I had to force my husband to take over the household finances recently because I have no control. I get on http://www.amazon.com and http://www.sitstay.com and http://www.myff.com,buy, buy, buy and send all of the stuff to my work address because I know he’ll never know. He doesn’t have a shopaholic bone in his body. He can go months without buying a thing. I don’t understand him. We’re okay now. I came clean a couple of weeks ago and he still loves me. He asked whether he should take my cash card away so I can’t withdraw money or make online purchases. I told him that it wouldn’t matter because I’ve got the dang thing memorized.
We have a neighbor who is much worse than me (which makes me feel soooo much better) - he actually buys big stuff - like $1000s of dollars of crap, without thinking about paying bills. I only spent $100s.
Anyone else a buying freak? If not, what makes you so bad?
Now, fortunately, I’m not “that” kind of buyer…y’know, the kind who spends all day, everyday, in malls and department stores and comes home with bags upon bags upon bags of stuff. I just like to buy stuff.
I love to give gifts. I sometimes go overboard. Ok, more often than not, I go overboard. I don’t just buy gifts for special occasions like birthdays or holidays, either. If I see something that I just know someone will love, I get it for them. I never carry cash, so I often end up buying “extra” things, just so I don’t feel silly about writing a check for less than ten bucks.
I’m more than a shopaholic. I’m a spender in general. I love to pick up the check at restaurants and bars. I like to treat my friends to movies. My friends and I all smoke like fiends, so when I go to visit them, I pick up a pack of cigarettes for each of them…things like this.
So I spend a lot of money, but I’m kind of like a philanthropist…in a middle-class, middle-income, selective sort of way. Right?
“…all the prettiest girls live in Des Moines…”
–Jack Kerouac, On the Road
No Cant, it is not just you and it is not just women.
I got hooked on www.onsale.com an auction site. Over the course of a few months I spent over $5,000 and we do not have that much money. It was all shipped to my house and my wife never got mad. I usually did not tell her until after I had bought it.
I finally had to quit going to that site. I have not bought any thing from them in a while and while I have bought some christmas presents online, I have not gone overboard.
Hello, My name is Rubes, and I like to shop online.
I usually don’t go too overboard, but once in a while, I’ll see something at such a great price, that I need to get it. Let’s see, 3 computers at home, not including 2 laptops…
I’m thinking of using the net to my advantage, and unloading some stuff on Ebay. Anybody interested in an Amiga2000, with working Personal Animation Recorder card?
Chris, you sound like a very generous person. Let me say that I admire your kindness.
It’s so beautiful! I just wish I could do the same. But this year, I cannot even afford the DVD player I want to buy, because of my mother needing an operation (sniff, sniff), poor Fluffy needing his shots (tear trickles down face), and Billy! oh Billy! (breaks down sobbing) I wouldn’t mind so much, but now that the wife has left me for her dance instructor (whimper), it’s just so hard to keep up my spirits… Now if only I had that reasonably-priced DVD player, I’m sure that would give me the will to live…
<g>
Mullinator and Arnold: As…convincing…as your posts were, I’m going to have to refer you to my friend, Nick. I’m sure you’ve seen him around. Big guy, beard, often walks around with an entourage of oddly dressed midgets?
“…all the prettiest girls live in Des Moines…”
–Jack Kerouac, On the Road
Wow. This sounds like the AA meetings I used to attend. “Hi. I’m _______ and I have a shopping problem.” Maybe we should start a support group? We could call a meeting every year or so, since that’s probably how long it would take for all of us to get together in a central location, but we could hash out all of our personal shopping psychoses and drink punch and create our own 12 Steps program.
I personally have a weakness for the Columbia House/BMG/Book Club by mail variety of money-wasting ventures. It all stems from hating leaving my house and dealing with people…hence, the SDMB.
I am not insane. I am just an average girl who enjoys the lost art of torturing small animals by duct-taping them to railroad tracks.
Sunbear, I am headed off tomorrow (Saturday) morning to a little shop (I’m not telling anybody where it is!) where, so they tell me on the phone, they still have Game Boy color in stock, and Yellow Pikachu Pokemon games. If you seriously are in need of one, let me know and I will buy and ship one to you (yes, sorry, you gotta send me the price and the postage!), and let me know how much you are willing to spend. I think they are about thirty dollars.
There are lots of them available on ebay, but you’ll spend $40 or so for one.
Ooo, puffington, another CONSPIRACY? Dare we start another so soon?
Shopping and the force to consume are so driven in our culture. It’s a god damn given most times. I, IMHO, really try to refrain from crass commercialism and the “Madison Avenue” issue to buy, buy, BUY but that’s just because I pull up my old, tiered line of, “You’re not the boss of me!” (Screamed out as indignant as a four year old child!)
I HATE being told I “need” to buy something. I will go OUT of my way not to do so. But, again, IMHO, books are not in this category. I don’t waste my money. I really don’t. To me, books are NEVER a waste of money. Unless it’s Rush “massive shit-head” Limbah’s (sp?) Book. Now that IS a waste. Of money, time and effort. But hey, it’s just IMHO.
