The thought process goes like this:

Is this absolutely essential to my survival? (ie: groceries, medication, toilet paper, health insurance, etc.)

It often isn’t. I say this as someone who volunteers weekends on such a group (food donations).

It’s very often chasing dopamine hits to compensate for how utterly isolated and desolate they feel. WIthout a support network or community to back them up, the easiest at hand way to compensate is small expenditures on treating themselves to help stave off the doom.

Which add up very fast, because turns out treats aren’t free.

And this can take many forms. Collectibles, fast food, literal treats, energy drinks, coffee, cigarettes, weed, booze, etc.

When you have learned helplessness and truly believe it’s pointless to save money, it becomes trivial to waste it on dozens of little pick me ups.

I’ve seen it endless times. I’ve helped people budget and so often they are shocked to realize they are spending absurd amounts of money on their guilty pleasure.

Let me make this clear, I’ve helped a decent handful of folks unfuck their budget. They had jobs, they rented, they couldn’t figure out why saving money was hard.

We took a look and so much random shit Id be like “do you know you spent $300 at convenience stores this month?” And they’d be like “what? No way, that’s impossible”

But I’d show em and they’d be flabbergasted.

Turns out that red bull and a snack everyday before work, and a treat everyday after work, adds up to a huge hole in the pocket.

And these are people truly in poverty, min wage at best, part time, struggling to pay bills.