Dec 6, 2025
Lily, a 26-year-old barista from Orlando, showed up on Caleb Hammer’s show Financial Audit laughing about her $50,000 debt and bragging about plans to travel to Disneyland in California.
“I could die tomorrow, so I’m spending money today,” she said of her splurges, adding that she believes Disneyland is more magical than Disneyworld.
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Hammer’s response?
“You’re a Disney adult,” he exclaimed. “You have the brain of a five-year-old.”
Hammer was flabbergasted that Lily wouldn’t just visit Disney World, the equally Magic Kingdom just 18 minutes away from Orlando (1).
Instead, she’s flying to California and staying with two friends at a hotel that will cost each of them $40 a night. She noted the hotel stay includes breakfast so she’ll save money.
But as Hammer pointed out, she’ll still spend thousands on meals and at the resort. According to the Mouse Hacking blog, even on a budget, a family of three may spend $4,147 (minus hotel) on four days at Disneyland, including paid line-skipping and meals (2).
Lily rationalized the adventure as a “mental health trip.” Her sentiment has become popular on TikTok and other platforms, where “treat yourself” culture often blends into money advice.
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For someone already buried in $50,000-worth of consumer debt, that’s less self-care and more self-sabotage.
When money, stress, and mental health collide
Lily told Hammer that she finds it hard to budget, stay organized and plan and blames her depression and ADHD for these challenges.
Hammer retorted that she was using her diagnoses to avoid responsibility for her spending behaviors.
But there is a real link between money and mental health. According to the Financial Health Network, 40% of Americans report high or moderate financial stress (3).
Those with lower incomes are 1.5 to three times more likely to experience mental health challenges like anxiety and depression. Lily — who is studying marketing at university while working two jobs as a barista and restaurant server — earns between $10 and $12 an hour plus tips.
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Meanwhile, a Canvas Credit Union study found that 82% of Americans report being stressed about money, which can lead to overspending (4).
So using travel, shopping or dining out as a temporary mood boost is common.
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The danger of 'I’m not the problem' money thinking
As Caleb pointed out, TikTok and Instagram may make things worse.
When every other video tells you your ADHD, trauma or burnout “explains” your money habits, it can be validating — but it can also make change feel impossible.
For Lily, that mindset shows up in several ways:
- She blames external situations and people rather than adjusting her spending or trying a different approach.
- She prioritizes regular vacations over paying down high-interest debt that’s draining her paycheck every month.
- She treats her low income and high expenses as fate, not as variables she could influence over time with different job choices, roommates, or side income.
Caleb tried to reinforce the concept of responsibility into Lily.
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“This is you, the decisions you've made,” he said, “not wanting to sacrifice and actually get out of it forever and stick to a budget.”
Caring for your mind and your money
If you see yourself in Lily, the answer is to build systems that respect both your mental health and finances.
Here are a few recommendations to follow:
- Develop a spending plan. List your actual income, your essential bills, and your debts — then decide in advance where each dollar will go (5).
- Shrink the decision fatigue. Automate minimum payments on debts and key bills to reach goals.
- Create a “dopamine delay”. Wait 24–72 hours before booking a trip or buying something over a set dollar amount.
- Build a tiny safety buffer. Even one month of basic expenses in a savings account can lower financial stress and reduce future crisis debt.
- Ask for help early. Involving a trusted friend, mentor or nonprofit counsellor (7) in reviewing your budget can provide both accountability and emotional support.
Most importantly, try swapping the TikTok mantra “I could die tomorrow, so I’m spending today” for a different question:
If I’m still here five or 10 years from now, what would my future self be grateful I did with this $200, $500 or $2,000?
Article sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.
Caleb Hammer Financial Audit (1): Mouse Hacking (2); Financial Health Network (3); Canvas Credit Union (4); Mental Health America (5); Fidelity Canada (6)
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Monique Danao is a highly experienced journalist, editor and copywriter with 8 years of expertise in finance and technology. Her work has been featured in leading publications such as Forbes, Decential, 99Designs, Fast Capital 360, Social Media Today and the South China Morning Post.
