Why does nobody talk about how fake influencer budget tips are

I spent 6 months following this one Instagram girl's "thrifty hacks" for meal planning in Austin and ended up spending $80 more per week than before. She kept pushing these bulk buys from a specific store that supposedly saved money, but I compared receipts and realized her $40 haul was actually $75 at my local HEB. Then I found out she was sponsored by that store the whole time. It totally turned me around on trusting influencers for real budgeting advice. Now I just look at regular people's posts in this group instead. Has anyone else caught one of those fake tips and actually ran the numbers?

3 comments

3 Comments

tarar2719d agoMost Upvoted

...and honestly that's the whole thing with these influencers, they're basically living in a different reality where bulk shopping actually works because they have pantry space and time to cook everything from scratch. I started noticing the same pattern with those "how I saved $500 a month" posts, then you realize they're driving a brand new car and their "budget apartment" is clearly staged with decor from that same sponsor. It's like the whole system is built to make you feel bad for not being able to pull off their version of frugal, when really they're just selling you a lifestyle you can't afford by copying. I've gone back to just asking my actual friends what they spend, because at least their numbers are real and they'll admit when a deal isn't worth the trouble.

torres.sage19d agoTop Commenter

That $500 a month thing gets me every time, their groceries cost double what mine do.

iris_davis9014d ago

@torres.sage right? I'd have to remortgage my house to save $500 a month like they do.