4 Influencers Who Want You to Spend Less: Sabrina Pare

This is the first installment of a four-part series in which NerdWallet Canada profiles social media influencers who use their clout to help people spend less.

Social media can be a minefield for people with a penchant for overspending.

The temptation to experience what others have is hard to resist, especially when so much activity on TikTok and Instagram — ads, sponsored content, easy in-app purchases — is designed to pry open your wallet.

A dress looks flattering — buy it here. A trip looks magical — book it now. A night out looks epic — recreate it tonight.

But influence works both ways. The Instachoir might be chanting “Buy this, be happy,” but some influencers sing a different tune: “Spend less, live happier.”

That’s the kind of music most people could stand to hear — and it’s the message being orchestrated by the influencers featured in this four-part series.

First up is Detroit-based mom-to-be, Sabrina Pare.

Consumed by consumption

Sabrina Pare (IG: @sabrinaa_pare; TikTok: @sabrina_pare) became a financial influencer to help others break the pattern of impulse buying and overconsumption she was once trapped in.

“I see it both in my everyday life and online — people constantly chasing the next thing, hoping it will bring them happiness, only to find themselves unfulfilled and searching for more,” she said in an email.

“But once I stepped back, I saw the bigger picture. True fulfillment doesn’t come from accumulating more stuff — it comes from being intentional, valuing what truly matters, and freeing yourself from the constant pressure to consume.”

Pare never went into debt due to her spending habits, but only because she worked multiple jobs. The extra time and effort went into paying for a lifestyle that left her feeling empty.

“I was caught in the cycle of working hard just to spend more, and it was exhausting,” she said.

“Now, I’m much more intentional with my spending, focusing on things that truly add value to my life. Instead of buying things just for the sake of having them, I prioritize experiences, financial security, and the freedom to spend my time on what really matters to me.”

Spending and sustainability

As an expectant mother, Pare often creates content related to both parenting and sustainability, the latter being a way to cut costs and preserve a fragile world for the next generation.

“Sustainability and personal finance go hand in hand. Every choice we make as consumers impacts both our wallets and the planet,” she said.

“Every product requires resources to be made, so I try to be intentional about what I bring into my life — choosing reusable, durable options and making the most of what I already have. This mindset not only reduces waste but also helps me save money in the long run because I’m buying less.”

Even simple switches, like replacing disposable plastic razors with a reusable safety razor, have saved Pare’s household money while creating less waste.

“Making sustainable choices like this has helped me become more mindful of my spending and has reinforced the idea that I don’t need to constantly buy new things to live well.”

Sabrina Pare’s pointers for parents:

Make secondhand your first choice. “I have found so many great deals on places like Facebook Marketplace.”
Lean into your community. “I have been able to get tons of free items from my local Buy Nothing group, which has helped me save a ton of money!”

How much influence do influencers have?

When it comes to getting young people to spend money, quite a lot.

Izea Insights’ 2024 Trust In Influencer Marketing Canada report found that 67% of Canadians aged 18 to 29 have purchased a product after seeing it used by an influencer. Fifty-one percent have purchased a product directly through a social media app.

But how effective are influencers in helping people do the opposite and rein in their spending?

Errol Osecki, an accounting professor at the University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management, is currently studying how financial influencers impact their followers’ emotions and decisions.

“Influencers, we know that they have an impact because they essentially replace word of mouth that you used to get from friends and family and the like,” Osecki says. “They fill this parasocial void as more people spend time alone.”

Osecki’s research is still in progress. Regardless of what it uncovers, he believes that changing financial behaviour requires more than just consuming the right content. It takes commitment.

“You need to want change if any change is going to happen,” he says. “But certainly external content can play a role in influencing how that change takes place.”

Photo provided by Sabrina Pare.