Emotional spending
Emotional spending & eating are kind of one and the same for me. You see, when I get stressed out and worried, I don’t feel like doing much of anything. So I eat out instead of cooking at home. I’ve been doing a lot of that lately between our cat and other things that are going on.
Emotional spending is definitely not good for my spending plan. Plus, it gets worse because not only do I spend more money than I’d like to on eating out, I then end up with a pile of receipts that I don’t feel like entering into Quicken & my spreadsheet. As the receipts pile up, I begin to feel worse, because I know I’m spending more than I wanted to on junk that I don’t really even remember or want. Junk that’s bad for me. And then I feel worse still.
It’s a vicious circle.
This time it’s a little different, because at least I’m aware that I’m doing it. Awareness is the first step to changing something. I even said last night (after spending the day trying to rest & feeling miserable) that maybe I should try exercise instead, since eating crap, sleeping a lot, and spending lots of money isn’t helping. I am also not beating myself up over it. Physically it’s bad that I’m eating out that much, but if it’s only been for a week it won’t really hurt all that much. Financially I can afford it, although I would rather do other things with my money.
Normally I go with my emotions over my head, but I think this is a case where things are counter intuitive. So I’m going to make a conscious effort to eat better & exercise more, which will have the side effect of reducing my emotional spending.
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September 11th, 2008 at 5:57 am
Yeah…I know what you mean…or maybe I don’t. It’s more like we get him with some big unbudgeted expense and we’re like “what’s another meal out?” And for the rest of the month we spend like crap and it totally feeds into more spending. The trick is just nipping it in the bud right away (not that I’m any good at it). Don’t beat yourself up over it–you’re not perfect and itrs not like your entire spending plan is ruined because of a couple days. I’m sure you know this intellectually, but sometimes it does good to hear it from others. Hang in there!
September 11th, 2008 at 6:59 am
I do the same thing! The bad thing is, I know it, I see it when it is happening and I feel powerless to change direction.
Although, I notice with age or financial stability I find the moments few and farther in between. Not to mention, they last only a fraction of the time they did in my younger years.
September 11th, 2008 at 7:30 am
You are absolutely right about the whole awareness thing! You have the power to be in control & change it :) I think we’re all guilty of this, and we can all justify nearly anything we ‘want.’ Good luck to you on this new challenge of yours!
September 11th, 2008 at 11:16 am
I do the exact same thing! Although I eat out AND go shopping more. So I guess it is sorta a double whammy! But like you said, recognizing the problem is the first step. Tonight is the night I’m going to try and turn that around. I’m resolving not to eat out any more than once a week for the rest of the month. This includes lunches and dinners, and if I feel like a shopping excursion, I’m forcing myself to do some push-ups or sit ups. It’s good to know that other people go through the same ups and downs we each have.
Good luck to you!
September 12th, 2008 at 6:11 am
I too find that when I’m in the dumps a bit I tend to eat out more (or order in more) and the bills start piling up. I agree that being aware of what you’re doing can be the big turning point in stopping the activity. Before when I would eat out rather than cook at home due to being in the dumps I didn’t realize that it was because of my emotions.
I will still eat out or have a few unnecessary beers if I’m having a rough week but I know that’s what I’m doing and I’m much more conscious of the monetary aspect. There are times when you need to let your emotions dictate your actions and times when you need to be rational.
September 13th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
*Raises hand.* Me too, sister. Me too. Perhaps one day my coping skills will involve exercising and volunteering, but right now…? Oy. Baby steps.