I can't stop spending money

Ha! I’m in the same boat OP

1 - This isn't that unusual so don't feel too bad, but still ...

2- Cut up (not sock-drawer) all credit card and debit cards and use cash. Record the debit card number for on-line purchases. Go to the bank every time you get paid, get in cash what you think you will need, and live on it. If you have an emergency, or are going to travel, you can always call and order a replacement card, but it will take 3-5 days, and the urge to blow money will probably have passed by then.

3- Consider an Amex Green or Gold card. They have annual fees, but the benefits are great, and they MUST BE PAID OFF EVERY MONTH (this is what I do).

Is OP the tacky lamp troll? If so, stop spending money on garish lamps. You don't need so many.

I love it that DL has a tacky lamp addict. Flavah!

Maybe switch to using cash only, where possible. See a therapist. This is serious. You don't want to be in insurmountable debt for a hunk of junk.

ADHD drugs - Ritalin, etc. They stopped permanently my buying sprees. It took about 6 months to really kick in. Ask your doctor. Buying sprees are focusing your attention on something because you have anxiety. But they are not working for you. Better you figure out and focus on the the anxious causing situations. And if you can't do much about them, you can learn OTHER things to do that will take your mind off your issues. Shopping is NOT the only activity. If you are "collecting" to feather your nest, there are ways to collect that take up no space. Make pinterest boards, for example. Browse the museums of the world - they all now have their collections online - and collect the art that you like - make slide shows. You could knit, and give away your items. Or bake. You need activities that are not shopping, don't cost must, and stimulate your mind and aesthetic needs.

I’ve heard that you should carry a ledger with you, then enter EVERYTHING you buy, with the price. Do this for a month and then review what you’d written down.

“You can’t manage something if you can’t measure it” and “Knowledge is power.”

OP I have the same problem , not big purchases but small ones, which I feel is just as bad, if not worse. I heard Iyanla Vanzant on TV this week talk about her own overspending. She said it's just a way of filling a void. I bought a house recently, after a couple of years of working and doing nothing with my money but saving. I really wanted a break from saving and being smart with money. My feeling like I never get to have fun with my money is the void that Im working on.

I also lost weight in the last two years. I feel like the shopping high has replaced the food high for me, so Im working on that as well. And yes, I buy the same stuff as any other other homosexual, clothes, shoes, 4 LAMPS in the last month, and all that other bullshit that queens like!

Isn't there like a Shopper's Anonymous. I put every cent a can into saving for retirement....try spending that way!

I know there’s a debtors anonymous.

#1 Filling a void.

#2 Being obsessive and compulsive about buying the same things over and over.

You may need help if you can't stop on your own.

[Quote] invariably loose money

Oh dear!

that's called 'change'

i just spent over $100 dollars on high end sunscreen. What was I thinking?

I do the same shit. I'm awful.

Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination.

great quote [R16]

If you’re going to keep buying, collect something useful, scarce, and relatively inexpensive like, say, a silver pattern that’s no longer made. Pieces will be harder to find but buying a piece or two at a time means you won’t spend a fortune all at once and ultimately it’s useful: you can eat lunch with it. It’s not likely to sell for a fortune unless formal dining comes back into style, but at least it’s worth whatever silver is selling for by the ounce. It doesn’t have to be old Gorham place settings, but they are an example of something that is at once inexpensive to buy, requires some work to find, and is useful.

Otherwise, Ritalin and therapy. Me? I’d rather have the dinner forks...

If it makes you happy do it. If it is going to result in financial problems, you will know about it very quickly when your cards get declined.

Agree with R5 about the cash. I've been having a problem with my debit card and started having to buy things in cash. It really opened my eyes how quickly I was going through money and improved my spending habits.

Welcome to my world. It will get worse. I have OCD and manic depression which contribute to my behavior. I’m aware of my problem but can’t help myself. Watch Hoarders.

I also buy stuff I can’t afford. I mean, I shop despite having outstanding credit card debt. I’m not obsessive about it, but I shouldn’t do it at all. My thing is vintage clothing, pictures, bags, etc. I rationalize it by only buying stuff I really love.

OP, relax. What you’re going through is something most people deal with.

My only advice is that you should not, under any circumstance, buy any azaleas. No good will come of that, trust me.

I have a problem with food and spending when I feel I need to reward myself after working particularly hard. Lately work has been stressful every day so I'm spending and eating more than I should.

I like to spend my money on alpha masters online. I'm their "cash-fag".

I'm the same, OP, and it's so bad I had to put our lamp troll on ignore because if I see him being happy about buying those terrific and horrifying lamps, it makes me want to go out and buy stuff, too.

I've had some luck forcing myself to wait a few days before buying something. Choose two or three things, put them in your cart or bookmark them, then tell yourself you'll decide which you'll buy in a day or two. I find that waiting a few days keeps me from buying at all. The trick is to remember to wait.

The internet has made it so easy for impulse purchases I am freaking out. I impulse bought a reciprocating saw I don't fucking need for example. I buy house shit all the time I just ultimately don't need. Or I forget I already have. It's the little shit. It all adds up.

I almost bought a kitchen suite because it's on sale and much nicer than what I have got going now, but I held back. I took the money I was going to spend on it and dumped it into savings. But I mean, I could buy an entire kitchen suite with just a few clicks. I could buy a car online if i wanted to. It's crazy.

I read a good post the other day about NOT browsing retail sites but browsing AirBnb as a way of sating that urge. Plan a trip and start looking over all the possibilities. I love to do this and it really distracts me from spending and sometimes porn.

Is this a thread for fat, old pathological spendthrift bitches?

//runing away

Hopefully to learn how to spell.

R28 Wouldn't that just make you want to spend money on vacations instead?

I keep buying stuff at Walgreens and when I spend 20 they give me 5000 points. I keep buying random things from those fuckers because 5000 points= $5

Lint rollers, candles, mugs, oatmeal, crayons

Bump

[quote]great quote [[R16]]

What's so great about it?

OP, are you the same dumbass that wanted that hideous Tiffany knock off floral lamp? Here's a tip. BUY TASTEFUL THINGS (on sale) AND YOU WON'T REGRET SPENDING YOUR MONEY!

I just bought a set of 9 carnival glass dessert bowls. They are gorgeous,but I have zero use for them.I just had to have them because they were $1 each.I have a sideboard and a cabinet and a spare room closet stuffed with china sets and serving pieces and glassware that I will never ever use,so why do I keep buying this shit ???