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Do we know what we truly want? Can those things be purchased? Jill Chivers, author of “My Year Without Clothes Shopping,” suggests that overshopping can be a way of compensating for deeper needs such as meaningful work, connections with others, life experiences that make us happy, and being seen and known for who we really… Continue reading Protect Me From What I Want

Avoid overspending with these tips for your inner shopaholic… For those of you that are vulnerable to flash sales, today’s U.S. News and World Report has an article that I was interviewed for with practical tips to reduce your risk of overshopping when these highly tempting triggers are at your fingertips. To access the article,… Continue reading How to Guard Yourself From Flash Sales

Men and women have very different approaches when it comes to shopping. Women tend to search for the best deals and often shopping becomes a time consuming hobby or emotional release. Men, however, go into a store with a target purchase in mind and with less regard for cost. They take as little time as… Continue reading What Men Can Teach Women About Shopping

Drugs and alcohol get our “feel good” chemicals going, which can lead to physical dependency when we want to experience that feeling again. Did you know behaviors can have the same result? Things like shopping, sex, lying, stealing, and even eating can lead to addictions that are as tough to beat as any drug. Addiction… Continue reading Similarities Between Behavioral and Substance Addictions

Tempted to overspend while you wait for a flight? Financial Highway offers some great alternatives. Suggestions include asking about a late check out option at your hotel, purchasing a spa pass if your hotel offers it for a workout or a swim, taking advantage of happy hour snacks and beverages at greatly reduced prices, joining… Continue reading Frugal and Productive Ways to Kill Time Before a Flight

“Whoever said money can’t buy happiness, just didn’t know where to shop,” my post-it intones. Without shying away from the unpopular truth about overconsumption and happiness being like oil and water, James Roberts encourages us to step back, notice, and yes, even laugh at our obsession with shiny objects. He helps us see how we… Continue reading Shiny Objects: Why We Spend Money We Don’t Have in Search of Happiness We Can’t Buy

Your browser does not support iframes. Carrie RattleCarrie 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. Read More

For many compulsive buyers, a big part of the appeal of shopping is the process of searching out and obtaining that new, better, desirable item. This process is so mesmerizing that it often overrides long-term financial plans, leaving shoppers deeply in debt. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Through the magic of swap—and in… Continue reading Don’t Shop, Swap! (Redux)

Recently a colleague told me about the Spendster.org website and since she found it interesting, I wanted to check it out.  With so many websites on the Internet, it is easy to get lost in the choices and the fancy html designs and I admit that I was a bit skeptical about its utility before… Continue reading Spendster Site Scouted

Dr. Maggie Baker’s new book, Crazy About Money: How Emotions Confuse Our Money Choices And What To Do About It, offers a comprehensive look at our complex and variable relationship with money throughout the course of our lives.  Although we tend to view money as an autonomous component of our daily life, Dr. Baker stresses… Continue reading Crazy About Money: How Emotions Confuse Our Money Choices And What To Do About It