Do you have a spending problem?

I sure do, for a long string of months i've maxed out my card, but i feel i might make the right choice in a fortnight and only get 2 items that together are under 100 dollars, whereas the most i could spend would be 600, then if i can do that 2 more months my debt would be taken care of, and then with further wise choices, getting less, making that the new norm i could be saving towards renting a movie theatre that would have 100 of my favorites and films i want to see, for a few weeks and that i could smoke and drink and a special seat that's a toilet also, and i would die there seeing those lovely films on the big screen. 2045 i predict this to happen, Summer, in L.A.

Yes I do. I have no money to spend. That's a problem.

No, I don't. But I do eat out to often. Right now, I am into thrifting. I'm usually there to buy some housewares but I also like to get CDs and DVDs. It is so much fun to spend 75 cents on what used to be $12. Today I am listening to a Glenn Miller CD. I have a DVD of Cronenberg's Crash. I haven't seen it yet.

Seems like another crisis thread that the OP will abandon after today.

I used to but now I have no money.

I love The Music Man.
That's something, considering how little I like musicals in general.

__________________
"My Dionne Warwick understanding of your dream indicates that you are ambivalent on how you want life to eventually screw you." - Joel

"Ever try to forcibly pin down a house cat? It's not easy." - Captain Steel

"I just can't get pass sticking a finger up a dog's butt." - John Dumbear

I have the opposite problem. I spend too little unless I really need something. I mostly pay for food and utilities and that's it.

__________________
San Franciscan lesbian dwarves and their tomato orgies.

Short answer: no.

Longer answer: most of my life, absolutely not, super frugal, grew up poor, instilled a general background fear about scarcity that, while sometimes unpleasant, has undoubtedly served me well. But after selling our starter house and buying a new one a couple of years ago, and just saving and working for a long time, we've gotten more comfortable and have resolved to spend a bit more to make the new house/life as comfortable as possible, so we're spending more than we have before. Probably still not a lot by most standards, and definitely well within our means, but it's been a major change, psychologically. There are a lot of events that are big enough you think of them primarily in before/after terms, and for us one of them has been buying this house and selling the previous one.

Maybe they're like me... I never abandon my own threads... but everyone else does (and I can only respond to myself for so long).

A ‘crisis thread’ is a wonderful expression.

At first I thought this was the budget thread Sedai opened a month or so ago.


Answer, I'm better than I was, but have alot of room for improvement.

I don't think I got my first credit card until long after college.

I had a similar upbringing and my parents taught me well about money.

First, there's no such thing as free money (and any loan - such as a credit card gives you - involves interest, so unless you pay your card off in full each month, you are literally paying MORE for everything you buy on credit... as if inflation isn't bad enough).

Second, never spend more than you have or can earn. This is where people go wrong with credit cards and the erroneous concept they carry that they'll pay for anything (as if it's free money loaned to you). Whereas the reality is they only create debt for YOU if you use them as intended (paying the minimum each month). So: never borrow & never be in debt.

Third: save, save, save. Unless you were born rich or inherited money, this is the only way to ever have enough to get by. A key to saving is not to overspend (such as relying on credit) and to limit spending overall as a lifestyle. In other words: don't live above your means. Live on a budget, ignore the desire for immediate gratification, and waste nothing.

In short, this entire issue boils down to simple self-discipline.
(But then again, so does my being overweight - so I realize a lot of it is easier said than done.)

I’m can’t get past the “special seat that’s a toilet”.

Crash is a brilliant movie.

Local hospital has a new thrift shop. I got a long dress (fits beautifully), a yellow cardigan, a 100% cotton top from India, a small cute handbag, some nesting hat boxes & a clock in the shape of a coffee cup, which is perfect for me. Grand total: $49! Such a deal.

To be honest I don’t need to visit a thrift shop (Lord knows I’ve given away entire closets full of stuff), but I do love a good thrift shop.

__________________
I’m here only on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays. That’s why I’m here now.

I pay off my card(s) in full every month. I cannot abide paying interest.

I doubt anyone here spends less per month for living cost than me unless you're a teen and living at home. I'd say how little I live off, but no one would believe me. I'd venture a guess that many of you spend in a week what I spend in one or even two months. My simple plan is to 'tighten the old belt' as much as possible. I do without all the extras that most can't live without and that's fine with me.

If I didn't have a rent problem, my spending problems would be non exsistent

I won't challenge you, but I'm also living on the bare minimum. I'm in classes and ive decided to eccelerate that in favor of working full time and having money; I have somewhat of a luxury in doing so, but not much, and every month I'm dipping down. I've also decided that working full time is pretty much a scam unless it's something you like doing.

You know what, I agree! To me the most important thing is free time. If you can enjoy your time, you're a rich person!

I'm sure this sounds cheesy but boy, is it true. Ultimately money is a means to an end, and it's very helpful to figure out what that end is in order to figure out what's worth spending on. I like money insofar as it allows me to do the things I love and exercise control over my life, and as I came to realize this and make decisions accordingly, I found my level of happiness grew substantially.

Valuable perspectives, thanks everyone!!