Millennials Are Overspending Due To FOMO

And Millennials were doing so well. Despite being super savers, millennials seem to already have the Keeping up with the Jones’ syndrome, or in today’s modern lingo, FOMO.

The Fear Of Missing Out is causing millennials to spend money they don’t have on activities in order to keep up with their friends, according to a Credit Karma/Qualtrics study.

Roughly 40 percent have spent money they didn’t have, 27 percent felt uncomfortable saying ‘no’ to friends, and 39 percent have even accumulated debt by trying to keep up by spending money they don’t have.

The worst part is many millennials say they felt buyer’s remorse after spending the money.

So, what exactly, are millennials overspending on? Most of it is activities such as attending weddings, going to music festivals, or going on group vacations.

The FOMO aspect kicks in when they feel they will miss out on an amazing time filled with great experiences. So, millennials are pulling from savings accounts or racking up credit card balances to help finance their fear.

Aside from taking vacations, much more basic activities such as going out for dinner and drinks is another main social gathering millennials engage in despite not having the funds to do so.

Sixty percent say much of their over spending is on food when going out to dinner, while a third say it is on alcohol.

Even the pressure to stay up to date on the current clothing and electronic trends have millennials spending more than they make.

Clothing, gadgets, jewelry and even cars are some of the items millennials claim to spend too much money on when they don’t have the means to do so.

The saddest part is aside from having major FOMO to the point of overspending, many millennials also admit feeling like they will be isolated from future activities if they tell their friends they don’t have the funds available to participate.

As a result, Credit Karma listed some tips millennials can employ when FOMO kicks in.

First, be honest with your friends. Chances are you’re not the only one spending more than they need to on an activity. By being honest with your friends, you are being honest with yourself and saying you cannot spend more than you have.

Stick to your budget and make sure your needs are taken care of. Paying your rent and other bills in full and on time are more important than a night out on the town. If your friends don’t think so, you might want to consider finding new friends.

Once your needs are met, see what you have left over. Put some away in your savings account to help pay back the overspending from the past, and use some to treat yourself.

The most important thing millennials can do is to save money and be smart consumers. By doing so you help eliminate your risk of drowning in unnecessary debt.

And no one has FOMO when it comes to debt.