The Hidden Cost of “Just This Once” Spending

“It’s only this once.”

“It’s just a small treat.”

“It won’t really make a difference.”

We’ve all said it. We’ve all meant it. And in the moment, it usually feels harmless.

But when it comes to children and money, “just this once” doesn’t teach what we think it does.

Children aren’t only learning what they receive — they’re learning how money works, what it’s for, and what it means.

And those lessons quietly shape habits that last a lifetime.

Children Learn Patterns, Not Exceptions

Adults understand exceptions. Children learn patterns.

When children regularly hear “just this once,” they don’t experience it as a rare exception — they experience it as a normal rule:

• Spending when emotions are high

• Buying to fix disappointment

• Treating money as a reward

• Avoiding saving when something feels urgent

  
  

Over time, these moments form the building blocks of spending behaviour — often without us realising.

The Emotional Link to Spending

Many “just this once” purchases happen in emotional moments:

• A long day

• A tantrum

• Feeling guilty

• Wanting to avoid conflict

• Wanting to make a child happy quickly

This teaches children an important (and risky) message:

Money is something we use to manage feelings.

In adulthood, this can turn into comfort spending, impulse buying, and difficulty separating needs from emotional wants.

Small Spending Creates Big Habits

The amount rarely matters. The habit does.

£2 here, £3 there, “just this once” again and again quietly builds:

• Lower patience for saving

• Higher impulse spending

• Less awareness of budgeting

• Less value placed on planning

By the time children manage their own money, these habits already feel normal.

What Children Learn Instead (When We Pause)

When we pause before spending, children learn:

• How to wait

• How to choose

• How to prioritise

• That money has limits

• That saving has purpose

Even saying:

• “Let’s think about this.”

• “Let’s plan for it.”

• “Let’s save for it.”

…teaches powerful lifelong skills.

How SmartMonies Builds Better Habits

At SmartMonies, children practise real-life money choices through:

• Needs vs wants activities

• Saving goals

• Budgeting scenarios

• Planning before spending

• Understanding value, not just price

So they learn not just what to buy — but how to think before buying.

Final Thought

“It’s only this once” may feel small —but habits are built one moment at a time.

Because money habits matter more than income.

And the best time to build them is now.

Ready to Level Up Your Child's Financial Skills?

📘 Book a Smartmonies lesson today and help your child begin building essential financial skills for life.