinions expressed in this article are as of the date of this material only and subject to change without notice. This article is not a product of Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research. The information contained in this article does not constitute a recommendation from any Goldman Sachs entity to the recipient, and Goldman Sachs is not providing any financial, economic, legal, investment, accounting, or tax advice through this article or to its recipient. Neither Goldman Sachs nor any of its affiliates makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of the statements or any information contained in this article and any liability therefore (including in respect of direct, indirect, or consequential loss or damage) is expressly disclaimed.
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