Extant research on hedonic goods has largely assumed that consumers justify consumption before consuming. However, in everyday life, consumers often justify hedonic consumption after consuming. For instance, a dieter may exercise in the few days after eating a luxurious chocolate cake. In three studies, we draw upon mental accounting to provide insights into the justification process that underlies hedonic consumption, and propose differences between pre- and post-consuming. In line with our expectations, we find that consumers justify hedonic consumption more pre- than post-consuming. We also show that, whereas a process-focus leads to justifications before hedonic consumption, an outcome-focus leads to them afterwards. Directions for further research and implications for marketing practice are offered.