With a shopping addiction comes an idea that each purchase will improve one’s happiness, creating an artificial “high” that an addict thinks will last. This is not the case, and although happiness spikes before a purchase it ultimately returns to a baseline level afterward. People known as “high-materialist” consumers have (often unreasonably) high expectations about… Continue reading Money Can’t Buy Happiness
Author: Carrie Rattle
Carrie Rattle is a Principal at BehavioralCents.com, a website for women focused on mind and money behaviors. She has worked in the financial services industry for 20+ years and hopes to inspire women to better prepare themselves for financial independence.
Inside the Mind of the Compulsive Shopper
If there is a compulsive shopper in your life, it can be difficult to understand what is going on in their mind, especially if you think it is easy for them to just quit spending so much money. But compulsive shopping is so much more than that. Compulsive shoppers use spending to cope with a… Continue reading Inside the Mind of the Compulsive Shopper
The Simple Joy of One
Making the conscious decision to cut down on your possessions can be daunting to say the least. But once you embark on this life-changing journey, you may come to find that you have collected duplicates of many items. In such a materialistic culture, it is easy to conclude that if owning one thing is good,… Continue reading The Simple Joy of One
Compulsive Buying Disorder and ADHD
A question I’m asked regularly is about the relationship between compulsive buying disorder and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and it’s just been researched for the first time by a team headed by Dr. Donald Black of the Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa College of Medicine. Results suggested that compulsive buyers as compared with… Continue reading Compulsive Buying Disorder and ADHD
When Shopping After Weight Loss Is More
Success in a journey towards weight loss is an incredible feeling. After losing weight, many individuals are eager to head to the stores and begin buying smaller-sized clothes for their new and slimmer life. But for those who once had an addiction to food, they might find a new addiction in shopping for their new… Continue reading When Shopping After Weight Loss Is More
Simplicity Begins in Us
Simplicity is as easy to attain for ourselves as we make it to be. If you constantly worry about yourself and are dwelling on all the ways you wish you were different, you will find it difficult to achieve simplicity. At the other end of the spectrum, if you are so entirely in love with… Continue reading Simplicity Begins in Us
How to Start Saving for a Rainy Day
In today’s culture, there is a mindset more strongly geared towards spending than saving. While our parents and grandparents regularly saved for a rainy day fund, many Americans now would have trouble coming up with $1,000 in the event of an emergency. No matter how good your current situation is, you never know what might… Continue reading How to Start Saving for a Rainy Day
Don’t Let Entertainment Bust Your Budget
It is recommended by financial planners to allocate around five percent of your income for an entertainment budget. Unfortunately for your budgeting, the entertainment industry would like you to spend much more than that. Movies, video games, casinos, and dining can all eat away at your budget very quickly. Saving money can be as simple… Continue reading Don’t Let Entertainment Bust Your Budget
Common Mistakes Women Make When Shopping
Are you making any of these common mistakes while shopping that could be costing you money? If you find that you feel frustrated after shopping trips, step back and look at your shopping behaviors. One major mistake is not preparing yourself for your trip by reviewing what you already have to pinpoint exactly what you… Continue reading Common Mistakes Women Make When Shopping
Common Items Women Buy But Just Don’t Wear
If you’re looking at your shopping habits and wondering where to start reining in your spending, take a moment to consider how many things women buy but never wear. It’s possible that you can relate to some of these situations! For example, if you buy something just because it’s on a really great sale but… Continue reading Common Items Women Buy But Just Don’t Wear