The sofa is winning. On any given Saturday night, nearly three out of four Americans would rather be home doing nothing than out doing something, and they couldn’t be happier about it.
According to a recent OnePoll survey, 72% of American adults agree there’s nothing better than having no plans for the weekend, and they look forward to plans being canceled so they can just stay in.
Call it ‘Joy of Missing Out’ (JOMO), the opposite of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), and a choice for minimalism and moderation. When done appropriately, JOMO could help Americans shun groupthink and carve out more space for themselves, with the side effect of less credit card debt and increased savings.
Could JOMO be a panacea to rampant status-seeking spending? Or is this just another hashtagable fad? Financial advisors share their insights into the JOMO phenomenon and how they guide their clients to feel good about sitting on the sidelines.
Skip Me
In an age of online marketing and social comparison fuelled by the hustle of ‘do it all’, finding joy in missing out seems almost rebellious. Yet JOMO isn’t about total withdrawal; it’s about being intentional. Pleasure lies in knowing that sacrificing in some areas unlocks indulgences in others, those that actually matter.
“JOMO isn’t about scarcity, it’s about intention,” says Brennan Decima, Financial Advisor and Owner of Decima Wealth Consulting. “It’s the freedom that comes from choosing joy on your own terms, not your neighbor’s. When success is no longer measured by what others own or do, stress fades and contentment grows.”
If conspicuous spending is contagious, proximity makes it all the more dangerous. Historic Federal Reserve studies of individual bankruptcy filings have shown that neighbors of lottery winners are more likely to go bankrupt, and the larger the lottery prize, the more likely bankruptcy becomes.
“Whenever you see someone with a flashy new car in the driveway, try flipping the script: ask yourself, ‘I wonder how much debt they’re in to afford that?’,” says Dr. Steven Crane, founder of Financial Legacy Builders. “It’s a great way to keep perspective. Expensive watches, cars, and homes don’t necessarily signal wealth; more often than not, they’re signs of people leveraged up to their eyeballs.”
Time Out
From “No-Spend September” to “Frugal February,” Americans are embracing short-term financial detoxes to reset their relationship with money. These month-long no-spend challenges, often shared on TikTok or Reddit forums, encourage participants to cut back on dining, shopping, or subscription creep. The appeal isn’t just saving cash; it’s rediscovering contentment in restraint.
Many financial advisors across the US see abstaining periods as a jumping-off point for JOMO and can show that joy can be found in skipping the spending rather than the experience.
“Using a time-bound goal around eliminating non-essential spending can be a great way to jolt you out of your normal behavior and can help you develop healthy habits,” says Chris Musick, Founder of Purpose Financial Planning. “Other time-related tips can be to wait 24 or 48 hours before making a purchase.”
Yet others see these financial fasts as fads.
“In theory, I get it, but just abstaining trends tend to go too far,” says Erik Buatte, Founder of LifeFirst Wealth. “Balance is the key to living your best life possible, and living for today, as much as planning for tomorrow.”
“Too much of anything can go sideways, even something as well-intentioned as JOMO,” says Crane. “I get the appeal of no-spend September or the idea of finding joy in investing instead of spending, but I think we tend to overcomplicate things with all these buzzwords. My advice? Keep it simple ‘DOYU’ – Do you.”
Joy Trades
FOMO sentiment has fueled investor behavior in recent years. Made famous by “meme stock” meltdowns like GameStop (GME) and altcoin initial coin offerings, these fads reflect the desperation of many consumers to make a quick buck and not feel left out.
Investors’ average time horizon has shrunk dramatically in recent years. While the average US equity holding period was over 5 years in the 1970s, in recent years it has hovered below the one-year mark. Many investors now move with immediacy, as technology unleashes high-speed trading and short-term thinking, neither of which leads to demonstrably better results. Yet, there is ample academic research showing that traditional approaches still offer the best potential to outperform the broad market.
Oftentimes, the mental discipline to achieve those long-term returns starts by being ready to miss out on Wall Street’s favorite new ticker.
Less is More
JOMO sits squarely within a broader shift that’s redefining success and satisfaction, from “quiet quitting” to “soft saving” or “townsizing.” Younger generations are embracing a lifestyle that prizes balance, autonomy, and emotional well-being over relentless ambition. It’s a quiet rebellion against hustle culture, a movement away from measuring net worth by productivity or possessions, and toward a more mindful, modest approach to living.
“Societal norms have always swung like a pendulum, and right now we’re seeing it arc away from hustle culture, that constant go-go energy, toward something slower and more intentional,” says Crane.
“Many are asking, ‘For what?’ It’s common to hear older generations advising them to stop, smell the roses, and enjoy being young, often with a hint of regret that they didn’t do the same,” he adds.
“If done right, JOMO ties all these trends together,” says Musick. “It’s the enough mindset. A smaller home, slower career path, or simpler lifestyle – less pressure, more time and space to pursue what you want, not what is expected of you.”
Ultimately, JOMO isn’t about withdrawal or apathy; it’s about alignment. Choosing to miss out on what doesn’t serve or fulfill gives space for what actually does. Financially, emotionally, and socially, the joy of missing out is really the freedom of opting in to one’s true priorities.