I don't know if it's a chick thing, or a me thing, or an Arnold thing, but I like spending money. Not even just to GET stuff, but the act of hunting something out (that I didn't even know I needed), and buying it makes me feel gooood. Luck drugs-good.
So, rather than trying to STOP doing this completely, I've learned that I need to give myself safe outlets for spending money for no reason. Here are a few:
1) Thrift stores. Go into the store with oh, $10. Find something (or many things). I'm often surprised with the quality of some of the clothing I can find, especially at the Amvets at Walden. My mom and I go together, laugh at the funniest clothing, try stuff on for hours and leave tired and satisfied.
2) Freecycle (yahoo groups) and the free section on craigslist. I'm not sure why, but "shopping" for free things gets me just as happy as buying things. In the last few weeks, I found a blender, a crockpot, and 250 legal books (for my dorky law school boyfriend).
3) Budgeting "play" money. I give myself a certain amount of money every week, for food, gas, clothing, toiletries - basically anything except for rent/insurance/utilities. After I've covered the essentials in a week, I can use that money for whatever I want. Sometimes I spend it, but in a way having the OPTION to spend it makes me spend it less. Instead lately I've been saving for a small weekend trip. Hmmm,if spending money is less exciting when I'm allowed to do it, I wonder if spending money is an act of rebellion? What do you think, mom?
Anyways, those are some of my tricks to deal with my spending addicition/affliction. I will never be able to STOP spending money in any form, so giving myself safe outlets keeps me from going overboard, and also prevents me from feeling guilty about the money I do spend. What are some of your ways to help you spend safely?
I look at the rush one gets when spending (esp if it is a DEAL) as comparable to the rush one gets when gambling, or doing any other behavioral addiction, like stealing. We want the rush, the adrenaline of the conquest, the win. You've said to me yourself, it isn't so much having the item, it's the rush of acquiring. There have been lots of time that I have been thrilled to buy a bag full of whatever, but don't even unpack the whatev for days. Or when I do unpack it, there is no more thrill, no luster. Buy = HIGH. Get it home = Humdrome....? So if it's the rush we seek, is there some kind of healthy way we can get it? I get a bit of it from growing stuff... Sometimes there's a form of it when reading some amazing prose, or hearing some amazing music, hm. Got any other ideas out there?
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