Oh @! - yet another spending spree
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| Thu, 04-06-2006 - 11:15am |
I just woke up to the fact last night that I may have been on a major spending spree this past fortnight. I thought I was just buying new stuff for my new apartment, and yes I do need a dining table and a new bed, but all at the same time? Plus adopting a cat from the local humane society. Oh and of course, now that I have these new items, I have to buy stuff to go with it, ie; dining chairs, sheets, litter-tray, catfood, etc, etc. No wonder my parents haven't been terribly enthusiastic about my tales of "guess what I bought today!" Of course, they won't realise it's the BP that's doing it - they just think I'm terribly extravagant and silly - and if I try to explain they'll assume I'm using the BP as an excuse, but oh well.
The point is, I still have that dreadful urge in me to go out and buy more because I definitely "need" a new lamp for my office and bedside table and and and. HELP!

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Sheesh!
Jodie
i can't even think of what i could actually do with that money.it makes me cringe.
i gave my brother the rest of my money to hold just in case.
as for you,you recognize it & with knowledge comes power.call your pdoc if this can be controlled with a med upgrade.
as for what you bought..well..you said you needed it so don't beat yourself up.enjoy it.
I am a spender i always have been. When i was a kid, and my mom was having a bad day, she would take us shopping. (4 of us) I do it now for myself. I work very hard at not over spending. This is what I do. I hope it helps you.
If you don't mind me asking if you paid on credit or cash? You don't have to tell me just know that there is a difference. Is your spending affecting others, like you children or you parents? ( ie if you can't pay your bills because you over spent do you ask you children to go with out or do you ask you parents for money to pay your rent or bills?) Or do you just "GO WITHOUT" when you realized you have over spent for the the month?
If I binge on credit that is a bad, bad, bad it means i am not really tuned in to what is happing around me BIG RED FLAG for me. If I binge with cash then, I better be able to pay my bills because no one else is going to pay them for me.
From 18-22 YOA I was forced to close, cancel, and cut up many a credit card. I binge bought left right and sideways cars, houses,and clothing for myself and others. At 24 I moved away from the area that i grew up in and closed all my bank Acct. except 1 a FCU acct. that had mine and my mothers name on it that i could touch with out her permission. I started to live on a cash only plan because for 7 years i could not open a new checking OR savings acct. as a result of my very bad binge spending. Take control of it now if you can.
These are my Self imposed consequences for binge spending on CREDIT:
I put my C cards in my safety deposit box at the bank for a time. I have cut up cards to stop from using them. I also called/wrote the card issuer and ask them to close the account all together if it is a really bad binge. I have also ask the issuer that if for 2, 4 or 6 months i would like all charge privileges suspended even if there is avail funds that i will continue to pay the debt but that the spending has gotten out of control. Honesty always seems to work.
I keep ONE at the house with only enough avail to buy an "EMERGENCY" item. I DO NOT CARRY IT IN MY PURSE or WALLET it is kept at the house as a precaution in the event of an emergency if I/DBF need a plane ticket home or for work. Since most of my CC are associated with my Design work if over spend i can really get myself into trouble with clients.
8 years ago when i moved to NY put myself on a STRICT spending plan with my cash funds (ie checking/savings). Living in NY just going to work each day cost around $4 so depending on where you live this could be different. I also do not include NECESSITIES in my allowance they are budgeted each month into household cost. SO is my Monthly metro card which cost $76 is paid for out of household money as are groceries and laundry etc.
This is what i give myself weekly if i am working. (If i am not currently working 5 days a week then i base it on a $20 a day model $ 10 for lunch and $7-10 for walking around or on my 10% rule)
Lunch money for the week $50 ($10 a day) (this is not an necessity. If I wanted to pack my lunch then i would have $20 a day walking around money I choose to buy lunch everyday so I pay for it out of my allowance.)
Walking around for the week $50 ($7 a day)
total $400
$400 a month that I can spend on myself which is 10% of my monthly gross income. For me if i cannot afford to spend %10 on myself. While the government takes 26% of my earnings then I am not working for myself-- i am working for the GOV, The gas company, the phone company, the credit card people, the Cable company, my landlord and so on... I pay myself then i Pay my bills it helps me to not feel like all my money is going to someone other than me-- but don't over pay yourself. The Gov take aprox 25% off the top, I put 10% off the TOP in my pocket (my ALLOWANCE), Then i divid my net earning like this: 10%- %15 percent of the NET earning into the saving acct. I contribute aprox. 50% of my NET earnings to the cost of running our household (DBF does the same we don always earn the same i sometime make more than he does and vis versa so we worked out this percentage system based on our earning) that leaves about 25% of my earning to be applied toward paying down my debt or purchasing a new "luxury item"
I hope this helps you,
Sorry if it was long.
Christine
When I get like that, I do lots of online "research". Basically, I head over to amazon.com, and fill up a wishlist with stuff, but don't buy it.
Or, I go grocery shopping or to the dollar store, so I can fulfill that urge with things I actually need (groceries), or I fill a cart and only spend $20.
Don't feel so bad. I once bought a car while manic. A 1997 Dodge Neon. I'm still driving that piece of crapola, too.
I don't actually feel bad about any of this. I do really need this stuff, but I could've waited or spread the purchases out over a few months instead of all at once. Luckily, my sprees are further apart these days. Partly because I'm better at recognising them, partly because I now live quite a ways from shops instead of having them within walking distance and partly because my salary is about $11k less than a year ago. Also, I don't have any store credit cards any more, I patronise my local libraries and when the urge hits me, I try to stay home and watch HBO instead. I'm just surprised that I didn't realise it sooner.
Maybe it wasn't a spree that came on its own, but was triggered by my first large purchase? Hmm, now there's a thought.
Well, if you've not overspent, aren't in debt, etc, it could just be that you are doing something completely normal - having fun shopping for a new apartment!
I mean, if you aren't going out and buying things you don't need or can't afford, it sounds like you are making wise financial decisions and are just having fun shopping.
It's okay to have fun shopping!
Not every spree is a manic spree. Just do what you are doing and keep an eye on it and make sure you're only buying stuff you need and can afford and you'll be doing better than half the people in the US without BP, lol!
I'm so much better with money than I was before I had Ellie and part of that is when you have a kid, you HAVE to buy new stuff all the time (little squirt just keeps outgrowing clothes and shoes...OMG, the shoes...), so I've learned that I can have fun shopping and enjoy it and not feel guilty as long as I have to money to pay for what I've bought.
Yeah, I know how that feels.
I actually have two budgets - mine, and my mom's. I do her checking account and taxes and stuff, and also buy everything for the household out of her account. And lately, she's been getting some really great commissions, so I've been able to get some "frivilous" stuff - like landscaping stuff and new kitchen towels and stuff like that.
It's weird.
Just keep making a little bit more than your minimum payments, and anything left over is for you.
Do you have budget? I keep my budgets on excel, so I can plan spending and see how it will affect my cash flow over the next few months. I could send you an example of the spreadsheet if you like. It's really easy to use, and you can see how your current spending will affect you next month, so if you HAVE overspent, you can shuffle money if you need to.
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