The Psychology of Little Treats: Why Small Comfort Purchases Are Not The Problem (And What To Do When They Start Sneaking Up On You)

Every generation has its villain. Once upon a time it was avocado toast. Before that it was lattes. At one point it was scented candles. More recently, it is anything that brings you two minutes of joy for under a tenner.

If money conversations online are to be believed, your entire financial future hinges on whether or not you buy a £3.50 pastry.

This, of course, is nonsense.

Little treats have been unfairly blamed for everything from rising debt to a lack of discipline. In reality, they are one of the most predictable, harmless and psychologically normal parts of human spending. Everybody does it. Everybody has their go-to comfort purchases. Everyone has bought something on a day when life felt too long and they needed something small to soften the edges.