Buy Now, Pay Later: Why Small Leaks Can Sink a Big Ship

Being honest, many times I've fallen down the BNPL rabbit hole when buying something I really didn’t need, but just wanted? One minute, browsing online, feeling like you’ve earned that clothes basket on PLT, ASOS or Missguided. Then BAM —“Buy Now, Pay Later” with no interest if paid on time. A godsend if you've not got enough in the bank right then for what you want but feel like you deserve. Services like Klarna, Tabby, Tamara, and PayPal Credit have made it oh-so-easy to splurge on whatever it is at the time you want. and just because it’s only £30 a month for three months, right? So what’s the harm?

A Few Payments Here, A Few Payments There When you’re shopping, BNPL feels like the perfect solution. It’s an absolute genius marketing scheme: Buy that basket you've been building for the last month, and only pay for it over three easy installments. Amazing! But there’s where the problem starts: those three easy installments quickly turn into a whole fleet of payments you don't remember are coming. and they will at the worst possible time/ usually the end of the month when your money is already lower than low..

Each small payment feels like no big deal, but here’s the kicker—those little leaks keep adding up.

Let’s do the math. You’ve bought three or four items on BNPL, each with monthly payments of £25. That’s £100 a month. Add in the occasional costa run, Lunches out, or just small trips to the shops and—suddenly, you’re facing a pile of payments you didn’t plan for. Those “small” payments start to look a lot less manageable. Like Spending Money You Don’t Have (Because You’re Literally Doing That) It’s easy to convince yourself, "I’ll just buy it now and deal with it later." But let’s take a moment to talk about the later. Because later is when those payments come due. And trust me, later is when you’ll be looking at your bank account, asking yourself, “Wait, when did I spend that” and not even remembering what it was for (Because it really wasn't that important)

Don’t Spend Money Before You Have It I would never ever say you should not treat yourself. You’re allowed to splurge on a nice pair of shoes or a lunch dinner that makes you really do want. What i am saying is—don’t do it with money you don’t actually have. You can resist the urge to buy now and pay later. It’s better to wait until you have the cash to spend without worrying about what your future self will be facing next month.

The Real Cost of Those Small Leaks It’s easy to brush off those small payments whilst thinking they’re “manageable,” right? But these little leaks can sink your financial ship. And I don’t mean that in a “you’re going to lose your house” kind of way, but more wondering where all your money went. Those items you bought out of impulse? They could eat away at the money you don’t yet have, leaving you scrambling for the change and constantly living on borrowed money.

How to stay afloat:

1. Track Your BNPL Spending: It’s so easy to forget about that £25/month payment for the dress you wear one time. Keep a running list of your BNPL purchases so you know exactly what’s coming up each month and you can even pay it off early if you have the money then.

2. Prioritize Needs Over Wants: I know it really feels horrible wanting something and realising you cant afford it. . But maybe wait until payday to make that impulse buy, especially if it’s not something you really need.

3. Pay Off High-Interest Purchases First: If you’ve already gone down the BNPL path, focus on paying off items with the highest interest or late fees. That way, you avoid the surprise of paying extra.

4. Remember: You Don’t Need It All Now: Just because you can buy something now doesn’t mean you should. You’ll survive without that extra pair of shoes, give it some thought before just splurging. Final Thoughts

   I’ve been there too—falling for BNPL when I really wanted something, like a new dress or a pair of boots. But looking back, just because I wanted it didn’t mean it was important. I could’ve worn that dress twice and it wouldn’t have been a huge deal but I didn't. It was always an impulse purchase that seemed harmless at the time, but those small payments added up and caused unnecessary stress later. BNPL can feel like an easy way to treat yourself, but it's not worth the hassle of paying for something that wasn’t even necessary. Now I definitely think twice before clicking “Buy Now.”