Slemer says that if emotional spending is either digging you into debt, preventing you from getting out of debt or preventing you from saving for the future, you could find yourself in trouble.

“The decisions we make today directly influence the lives we lead tomorrow, and emotional spending in the present could be setting us up for financial distress in the future,” she says.

Even before the pandemic, the Money and Pensions Service estimated that 9 million people in the UK were over-indebted, and over 11 million adults had less than £100 in savings. The pandemic and multiple lockdowns will only have exacerbated this, due to a loss of income or increased spending out of boredom and to curb anxiety.

Indeed, Dornan sees emotional spending as a natural response. “If you’ve found yourself spending a fair bit of money during the past 18 months, your emotions could have had a part to play,” she says.

“Take a person working from home full time during the lockdowns, isolated and unable to do the ordinary things in their routine that help them stay happy and grounded. What can this person do to reward themselves for their hard work when they’re unable to go out or see friends? They may take to ordering one or two takeaways a week or ordering more on their shopping list to treat themselves.”

Emotional spending: what is it, and how can practising money mindfulness help?