impulsive spending

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Sometimes I'm impulsive with money to the point of pure stupidity. Last week I was really really annoyed by the noise on the bus one particular day (when the bus screeches to a halt at a stop this bothers me-that day it was really screechy/squeaky) and I went out and bought the first pair of headphones I could find with active noise cancellation -spent over $100 without researching the product first. The thing is I already own a noise cancellation head set (not head phones that you can listen to music with at the same time) and it doesn't work well at all-it helps a little but not too much. I told myself I would research before buying another of these kind of expensive products....but betrayed myself and broke my promise. That day I was using earplugs but they weren't working, then I switched to my regular head phones and I could still hear the annoying noise so I went to the store to buy these special headphones- which I had been thinking about buying but had not researched. These new headphones also only help a little more than my regular ones- they aren't that great. I'm such an idiot. Then today I had a psychologist's appointment and she was saying that I should wear a little bit of make-up in order to be up to present better to the public- make a better impression when I meet people- but I stopped wearing make-up and haven't owned any - except for a single tube of concealer in over a year-so of course I just went out and bought the make-up tonight and spent another hundred- also without researching where the best deals were ect. The rest of my money usually goes on plush stuffed animals for my collection and food (fast food that I don't need and treats ect). I made a little over $1,000 - like $1,300 or something-working over the summer- and now I'm taking one university course but not working - can't do both together- and I only have $583 left- so I spent over $600 in 2 months on useless things! holy crap!

Are any of you impulsive spenders? I know a lot of people here are too logical to do this kind of thing...........I wish I were........

Better get this under control. Debt and bankruptcy start this way. Consider meds and therapy for OCD.

Did you shrink directly say you should where make up or did she mean something else ?

I've done my share of impulse shopping, so don't feel bad. I don't usually spent an enormous amount of money, but I will go on buying spurts to find the "perfect" something or other. Shoes, makeup, clothing, food--- I have to try every brand, and then I settle on the one I like best.

I agree about the debt and bankruptcy......I know it's a real problem. Why do you think this is related to OCD? Or did you just mean ADHD? Impulsiveness is related to ADHD. I take medication for ADHD and another medication for anxiety and I am seeing a psychologist for everything.

She did say it directly............she thinks one of my problems with getting jobs and what not is the way I present myself and that I seem too childish and she wants me to look more put-together and grown-up. I didn't own any make-up -except one tube of concealer-so I had to buy it ..............but I just REALLY should have researched the products and where I could get the best deals instead of just going out and buying it.......hence the impulsiveness.

Last edited by daydreamer84 on 01 Nov 2012, 9:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.

This is a HUGE problem for me. It's terrible because I am living solely off of student loans, and I am running out of money quickly. My counsellor at school just started helping me with this issue, but this is only very recently.

Meh this is pretty typical behavior for most people.

That's how I've been with the noise cancellation devices. I really want to find one that blocks out screechy noises completely......but no such thing seems to exist. With food I just buy cookies and cakes and fast food when it's near me and I want it.

Last edited by daydreamer84 on 01 Nov 2012, 9:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.

What's typical behaviour: having to go see a counsellor for money issues?

Anyway, most people don't spend so much they are almost homeless...which is what I will be in about 5 months if I don't learn to budget better and stop impulsively spending.

No actually most people spend so much money homeless would be an improvement. Debt in our modern society is a major issue.

Students are especially hit hard, the process of students loans coming in bulk sums is a major problem. It makes absolutely no sense at all, as no employer in their wildest dreams would pay people once every 4 months, because common sense is everyone would be broke.

OCD isn't what causes impulsive spending - I've been successfully having my OCD treated for years and impulsive spending is still a big problem for me.

daydreamer84 - I also have a problem with impulsive spending. While I know how to shop for good deals, I have a tendency to buy a lot of stuff that I don't need or really want. There are four large plastic bins in my garage that are filled to the brim with books, DVDs, and toys that I have bought on a whim but wound up regretting it. I would say that I haven't even seen most of the movies on DVD that I own, nor read any of the books.

However, I am starting to do a little better since the last time I spent money was in August. I'm almost afraid to spend money for my upcoming birthday, even though it is one of two times a year when it's socially acceptable to spend money on oneself (the other being Christmas). I guess I'm just tired of buying things that I regret or never use. Oh well.

Compulsive Shopping Disorder is related to OCD. However, I think compulsive shopping is more about being preoccupied with shopping, constantly wanting to by something, anxiety and restlessness when you can't shop, etc.

To me, your problem sounds more like ADHD impulsiveness. It sounds like you are not really driven by compulsion or anxiety, but you just buy something as soon as it comes into your head without stopping to thing about if you really need it. (Is that correct? I might have interpreted your original post wrong.) I do that sometimes too, although fortunately for me, I usually get sticker shock over anything that costs more than twenty dollars, so I usually don't waste too much.

Have you thought about carrying cash only? If you don't carry a credit or debit card or checks, then you are strictly limited on how much you can spend. Don't carry more that you think you might need to get you through the day. You can always go home and get more if you really need it, but that will give you extra time to think.

I seem to be constantly beating myself up (more mentally than physically) these days for falling into a complacence over small purchases that add up too quickly.

I forgot about books. The most pathetic thing is I've been good about money in a way,compared to how I normally am because I've been getting the books from the series I'm now reading from the library instead of buying them and adding them to my collection. If I hadn't done that I'd be completely broke by now! I've spent SO much money on books in the past it's ridiculous!