Stop Feeling Guilty About Spending Money

For some, it's difficult to stop spending money; for others, it's difficult to start. Some struggle with the guilt and paralyzing fear of buying basic groceries, even when they know they can easily afford them; others struggle to get small luxury items, no matter how much they deserve it. Spender's Guilt has become a true problem for some - a rich man's problem, so to speak, but not an easily dismissible one.

If you fear that you may be a phobia of transferring money through hands to purchase something, read on for some tips to cope and find help.

In order to begin combating Spender's Guilt, look at your financial situation. If you are solvent, able to support those you need to, have extra cash, and have an emergency fund, know that it's fine to spend a little extra money! There should be no issue in getting that new, hardcover book you've been eyeing or spending a few extra dollars to get a fancy lunch with friends. Sometimes the issue is that a person has risen from poverty and is not used to being able to spend a little more than usual. Other times, the problem is frugality. Occasionally, there doesn't even seem to be a cause.

Understand where your cash goes. If it helps you to understand that you money isn't being wasted completely, look at what happens to it: in buying a glass of orange, juice, for example, money is going to the company that supplied it, the store you bought it from, the worker who picked the orange, the farmer who grew the tree, the company that built the car that the worker drove, and so on. It's a never-ending cycle of where the money goes. Look up some economic theories to understand why spending money stimulates the economy.

Realize what you're doing with your money otherwise. If you're not spending that few dollars in your pocket, it does nothing but get sucked through the washer a few times. If you never spend it, it stays for years without going into circulation and benefiting you little. Even putting it into a bank is more preferable, though it won't help with your Spender's Guilt. Some people have noticed that they spend more money when they cannot see it: as in, on a debit card. Try using this method to pay for your next order. Just be careful if you use a credit card, and make sure you can pay it off easily.

Consider your money-spending a gift. Try spending something on yourself as a reward once in a while: plan on buying something when you get that major promotion or for your birthday. Small rewards like this will help you feel as though you're treating yourself without turning into a full-blown addiction to wasting hard-earned cash.

Look at what you need. If you feel bashful spending money on basic needs, such as food, really reconsider why you feel this way. Some things are necessary in life, and it's hard to get them without spending some money. Don't ever think of these things as luxuries, and don't budget yourself so harshly on them.

Get a little job on a side. In order to combat my Spender's Guilt, I started writing online. I consider my usual income to be what it always has been: pretty untouchable. The money I may online, I reason, is something I wouldn't have ordinarily, so I should feel perfectly fine using it to treat myself once in a while, so long as it doesn't exceed the amount I make writing.

Always remember to consider therapy. If you feel this has gone completely out of control or if others can see your behavior and notice the problem, try talking to someone about it. The easiest way to get rid of a problem is to understand the cause and work through it.

Always remember: savings are smart, keep an emergency fund, but you only live once, so let what's left over take a ride sometimes!