3 Signs Your Wellness Habits Are Making You Financially Sick, According to a Financial Advisor

You probably don’t need me to tell you that the UK’s wellness economy is booming. In 2022, it was valued at £165 billion, having grown by almost 20% a year since before the pandemic.

In many ways, that’s positive news. The rise of wellness has coincided with a reduction in alcohol consumption, which in 2025 hit its lowest level since records began. Physical activity is also on the up, with 30 million adults now meeting recommended activity levels. And women’s health is attracting more (much-needed) investment, too: the number of femtech companies has increased by 864% since 2015, with a record £177.1 million invested in the sector in 2024.

And yet, as a health writer, I can’t ignore the other side of our growing appetite for self-improvement. As wellness has become increasingly commercialised, so too has the pressure to keep up with it, with women, in particular, spending more money in the process. A survey of 2000 adults commissioned by Pukka Herbs at the end of 2025 found that British women are spending an astonishing average of £554 a month on wellness - a number which was £100 more than men.

It’s easy to see how this happens. I’ve watched my own wellness spending creep up over the last two years. My £1 Always pads have been replaced by organic alternatives from Yoni and Daye; my skincare and supplements drawer has ballooned with products promising to tackle everything from sun damage to iron deficiency; and I’ve spent hundreds on Pilates classes and healthy fast-food lunches. Just when I think I’ve got my routine covered, another potential threat appears on my social media feed – most recently, it was a podcast about hair ageing and how to prevent premature greys.

None of this spending feels frivolous. It comes from a genuine desire to protect my future self. But I’ve also noticed the financial stress that can come with trying to keep up with all these new healthy habits.

Financial advisor Hannah Mayfield sums up the issue. “The problem is that wellness so often feels like an ‘essential’ because it is linked to our health, mental health or quality of life,” she explains. “It makes it a harder category to cut back on because you worry your quality of life might be impacted in a way that you wouldn’t for clothes or make-up.”

Given the well-researched connection between financial wellbeing and mental health, and the significant impact chronic stress has on cellular ageing and inflammation, it raises the question: at what point does spending to optimise our health start to become counterproductive?

To find out, I asked Mayfield to explain what financial wellbeing actually looks like, the signs that our wellness habits might be putting it under strain, and how we can redress the balance without abandoning the things that genuinely make us feel good.

If you’re here looking for more affordable ways to feel well, check out our guides to the simple Blue Zones habits linked to greater longevity, the rituals experts say matter more than biohacking and the surprising impact that journaling can have on the brain. Plus, we’ve got tons of home workout suggestions, from the best home Pilates exercises to 6 energising yoga flows and a PT’s favourite living room strength session.

How To Wellness Budget, According to a Financial Advisor

What is financial wellbeing?

In simple terms, “financial health and wellbeing is having a knowledge of your finances, making sure you are looking after your future self financially as much as possible and aren't suffering from financial stress,” says Mayfield.

Whilst we don’t often think of it as part of a wellness routine, Mayfield says the state of our finances can have a real bearing on how good we feel. “Financial wellbeing is more likely to lead to other types of wellbeing because it provides a safety buffer,” she says. “When you have money set aside, you can save yourself a lot of stress when life throws you curveballs.”

How could our wellness habits put our financial wellbeing at risk?

“The biggest risk is that our wellness habits cause us to neglect other important aspects of our finances,” explains Mayfield. “These things, like our pension contributions, often feel quite hidden and easy to ignore until they’re too late.”

Tara Massoudi, General Manager of Premium Products at Revolut, echoed Mayfield’s concerns when I spoke to her at the end of last year. “The real risk comes when people lack the skills or language to manage and talk about money. Without that confidence, financial pressure can tip into anxiety, judgement, or a sense of being left behind and cancelling out the very benefits wellness is supposed to bring.”

What are the signs my wellness habits are compromising my financial health?

A healthy wellness budget will look different for everyone, depending on your income, priorities and other expenses. That said, Mayfield has some red flags to look out for that could indicate your wellness spending is doing more harm than good.

1. You’re in debt or an overdraft

“If you’re in your overdraft or credit card debt but still spending a lot on wellness, this is something to think about,” says Mayfield. “You're allowed to enjoy things even while you're paying off debt, but it’s important to be honest with yourself about whether cutting back on some expenses to get there faster would actually make you feel better.”

2. You can’t afford to contribute to your financial goals

“If the amount you’re spending on wellness is compromising your ability to save for long-term financial goals that matter to you, that’s a sign to reevaluate," says Mayfield, who makes clear that these goals will be individual to you. “It could be setting money aside for an emergency fund or saving for a house deposit - if wellness spending is preventing you from making progress towards them, that’s something to consider.”

3. Your wellness spending is a large proportion of your income

“Rigid budgeting rules don't apply to everyone,” caveats Mayfield, “but it can be helpful to use the 50/30/20 rule as a guideline.”

She explains that the 50/30/20 rule refers to splitting your income. “50% should be going on essentials such as bills, housing and transport, 30% goes towards your ‘wants’, such as meals out and subscriptions, and 20% is reserved for financial goals like debt payoff, savings, investments, etc. If your wellness spending is much beyond 20- 25%, it's probably too high.”

4. You feel worried, anxious or out of control with your finances

“If you’re ignoring your finances so you can keep spending on wellness, if it’s causing you to worry or you find it hard to keep track of everything you’re buying, these are all signs it’s getting out of hand,” says Mayfield.

A Financial Advisor’s top 3 tips to improve financial wellbeing:

If you recognised yourself in any of the above signs, you might be wondering what you can do about it. Fortunately, Mayfield has some handy tips you can use to get working on your financial wellbeing today.

1. Get clear on your wellness priorities

Mayfield is clear that getting a handle on your wellness spending isn’t about cutting everything out. “Decide which of your habits are having the biggest positive impact on your life, and which things feel like a nice-to-have,” she suggests. “That will help you choose which to keep and which to cut.”

2. Treat your new budgets as temporary

“If you're finding it hard to give things up, try reframing it as a trial,” says Mayfield. “For example, you could skip Reformer Pilates classes in favour of home mat workouts for a month. At the end of the trial, you can see how much you missed it and make a decision on whether to re-introduce it.”

3. Connect it to a goal

“Psychologically you need to figure out how to get some kind of satisfaction from practicing financial wellness,” explains Mayfield. “Otherwise, it starts to feel like you’re giving something up and not getting anything in return.”

She recommends connecting your daily savings to a bigger goal. “Focusing on the big picture vision of where you want to be financially, and continuing to hype yourself up along the way will help you to stay motivated,” she says.

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