Is stress causing your extra spending?

September 13, 2007

The world today is packed full of stress and our lifestyles have never been more hectic. Work, family and money all contribute to these growing levels of stress and the way in which people deal with it is often to spend.

However, unfortunately the money that is spent is not usually theirs to spend. It is their credit card that takes the brunt of this stress purchasing and that is where the problems can really start.

Purchasing new clothes, toiletries and fancy gadgets, has been shown to make most people feel better after a hard day. So it is not surprising that with the level of stress that we have in Great Britain, that most of us are ringing up mountains worth of debt. The trouble is that the things that are being purchased are usually luxury items. Splashing out on cheap items will just not do. So that is the main reason why we end up in so much debt.

So what can we do about stress spending if we experience it? Well the simple answer is to de-stress yourself. Obviously this can be difficult but you just have to start taking control over your finances and relax doing whatever it is that you like to do. Think to yourself “do i really need this?” before you purchase anything. This helps because as soon as you start to think a little more about it, you soon start to realise what you are doing and you then have more control over it.

Overall stress spending can be a problem for many people. It is unlikely that the stresses and strains of everyday life will be taken away from you; however you can learn to control them more. So the next time you find yourself about to stress-spend, think twice about it and do something else instead!