I'm worried!

"Feelings of financial hardship make people re-examine their buying behavior and think about what else they can do with that money, also known as opportunity cost," said Gavan Fitzsimons, a professor of marketing at Fuqua School of Business, who contributed to

This dissatisfaction also drives consumers to leave worse reviews for purchases—an insight that can help businesses play a role in soliciting consumer feedback to encourage more sales

Researchers conducted more than 40 studies to measure people's perceptions of their financial situation and recent purchases

According to the researchers, "financial stress" refers to a person's perception of their financial situation, and it affects people in a variety of socioeconomic settings

"People of all income levels are feeling financial stress, especially now," Fitzsimons said.

Impact on Customer Reviews Cash-strapped consumers affect more than just one's "buying happiness.

In other experiments, the authors tested whether they could induce feelings of financial constraints by asking people to reflect on financial stress in their lives

"Marketers often encourage customers to write reviews, and our research suggests that marketers may need to consider whether to allow those who are feeling financially strapped to write a review, or avoid asking customers to write a review at specific times when they are feeling financially stressed (such as payday) ) to review their purchases

Rising costs due to inflation and other factors suggest that consumers may face greater financial stress in the coming months

"People who are financially strapped are more likely to shop to boost their well-being, but our research shows that the opposite is actually the case," he said

The authors found that there is at least one way that financially strapped consumers can derive more joy from their purchases: planning

Can money buy happiness? Measuring consumers' "buy happiness" is just a new way scientists are trying to solve a long-standing question about the relationship between wealth and happiness, and these studies offer some new clues

"Social scientists have long known that, at least to some extent, less money is associated with lower happiness

Spending and Happiness: The Role of Perceived Financial Constraints