Kate Kaden has been making videos about living below your means for five years. She says 'blackout shopping' is one of the worst things you can do.
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There's a phrase for going into a store, buying loads of things you don't need, and forgetting to pick up the one thing you did.
It's called "blackout shopping," and it's one of the worst things you can do if you're trying to save money, according to Kate Kaden, a YouTuber who gives advice on "frugal living."
Kaden is one creator in a movement of many on social media who are encouraging young people to save their money rather than spend it as soon as it hits their accounts.
Living below your means is the best way to save money consistently, Kaden told Business Insider. But there are many things we do in day-to-day life that hinder our chances of doing this.
One of those is "blackout shopping," Kaden said, when we go out for something specific but get tempted into picking up impulse purchases around the store.
"There was a trend for a little while where it was almost cute to overspend at Target, for example," she said. "You go in for a bottle of shampoo, you come out $200 later, you've forgotten the shampoo."
@graciemaesinclair Babe forgetting everything is technically blacking out ???? #blackout #supermarket #shoppinghaul #groceryhaul #groceryshopping #whatibought
♬ original sound - Graciemae Sinclair
On TikTok, there are dozens of videos that come up under the search terms "blackout shopping" or "blacked out while shopping."
Kaden said it became "kind of a running joke" on there.
"But now, as things have gotten tighter and more expensive, I would recommend avoiding blackout shopping," she said. "It's not going to be funny anymore because now we can't put food on the table or put a roof over our heads."
Consumers are feeling more optimistic about the US economy, according to a recent report by McKinsey, and retail sales increased 0.7% in March compared to the previous year. This is despite prices rising faster than the Federal Reserve's inflation target of 2%.
Around 40% of consumers want to "splurge" over the next three months, the McKinsey report found, with Gen Zers and millennials being the most likely to want to treat themselves. But as Kaden knows too well, that comes at a cost.
Kaden started making content five years ago when she became a single parent.
"I was like, oh, hey, how am I going to do this? This is scary, this is terrifying," she said.
She turned to YouTube and found a few content creators there sharing advice for single moms. She found it so helpful that she started budgeting, saving, and finally investing in her retirement.
"I started sharing everything that was working, and that's where it kind of blossomed," she said.
Some of Kaden's most popular videos are about consistent ways to save money, things people should stop buying, and how to form a "frugal cocoon."
"That is just helping protect yourself from all the temptation," she explained.
Overall, consistency is key, Kaden said, doing the "same things over and over again."
A good place to start is a budget and, as Kaden calls is, "to know what you owe."
"To save money, you've got to know how much you're spending," she said.
After totaling all household expenses, Kaden said you should turn your savings into another one — putting the same amount away each month.
Then, write up a grocery list and only shop once a week. If you can, Kaden recommends arranging a grocery store pickup rather than going into the store because that way, you avoid temptation.
Doing this, you also won't shop as your "fantasy self," Kaden explained, buying tons of items for new recipes they don't end up making and fresh produce for a super healthy lifestyle you don't lead.
"They're going to get all these vegetables and fruit this week, and then it all rots and just wastes all the food," she said. "So shop for where you're really at and what you're going to do."
For those who struggle with impulse buying online, Kaden said decluttering her house was an eye-opener.
"You'll look at all the stuff that you have spent money on that you're never going to use ever again, and all the stuff you have wasted," she said. "It might kind of curb you from spending on more stuff."
Many people have a blind spot about their outgoings and only realize they're out of money when their card gets declined. This is usually a result of denial or fear over finances or simply not making it a priority yet, Kaden said.
With her channel, Kaden hopes to make frugal living "fun and lighthearted" and provide people a way out of feeling so stressed about money.
"I know people hate this word, but the budget has been the key for me, and the budget for me is not restrictive at all. It's been permission to spend," she said.
If you still want to order DoorDash, for example, you can incorporate that into your budget — set aside $100 or so for eating out, and you can spend it how you like.
"It's scary or intimidating, especially for the people that claim they don't know how to do it, they don't know how to do math, that kind of thing," Kaden said. "But if you do it, it's going to change your life."
