Aaron Weber is the cook in his family of six. He said he keeps things simple, but that’s sort of hard to believe when you hear about the herbs and spices in his rotation. He uses imported seasonings like Albanian sage, Turkish oregano, Vietnamese cinnamon and za'atar that used to be hard to find in Kansas City, where he lives. 

“It’s nice to be able to pick from the world’s menu, right? And I do not want to go back,” Weber said. 

After the first and steepest April tariff announcements from the White House, Weber, who works in marketing and sales, decided to stock up. He spent about $160 at his local Penzey’s spice store, but expects the same haul to cost a lot more in the coming months. 

“With the price uncertainty, possibly not being able to get your hands on things that you’ve grown reliant upon in your everyday life, it’s very easy to feel resentful,” Weber said. 

We know consumers have been racing to buy essentials in anticipation of price hikes: things like cars and home appliances that are likely to get more expensive in the changing global trade environment. But the uncertainty is impacting our discretionary buying, too, and turning the things we usually buy for fun and comfort into panic purchases for some consumers. 

“Consumers right now really may feel kind of helpless against the economic forces,” said Christine Whelan, an expert on consumer well-being at Emory University. “And when we feel that way, we try to solve it.” 

Even Whelan said she feels the impulse to spend as a way to claw back some control, especially on the treats that make her family comfortable. 

“One of the ones that I’m really wrestling with as a mom of five children is toys,” some 80% of which are manufactured in China, Whelan said. “But there’s a crucial distinction between buying a birthday gift that you would need for your kid anyway versus filling your basement with random toys just in case.”

In these uncertain economic times, Whelan said consumers have to know themselves and reflect on their spending habits to resist the pressure to panic shop. 

“You really can’t feel comfortable because there’s no stability,” said Raymond Olgado, an ecommerce marketing professional who lives in Los Angeles. “If you forgo buying something, prices might shoot up the following day.” 

Olgado’s tariff-induced “fear-of-missing-out” buy was a fancy new road bicycle that he said will help him get outside his neighborhood on longer rides. 

“My original plan was to buy it around May or June,” Olgado said, when many brands release new models. “But I had to move that schedule way earlier.” 

In early April, Olgado cashed out some stocks to afford the $5,000 expense. He considers it a smart buy (especially after the brand that makes his new bike announced tariffs will likely drive up prices) and sort of a “last hurrah” splurge before he foresees reining in his discretionary buying. 

But that word “discretionary” means different things to different consumers. 

“I work in education, so I don’t make money, so this is not good,” said Regina Krause, a public school curriculum developer in Austin, Texas.

Krause keeps a pretty tight budget but likes to treat herself to skincare, makeup and especially sunscreen from Korean and Japanese retailers. 

“It’s sunny here in Texas so I use a lot,” Krause said. 

Earlier this month, she bulk bought about ten bottles of sunscreen, plus some face wash and moisturizer online. The total came to about $130, which hurt, especially after the tariff outlook changed. 

“At first I felt really angry that I did the buy,” Krause said. “But then at the same time I was like, ‘You know what, I’m not gonna risk it because clearly nothing stays.’” 

The back and forth on tariffs is giving Krause some whiplash and turning purchases that used to be about self care into a new source of stress.