De-Influencing: Does Being Told Not to Buy Actually Save You Money?
De-influencing is the trend of creators telling you what isn't worth buying, as a reaction to years of being told to buy everything. It can save you money, and how much depends on where your spending actually comes from.
It feels refreshing. Someone is finally on your side, talking you out of the forty-dollar tumbler. And there's a real idea underneath it: a lot of what we buy was somebody else's suggestion.
So here's a way to test it against your own month, what it catches, what it misses, and a simple filter that works even when nobody is making videos about it.
A month of purchases, each with a reason behind it. Example data.
The short version
De-influencing works on purchases that started with someone else's recommendation.
It does nothing for habits, bills or anything you chose for yourself.
It can turn into just another way of being told what to want.
A better filter is one simple question: whose idea was this?
Test it against your own month
Take last month's optional purchases and write next to each one where the idea came from. It takes about ten minutes, and the result is usually a surprise.
Purchase | Cost | Where the idea came from |
|---|---|---|
A skincare serum | $62 | A video |
A planner | $38 | A video |
Leggings | $88 | An ad |
A kitchen gadget | $45 | A friend's post |
A paperback | $18 | My own reading list |
Running shoes | $130 | My old pair wore out |
An online course | $149 | An email from the seller |
Dinner with a friend | $70 | My own choice |
Then add them up by where the idea came from.
Where the idea came from | Purchases | Total |
|---|---|---|
Someone else suggested it | 5 | $382 |
It was my own idea | 3 | $218 |
All optional spending | 8 | $600 |
In this example, $382 of the $600 started with someone else. These figures are made up to show the method. Your own split is the interesting part, and you'll only find it by making the list.
That $382 is the most de-influencing could ever save. In practice it would save less, because some of those things turned out to be worth having.
Where it helps
It breaks the spell. Hearing that a product is ordinary makes it easier to scroll past.
It reminds you that reviews are often ads. That's useful to remember any time.
It slows you down. Sometimes a reason to pause is all you needed.
Where it falls short
It's still influence. You're being told what to think about products by someone who needs you to keep watching.
It often ends with a different recommendation. "Don't buy that one, buy this one" is a sales pitch with extra steps.
It only reaches trendy purchases. Your rent, your insurance and your grocery bill stay the same.
It keeps you looking at products. Time spent watching videos about things you're not buying is still time spent shopping.
That last point matters more than it seems. The surest way to want less is to see less, and no video about shopping can give you that.
A label on each purchase is what makes the pattern visible. Example data.
A better filter: whose idea was this?
You don't need anyone's list of what not to buy. Before any purchase over an amount you choose, ask yourself one question and answer it honestly.
If the answer is | Then |
|---|---|
I wanted this before I saw it anywhere | It's probably a real want. Decide based on the price alone. |
I saw it, and now I want it | Wait a week. Most of these wants fade. |
Someone is selling it to me right now | Wait a month, and close the tab. |
I'm replacing something that wore out | Buy it, and buy a good one. |
It's the same idea as the 30-day rule, with the waiting time set by where the want came from.
The business version
Business owners get influenced too, and the purchases are bigger: the course everyone in your field seems to be taking, the software a peer swears by, the new platform you're told you have to be on.
The same question works. If the idea came from your own numbers, like hours you lose to a task every week, it deserves serious thought. If it came from someone's launch email, it can wait a month without costing you anything.
So, does it save money?
A little, for a while, on purchases that started with a recommendation. In the example, that was at most $382 in a month, and realistically less.
Its lasting value is the reminder that a want can be planted. Once you start asking where each one came from, you won't need a video to tell you.
See where the difference lands, free
La Soglia, the free membership of the Money Mastery System, shows everything you own and everything you owe in one place, with no bank connection and no card. Whatever you decide not to buy only counts once it lands in savings or comes off a debt, and this is where you can watch that happen.
Bring it to the Collective
What did you buy because of a video, and was it worth it? Honest answers are welcome in the Money Mastery Collective. The discussion feed is open on the free membership.
Questions we hear
What is de-influencing?
A trend where creators tell their audience which popular products aren't worth buying, as a reaction to constant recommendations.
Does de-influencing save money?
It can reduce purchases that started with a recommendation. It doesn't affect habits, bills or things you chose for yourself.
Is de-influencing just another kind of influencing?
Often, yes. Many de-influencing videos end by recommending a different product.
How can I stop buying things I see online?
Before you buy, ask whose idea the purchase was. If you only wanted it after seeing it, wait a week before deciding.
References
There are no outside figures in this post. Every number is our own worked example.
Start free with La Soglia
La Soglia is the free membership of the Money Mastery System. It gives you the Net Worth Tracker, where everything you own and everything you owe sits in one place, and the Money Mastery Collective. There is no card to enter and no bank connection.
Keep in touch
Donna shares a short version of posts like this one on Instagram and LinkedIn. Follow along there, or find everything in one place on our links page.
A note on what this is
This article is educational. The Money Mastery System is an educational tool, not financial software, and nothing here is legal, tax, investment or financial advice. The figures are illustrations, and what is worth buying is a personal decision. For guidance on your own circumstances, please speak with a qualified professional who knows them.
Comments