BiggerPockets Money Podcast · Friday, September 25, 2026
Kate attributes her $18,000 debt primarily to impulse shopping and a lack of financial planning, driven by FOMO and a tendency to say 'yes' without considering consequences. She identifies 'sneaky, leaky' spending – small, unmonitored Amazon purchases – as particularly damaging.
“Mostly impulse shopping, I would say. And not having a plan. I was always a yes person. I always have FOMO. I like to hang out with my friends and see the world and go on trips. And so I would say yes to things without having a plan. It was always just, I'll figure it out later. I'll figure it out later.”
“It wasn't necessarily the big things like housing and transportation, which were pretty consistent month to month. It was all the little Amazon purchases that I didn't keep track of.”
“And it's only $20. But $20 adds up really quickly.”