I admit it. I’m a stress spender. I’m sure there’s a 12-step program that addresses this. Stress spending is probably not so different from those other “over” behaviors: over eating, over exercising, over drinking, over working or what ever you over indulge in.
The past year has been stressful for many, including my family. Additional unexpected expenses related to my husband’s trip to the emergency room, the slow housing market, hikes in college tuition fees and right sizing at my company all have me feeling insecure about my financial future.
I’m a smart girl. You would think that I would logically adjust my spending during stressful times. And, I have. I buy fewer Diet Cokes and drink more water. I’m more careful about turning the lights off when I leave a room. I try to combine errands into one trip to save on gas. We have dinner at home more and eat out less.
But what I’ve noticed is that I’ve started to buy more “stuff” for fun. Not big ticket items, but a pair of shoes that were a steal deal. Or the cropped jeans I rationalized I “need” for summer. All of the purchases were online. Easy, quick and heck, I could always return them later if I decide I don’t need them. Except I don’t return them. Ever.
I’ve fallen into a trap of thinking “hey, I deserve this. I work hard. I’m making sacrifices. We’re not going on vacation this year. What’s buying one summer top going to hurt?” Except it doesn’t stop at one purchase. There’s been more than a handful this spring.
So, the alarm’s gone off. I’m responding to the wake up call. Feeling stressed isn’t a good reason to ignore my end goal of improving my finances. I’m putting a freeze on online buying. And, I bet I feel a lot less guilty and a lot less anxious about finances.
See if you recognize yourself in the “You Might Be a Stress Spender If” list. I saw a bit of myself in # 5.
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