Emmotional Spending - A.K.A Retail Therapy

How often have you succumbed to this? What the hell is retail therapy? I feel that it is just another term coined by marketers and advertisers to make us feel as if we can reduce stress and be happier just by spending more money.

I know that most of us work 8 to 10 hours a day, 5 to 6 days a week and all the workload can cause a lot of stress and unhappy feelings. After a hard week at work, we all feel as if we need to reward ourselves. And what better way to do that than to spend, spend and spend. But hold on. Is that you thinking or is that what advertisers and marketers want you to think? We get fed with a whole lot of garbage advertising day in day out. They know best how to lure you in. Words such as pamper yourself, you deserve this, only the best for you etc etc...

Even the best of us are guilty of having done this at least once in their lives. I'm not saying that this is necessarily bad, but please don't overkill and go on a therapy rampage. All you will get is buyers remorse after. It's the guilt after the shopping blood lust wears off. So why substitute one bad feeling for another?

How does your emotions affect the way you spend? Do you spend more or less when you experience certain emotions? Everyone has a different emotional spending habit. As for myself, it goes something like this:

• Sad - Don't Feel like spending a single cent, I kinda retreat into myself and stone.
• Happy - Feel like spending on something nice for someone to let them share my happiness.
• Stressed - Spend on drinks and food.

Before you ask, no, I do not only have those 3 emotions or feelings but those are the most general ones. Once again, don't let your emotions take a toll on your budgeting. Counter this by setting up a bad mood fund - Read more about it here. It is basically a fund set up in a separate saving account to spend without guilt when you are in a mood. The emotion attached is called bad because I assume that most people spend more when they are in a bad mood, hence the need of "therapy".

So, how does your spending habits change in light of different moods and situation? Please share so we can give and receive advice on how to better manage excessive spending. We are all here to help each other out.

As always, save more, spend less and invest wisely.
P.