Spending Addicts

I am simply amazed when I hear the impact debt is having on women and their marriages.   Since the “underground” release of my book “SmartMoney”, I have been shocked at the stories of addiction that have come in.  One lady shared her story of addiction to overspending, saying it was so severe that she is willing to steal, lie and borrow when she finds something she really wants from the store.  She explained how she goes to the grocery store with the family Visa, buys extra food and then returns it for cash so her husband doesn’t know what she is doing.  He thinks their normal grocery bill is a certain amount, but in reality, it is $75 less a week and she is using that money for her addiction.  She admits her deception and addiction to spending has forged a wedge between them that has etched away at the core of their relationship.

The interesting thing is that they make a lot of money. Unfortunately, she is spending more than they make! Her addiction to “stuff” has forced her husband to cut her off from all credit cards.  (The grocery Visa is all she has access to, explaining her extreme measures to find more cash access.)   She sounded like a drug addict needing a quick fix and willing to do anything to find or steal the money to do so.

As she began her “Smart Money” makeover, I was able to see her chip away at the green monster of debt.  Watching her take a stand and begin the process to financial freedom brings me the deepest joy.