When Decision Fatigue Starts Costing You Money

InnovationHealthcareWhen Decision Fatigue Starts Costing You MoneyByJohn Samuels,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. John Samuels is the Founder/CEO of Wellworth healthcare advisory firm.Follow AuthorJun 02, 2026, 08:00am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Financial planning assumes clarity. Real life often operates under exhaustion.gettySome financial mistakes are not really about money. They are about exhaustion.They happen after a day filled with decisions that may seem small on their own but add up quickly: What time is the doctor’s appointment? Did the prescription get refilled? Who is picking up the kids? Should you call your mother’s specialist back? What’s for dinner? Did you pay that bill? Is your child struggling? Why is the insurance claim still unresolved? Can you squeeze in work, answer the texts, handle the schedule, remember the forms?Researchers estimate that adults make roughly 35,000 decisions a day. For someone managing a family, a career and caregiving responsibilities, many of those choices are not trivial. They involve health, money, logistics, emotional labor and other people’s well-being — often before noon.Then, the time for a bigger decision arrives. It may involve retirement planning, healthcare costs, insurance coverage, an aging parent’s care or a major financial move. Then what happens? Many people are no longer making that choice from a place of mental clarity.They are making it from a place of depletion.We Even Have A Name For It: Decision FatigueIt’s what happens when a steady accumulation of choices, responsibilities and mental demands begins to erode decision quality, making it harder to think clearly, weigh long-term consequences and make thoughtful decisions.MORE FOR YOUWhile this affects everyone, it can be especially pronounced for women, who often spend their days managing children, aging parents...