42% of millennials admit to drunk shopping, spending close to $900 each time

Americans spent $44.9 billion on drunk purchases over the last 12 months, buying everything from food and furniture to shoes and accessories, according to a new survey.

Shopping while sober may lead to the usual questions of: Do I really need this? Does this look good on me? And do I really want to spend that much on a pair of shoes? Those questions tend to become less important when people are enjoying a bottle of wine and online shopping from the comfort of their couch.

Personal finance website Finder has an annual tradition of finding out how many Americans admit to drunk shopping and how much they spend on tipsy purchases throughout the year.

For a 12-month period ending in February 2020, 22.9% of people surveyed admitted that they had made spontaneous purchases while drunk. That's slightly less than the 26.4% of respondents from the previous year who admitted to buying items while under the influence.

While the number of people who admit to drunk shopping has decreased, intoxicated shoppers are spending more money, according to the survey. Over the past 12 months, the typical drunk shopper spent $768.58 compared to $674.96 the previous year. More than a quarter of men said they've drunk shopped, compared to 19.1% of women.

Food and more alcohol were the most common drunk purchases for everyone, but 36.9% of people admitted they bought clothes, shoes and accessories while drunk.

Men were more likely than women to make drunk fashion purchases, according to the survey. Nearly half, 45.4%, said they purchased clothes, shoes and accessories while under the influence, compared to 20.2% of women.

Furniture shopping may seem like a big decision to make even when sober, but 5.1% of the men surveyed said they've made a furniture purchase while drunk, compared to 1.7% of women.

Millennials also proved to be the most likely to go drunk shopping — or at least to admit to it. Of those surveyed, 42.1% of millennials said they have spent an average of $879.71 when drunk. Gen Z followed with 35.4% and an average drunk spend of $650.48.

While it turns out drunk shopping is good for the economy, let's just hope everyone remembers — and still likes — what they ordered come morning.