The Spendaholics Anonymous Thread!

poorandindenial

Hi Susi

Good to see you on here - it is flipping useful isn't it to have it here.

Definitely come and share purchases or near misses on here, if nothing else we can all laught at each others craziness (in a supportive way of course) - not sure I understand the sub-thread thing though posting here is the way forwards.

My friend (not on here) used to compulsively spend when she was unwell and her therapist got her to find ways of dealing with it. One that she told me was that when she gets home she puts all of the bags on the other side of the room and has to try to remember what is in each bag, if she can't remember it it goes back.

I try and do it the other way around (like posters above) I walk out the shop and if I can remember it and want it later then maybe I really want it so I go back for another look (I have to do it this way as I am really lazy about taking back otherwise)

Anyhoo, welcome to our happy clan of people with warped but getting better views of spending money.

susimuggle

archers_addict wrote: »

This is my first ever post. I am in £30 thousand debt mostly caused by QVC. Even when I return stuff it costs me £5 p&p. I really need some help I hope this thread will keep me from spending more (and not watching QVC!)

Dear archersaddict. You need to go on a QVC diet.

I don’t know how often you watch QVC or if you’re one of these people that has the channel on all the time.

These are some small suggestions. Hope you can use some of them:


1. Visit the MSE forum as often as you can, especially if you’re about to make a purchase.

2.Throw away the wee timetable leaflets you get with a delivery.

3. Unsubscribe from their emails which tell you about your favourite (same for the text service).

4. Don’t watch the channel for a whole week and tell us how you feel about it.

5. Go on QVC online and remove all your credit cards. If you want to purchase something from them, opt to pay by cheque or postal orders (By the time you’ve written the cheque or sorted out the postal order you might have changed your mind).

Take care – trust me I can relate to your problem. :-)

archers_addict_2

thanks Susimuggle. I have cancelled my card and have not watched it today. As I have said even when you return things you have to pay the p&p, this is on top of the p&p you pay on your order. However, I do have some lovely jewellery (but how many rings do you really need?) I've started a spending diary, I'll try one step at a time
AA

Little_Chicken

Hi everyone- Especially all of you newbies:D

I hope you've been outside enjoying the sun - rather than inside flexing your cc's in the shops:p

I have been fairly good - I went to Brighton yesterday and only spent £10:T

BUT I have been to my old nemesis - Boots.com and spent a fortune:eek:

Anyhow, I have a job interview tomorrow so fingers and toes crossed I'll soon be earning some money and will be able to deal with those cc's.

I am slightly worried that as soon as I start working I will go back to compulsive spending to 'reward' myself. Not sure how I'm going to cope with that, but I might try the 'cash in envelopes' trick that someone mentioned on this thread before.

Well - continue to enjoy the sun everyone.:beer:

poorandindenial

Little_Chicken wrote: »

BUT I have been to my old nemesis - Boots.com and spent a fortune:eek:

Come on LC - how much??????

Fingers crossed for you for the job interview - Good Luck

xtessx

Hi everyone,

Been naughty today and went out for a brekkie with my OH. He says its OK to have treats occasionally - I am being strict with him at the moment and i think he's getting fed up with me. I feel like I'm winning at last with my spending!! It helps to hear everyone's tips on here. The QVC ones were great.:T

Keep up the good work guys!!

Tess xx

susimuggle

archers_addict wrote: »

thanks Susimuggle. I have cancelled my card and have not watched it today. As I have said even when you return things you have to pay the p&p, this is on top of the p&p you pay on your order. However, I do have some lovely jewellery (but how many rings do you really need?) I've started a spending diary, I'll try one step at a time
AA

Well done. I've not watched it for a good while. Please tell us in this forum every day you haven't watched it. :j

fritzbrain

compulsivespender79 wrote: »

Hi Frtiz,
Firstly in your signature put "Spendaholics Anonymous Thread" before your member number - that lets everyone know what you're a member of if you post on any other threads!
Secondly. I don't think this is about depriving yourself until you are on the brink of depression. Maybe, if you do have true disposable income, you could set yourself a strict monthly budget for non-essential spending. You could spend it each month, or even save it for a few months so you have a lovely lump sum you can splash out with.
There are two things that have helped me; I am on a Debt Management Plan, so budgetted into my income and expenditure are amounts for clothes, haircuts, magazines. Knowing that I am actually "allowed" to spend a certain amount of money each month on these things means that I can spend to a certain extent guilt-free. It's very difficult, because I suppose my compulsion was/is to spend however little money I've got left on rubbish. Forcing myself into a situation where I quite literally cannot afford it has helped to rein it in a bit. However, it's not fool proof - I did fall of the waggon for a couple of weeks.
Secondly my new obsession with Ebay - I'm trying only to spend as much as I make. I get quite a buzz from it. But, like most of my obsessions I imagine it'll be short lived!
I'm sorry, that wasn't a very cheery post for this early in the day .

Have a good one everybody,

CSx

Edit: Thirdly tell someone. I hid my debt and my compulsion from my other half for a while, and when I finally plucked up the courage to tell him it felt like the world had been lifted from my shoulders. Why is it that you feel you can't tell anyone close to you? I can assure you that they would only want to help.
Don't forget though: we're always here for you! (maybe not always at the same time as you though!)

Thank you for the wonderful post! I'll try that. I never did any allocation before, just went and bought whatever I liked or needed at the moment. It's gotten to the point where I don't even look at price tags any longer. That isn't good. I'm not THAT solvent. I'm just nuts, I guess.

As to telling people... my mom knows about this and she said things like, "Are you stupid? You're not dumb; why are you doing this?" And she doesn't get it when I tell her it makes me happy. Or that I'm not quite sure (which is also true.) She's very practical, my mom. She's a financial wizard, actually. The business she has with my dad wouldn't be successful if it weren't for her finally taking the charge of the finances (and my dad with the ideas and stuff like that). But I got my dad's genes when it comes to finances, so... Well. My mom just made me feel bad, like a total loser. I don't want to hear that from yet another person. I think I feel bad enough already and don't want to add to it anymore.

archers_addict_2

member no 60 reporting. I have not watched QVC for 6 days now! That is a record for me! I have 2 bracelets to return which will have cost me about £10 p&p in all, this is how the debt builds up. Any way there will be £88 refunded. How shameful. I have kept a spending diary and had my first M.S.yesterday. So small steps,but need to reduce more,I am reading all the boards for hints.
AA

Little_Chicken

Hi everyone - i see the thread's been very quiet recently

I hope it's because everyone's been enjoying the burst of sun we've had - and not been shopping!

I haven't been totally good recently, but have definitely been getting better - and setting budgets and sticking to them.:T

Hope you are all well.:D:D:D