Spending — Pain or Pleasure

It turns out that some people feel pleasure when they spend money.  This really does not come as a surprise since many people use shopping as therapy when they are feeling down.  What is interesting is that Carnegie Melon and the University of Pennsylvania have done studies to prove that people are actually have physiological responses to spending money.  Some actually feel pain when they spend money (this would be me).  While others, like my brother black sheep, feel pleasure from spending money.  The real key is understanding who you are and the short comings that come with being a tightwad or a spendthrift.

People who experience pain at spending will sometimes deprive themselves in order to save a buck.  We need to sometimes open up the wallet a little more and live a little.  I have been working on this myself.  For example I now refuse to stay in 2 star or less hotels.  This means I have to do some work to find a great deal but this is better than the inconvenience of junky hotel rooms.

For those who enjoy spending you have to ask yourself the question, "Do I really need this item or am I just spending to spend?"  This is a hard question to ask but it will leave you felling better about your decisions in the long run.