Overshoppers often limp along in a thick financial fog. They may have little grasp of where their money goes, how much they owe, or what to do about any of it. And every financial guru who would help them begins with roughly the same advice: start with clarity. Mint.com is a free, internet-based program for… Continue reading Mint: The Flavor of Financial Clarity
Category: Money Behaviors
Eat, Shop, and Be Merry?
Early on in my study of consumer behavior, I attended a national conference on eating disorders. Catherine Steiner-Adair, one of the keynote speakers, asked the audience what we thought were the two major activities traditionally pursued by women to deal with life’s ups and downs. The silence was palpable. She then answered her own question:… Continue reading Eat, Shop, and Be Merry?
The Web of Overconsumption Tangles Farther
Four recent reports from three continents—Europe, Africa, and Asia—point to the widening net of shopping addiction. Coupled with my recent post, “Compulsive Buying: A Passage to India?” there’s more and more evidence that it poses a serious and worsening global problem. In a piece in the Austria Times, alarmingly titled “Every fourth Austrian threatened by… Continue reading The Web of Overconsumption Tangles Farther
Response to Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture
As a reforming bookaholic and bargain shopper, I recently borrowed—borrowed, please note—a fascinating audiobook from the library, Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture, by Ellen Ruppell Shell. It’s all about consumerism and it focuses particularly on discount stores—which happen to be the site of many of my purchases that I later regret. The book… Continue reading Response to Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture
Takeaways from the Rebound and Recover Panel at the Texas Conference for Women
On November 10th, I was a member of the personal finance panel at the Texas Conference for Women in Houston. The panel, Rebound and Recover: Strategies for Emerging from the Recession and Taking Control of Your Finances, definitely delivered on the promise of giving the audience members practical skills and tools and I was delighted… Continue reading Takeaways from the Rebound and Recover Panel at the Texas Conference for Women
The Smartest Way to Save: Why You Can’t Hang on to Money and What to Do About It
Samuel K. Freshman and Heidi E. Clingen’s new book, The Smartest Way to Save: Why You Can’t Hang on to Money and What to Do About It, is so deceptively simple and reader-friendly that you almost don’t notice until you’ve finished how comprehensive it is. Replete with wise and immediately practicable suggestions about how to… Continue reading The Smartest Way to Save: Why You Can’t Hang on to Money and What to Do About It
Kick Yourself If Need Be…Don’t Use Shopkick!
Yet another inviting technological marketing ploy has emerged this season—just in time for holiday shopping. Shopkick, a new, free smartphone app, offers reward points for simply checking into stores, more points for scanning products, and still more points for buying. The points can be redeemed for gift cards at participating merchants—presently, Macy’s, American Eagle Outfitters,… Continue reading Kick Yourself If Need Be…Don’t Use Shopkick!
Shopping Support Buddies
A friend or family member is overshopping and this behavior is having serious negative consequences. Maybe you know what a deep financial hole this person has gotten into. Maybe you see the negative effect this behavior is having on important relationships or on the person’s work life or mental health. What can a friend or… Continue reading Shopping Support Buddies
The Curious Case of Parkinson’s Medication and Compulsive Behavior
A study in the recent Archives of Neurology documents the connection between certain Parkinson’s disease medications and a significant increase in the likelihood of an impulse-control disorder: buying, gambling, eating, or sex. The drugs at issue are dopamine-agonists, a class of pharmaceuticals that ease the difficult and frustrating motor symptoms associated with Parkinson’s. But patients… Continue reading The Curious Case of Parkinson’s Medication and Compulsive Behavior
Beware: Creative Old Dogs Inventing New Dirty Tricks
On Monday, February 22nd, the Credit Card Act of 2009 took effect, outlawing several of the most egregious practices of the credit card companies. Can you finally relax? C’mon—by now you know better than that! True, your interest rate can no longer suddenly skyrocket, and a misstep with one card will no longer poison your… Continue reading Beware: Creative Old Dogs Inventing New Dirty Tricks