Decoding the psychology of spaving: Are you really saving or just spending?
The lure of a bargain can blur the line between smart spending and impulsive buying…
Have you ever scored a great deal, only to later question whether you really needed the item? The thrill of snagging a sale can be hard to resist — that's where the concept of spaving comes into play: Spending while believing you're saving. So, what makes this feeling so enticing? It all boils down to the way our brains are wired.
On the surface, it seems like a win-win. You get the item you wanted, and you feel like you’re saving money in the process. That euphoric hit from scoring a discount can make the purchase feel even more rewarding. It’s easy to justify spending when there’s a sale involved. After all, you’re technically saving, right?
Here’s the flip side: The excitement can sometimes lead to buying things we didn’t plan for — or even need. The lure of a bargain can blur the line between smart spending and impulsive buying. Sure, you might feel like you’re winning by saving, but those small purchases can add up fast.
The trick is finding that sweet spot — enjoying the thrill of a deal while staying mindful of your actual needs and financial goals. So, knowing why spaving feels so satisfying can help you avoid getting caught up in the excitement and make smarter choices when it comes to sales.
Understanding the psychology of spaving
First of all, don’t worry — you’re definitely not the only one who’s fallen into the spaving trap. In fact, most of us have been there. It’s a bit of a horror story, as many UAE residents say. Take Abu Dhabi-based Samantha Gregory, a British expat, who recalls being completely swept away by a sale. “I ended up buying anything with a slashed price,” she admits. However, when she got to the cashier, it wasn’t just the prices that had been cut—her bank account took a hit too.
“And I was a student in London at the time,” She adds. “I had splurged unnecessarily and had to stick to a strict budget for the entire next month.”
Now that’s a cautionary tale for spavers everywhere. So, what really does spaving entail? As Maja Vurnek Zivkovic, a psychology professor at Heriot-Watt University Dubai, and Wesley Kew, a Dubai-based clinical psychologist explain, spaving is rooted in a series of cognitive biases and emotional reactions that distort our decision-making behaviour. The combination of perceived savings and quickly succumbing to persuasive advertising makes spaving feel like a smart financial decision, even though it’s far from it.
The present bias involved in spaving
Spaving exemplifies the present bias in financial decision-making — a behavioural tendency that drives us to prioritise immediate rewards over long-term benefits. As Zivkovic puts it, “We focus solely on the deal at hand, viewing it as a chance to save money, often neglecting to consider whether we genuinely need or will use those items in the future.”
For instance, Dubai-based Damini Khanna, a homemaker, admits she has been a spaver. She remembers rashly buying several sweet-smelling candles, creams and lotions, as they were all available on enticing offers. The end result? It was an unnecessary financial expenditure and now all the perfumes and bath salts clutter her home, as she has no place to keep them.
That’s the truth about spaving: It is our tendency to favour immediate rewards over long-term benefits.
So, when we encounter a sale or discount, our brain triggers the release of dopamine, the ‘feel-good’ neurotransmitter. Just the idea of saving money gives us a rush. The brain interprets a discount as a reward, similar to other pleasurable experiences like eating a delicious meal or achieving a goal. You act impulsively, explains Kew.
The excitement of securing a deal causes you to overlook whether the purchase is really necessary. You might tell yourself, 'I’m basically a financial wizard,' for scoring a discount. However, let’s face it, you’re still spending cash that you hadn’t planned on.
Justifying the purchase: Mental gymnastics
You might be a little too familiar with that tiny twinge of guilt after splurging on something. That’s cognitive dissonance in action — the mental tug-of-war between our desire to save and our love for new things. We all want to be smart with money, but, sometimes those sales are just too tempting. And, everything just looks so good, so we must buy everything in sight.
As the psychologists explain, we convince ourselves that splurging during a sale isn’t spending — it’s saving. Cue the mental gymnastics, where we twist logic to erase any hint of guilt. ‘Hey, I didn’t spend money, I saved money!’
Cognitive dissonance also plays a crucial role in spaving behavior. When we engage in spaving, we may feel a conflict between the desire to save and the act of spending money. To resolve this discomfort, we rationalize our purchases by emphasising the savings aspect....
This cognitive dissonance plays a crucial role in spaving. Zivkovic explains, “When we engage in spaving, we may feel a conflict between the desire to save and the act of spending money. To resolve this discomfort and tension, we rationalise our purchases by emphasising the savings aspect. For example, someone might say, ‘I saved XYZ by buying this shirt on sale,’ even if the shirt was not needed in the first place, or a similar offer, even if they never end up using all three products.” This justification allows them to maintain a positive self-image, viewing themselves as savvy shoppers rather than impulsive spenders. We tell ourselves, ‘I’ll use it someday’.
This inner dialog lets us maintain the illusion of saving, even though the purchase was far from necessary, explains Kew.
‘I must have it now!’ The loss aversion influence
For many of us, the pressure of countdowns and limited time offers can lead to significant stress, which often shows up in our bank accounts.
