Spending and Moods

[Yppej]

Do you spend more when you are happy? Or more when you are down and want to console yourself?

When I am happy and feel secure I spend more, but at other times I hunker down in frugality. So when I am short-term happy it can impede my savings for long-term retirement happiness. It is hard to stay on track because I associate financial discipline with anhedonia.

[Ultralight]

When I have the blues or some melancholy I am apt to go out to both lunch and dinner. Spendy McSpenderson here!

[Simplemind]

I haven't ever noticed a mood being involved.... I'm such a minimalist that I have to really think about a purchase before I make it. If I'm happy I never feel like I need anything and when I'm down spending usually stresses me out. I have in the last couple of years worked to be a bit more free with my money and it is usually on something consumable. I love travel and barely have to give it a second thought. Travel and exploring make me happy. I love good food and wine and love to share good food and wine. I love my yard and gardens and don't even want to look at the cost but they bring me an immense amount of joy to look at and spend time in.

So I guess in reflection there is no pre-emotion with spending but spending on certain things make me very happy and they are almost always things I am sharing with others.

[Teacher Terry]

When younger I enjoyed spending money on things. Now I only want to spend it on travel, eating out and experiences. I spend more if happy.

[SteveinMN]

I've never been a fan of "retail therapy". Buying something is not a mood-lifter for me.

If I'm in the middle of a crush of obligations, though (not a happy thing for me) I might, for example, buy take-out for dinner or spend for some relatively low-cost item or service that buys me time (repair the old snow shovel? It's not that expensive to buy a new one and fix the old one later -- maybe). Sometimes being able to crossing dinner prep off my to-do list makes me feel better about the other things that are taking my time.

I would say spending is somewhat independent of mood.

[herbgeek]

I differentiate between picking up items I need and recreationally looking for something to buy, even though both are "shopping". I do recreational shopping when I'm bored or looking for some novelty and am not able to do that through other means. But that is not a frequent occasion. I usually make do with purchasing something I know I needed anyways. Sometimes just going to Target and picking up toilet paper makes me happy.

[ApatheticNoMore]

neither anymore, I am broken of that, I am free, or almost, there's a few things I buy even beyond necessities, but not on emotion. I have spent some to console myself in the past. Never real extreme, but let's just say I won't need new towels for awhile The consoling then, several years ago, was oddly enough because interviewing for jobs was becoming traumatic.

Now there are other factors that DO have an effect, if I don't think an income will last long I tend to spend *more* because it's like "have to get whatever I need right now, better buy some clothes now etc. won't be able to latter etc", but this is feelings about money specifically, not just random feelings, driving spending.

So I think when I feel secure financially I don't feel any need to spend - it can wait because money will keep coming no worries. But when I DON'T feel safe financially, there is a "stock up" mentality that drives spending.

[Yppej]

ANM I've experienced some of that, not in the sense of stocking up, but taking care of things like the roof and tires while still insecurely employed. But pleasure spending I tend to do when feeling secure and happy. When unemployed I try not to buy anything.

[razz]

Interesting question. A little emotion maybe will trigger a response to that emotion but rarely beyond the small items. Now, I confess that if I want something, it is easier to buy the ingredients or supplies and run out of enthusiasm to follow through. Now I ask myself, "Are you actually going to complete this?."

[Gardnr]

Nope. I'm an emotional eater not an emotional spender. I hate to shop so until my pair of capris were about to shred last week, I wouldn't even go look for a replacement pair.