I am obsessed with spending addictions this week. I don’t know why. I talked about it on my radio show, I talked about it on Your Time with Kim Iverson, and I talked about it on The Smiley Morning Show. Many people are compulsive spenders, but that doesn’t mean that they are addicted. I interviewed Harvard trained psychotherapist, Carleton Kendrick, on my radio show. He said that even though a spending addiction is not a physiological addiction, it’s still a serious issue.
I have compiled a list of symptoms that you should consider when trying to self-diagnose.
- Do you lie to cover up your purchases? Lying about money is a serious problem, and can really damage your relationships.
- Are your relationships struggling? This could be a sign of your halitosis, but then again it could be a side-effect of your terrible spending habits.
- Do you just store the stuff you buy? Spending addiction is about the purchase, not about what you purchasing. Therefore, many times addicts will buy things that they don’t even need. Thus, storage.
If you think you have a spending problem, you should really seek help.
Peter Dunn a.k.a. Pete the Planner® is an award-winning financial mind and a former comedian. He’s a USA TODAY columnist, author of ten books, and is the host of the popular radio show and podcast, The Pete the Planner Show. Pete is considered one of the foremost experts on financial wellness in the world, but he’s just as likely to talk your ear off about bass fishing.