At the heart of spaving, lies a strong psychological force known as loss aversion, which simply means we fear losing more than we love gaining. It’s one of the aspects of human behaviour: The idea of missing out on something valuable stings more than the joy of acquiring something new. This is why many people react instinctively on seeing discounts and offers — they can create a sense of urgency that triggers our deep-rooted fear of loss, explains Charlotte Wilson, an Abu Dhabi-based clinical psychologist.
The fear of missing out on the opportunity to buy something at a discount overrides the rational consideration of whether you even need it...
It’s also the fear of missing out, which causes people to react so quickly to offers. When we see offers such as ‘only a few left’, some people get triggered and worry about missing on a deal, explains Kew. “The fear of missing out on the opportunity to buy something at a discount overrides the rational consideration of whether you even need it,” he says. So, they will spend money on a deal to avoid the possibility of having to pay more later. The fear of not capitalisng on a ‘deal’ can overshadow the value of saving that money, making spaving an appealing option despite its long-term consequences, explain psychologists.
The clever combination of loss aversion and fear of missing out is what makes spaving so effective. That ticking clock, the dwindling stock — can prompt us to act quickly and prevent the perceived loss, even when it means spending more than we originally planned. In short, our fear of losing trumps our desire for gain.
The ‘I deserve it phenomenon’: Emotional spending
After a long, stressful week, the idea of treating ourselves to something new feels like the perfect pick-me-up. This is where emotional spending comes into play, and when it’s paired with a sale or discount, it becomes even more tempting. Enter the ‘I deserve it’ phenomenon: the little voice in our heads that convinces us a splurge is not only justified but earned, explains Wilson.
She elaborates the mechanisms of emotional spending: After facing stress, frustration, or even exhaustion, our brain seeks ways to balance out those negative emotions. “Retail therapy becomes a quick fix. However, when an item is on sale, that act of indulgence feels more acceptable because, in our minds, we’re not just spending — we’re saving. The discount acts as a mental cushion, softening the guilt of buying something we may not have otherwise considered,” she says.
In essence, we use the sale as a kind of emotional loophole. We tell ourselves, ‘I’ve worked hard, I’ve dealt with so much — I deserve this!’ And because the item is discounted, it feels like a more responsible indulgence. “You get the feel-good moment of treating yourself and the satisfaction of getting a deal, which reduces the guilt of spending,” adds Wilson.
However, this phenomenon taps into deeper psychological patterns of self-reward and impulse control. When we’ve been stressed or deprived of something pleasurable, our natural inclination is to seek out immediate gratification. Spaving offers an attractive solution: Not only are you rewarding yourself, but you’re also convinced you’re making a ‘smart’ financial decision by taking advantage of a discount.
This type of emotional spending, however, can be a slippery slope. As we keep associating the act of buying with stress relief or emotional reward, we keep reinforcing the habit. “Over time, we may find ourselves justifying more and more purchases under the guise of ‘I deserve it,’ especially when sales are involved. The key here is recognising when we’re using shopping as an emotional crutch, and whether the thrill of the deal is truly benefiting our well-being — or simply adding to our clutter and financial strain,” explains Wilson.
In short, while spaving can make emotional spending feel more acceptable, it’s important to be mindful of the emotional triggers driving the behaviour. Sure, you deserve to treat yourself — but maybe not every time something goes on sale.
Delayed gratification
Spaving also plays into the psychology of delayed gratification, explains Wilson. Many people are naturally inclined to defer gratification, saving money for future needs or larger purchases. However, when we see a sale, our brain tricks us into thinking we’re saving for the future by getting a good deal now. We tell ourselves that buying something on sale is a wise investment — something we’ll benefit from down the line — further cementing the idea that we’re being financially savvy.
So, how do we step away from this trap?
How to avoid the spaving trap
Kew explains a few tips on how to avoid the spaving trap:
• Delay your purchase: When you feel the urge to buy something, wait 24 hours. This pause gives you time to check whether the purchase is in line with your financial goals. Most urgent offers will still be available tomorrow — and if not, it probably wasn’t absolutely necessary.
• Set a shopping budget: Before you start looking for special offers, you should set yourself a clear spending limit. This will help you focus on what you need and prevent you from spending too much money on things you didn’t plan to buy.
• Ask yourself the right questions: When considering a purchase, ask yourself: ‘Would I buy this at full price?’ or ‘Do I really need this right now?’ If the answer is ‘No’, you’re likely about to spave.
• Limit shopping when you are tired or overwhelmed to limit purchases that come after decision fatigue. Choose specific times to shop when you're mentally fresh and more resistant to impulsive decisions.
At its core, spaving taps into deep-rooted psychological mechanisms that drive human behaviour, summarise the psychologists. From the dopamine rush of perceived savings to the mental handstands of justification and loss aversion, spaving is more than just a financial decision — it’s a psychological phenomenon. Understanding why we feel so good when we ‘save’ while spending can help us make more informed and mindful choices in our shopping habits. The next time you’re tempted by a sale, take a moment to pause and consider: Are you truly saving, or just giving in to the psychological allure of spaving?