impulsive buying

[Arigatomina]

Usually I just hoard all the money I make into the bank and when I do go out I just have such a free for all that I satisfy my spending habits in one go.

I support spoiling yourself every now and again ^^.

Yes. That's what I do, too.

I think the worst spree I went on was at Yaoi-con last year. I saved up with the intention of blowing a wad of cash in a very short amount of time. I ended up blowing 5 paychecks in two hours on doujinshi. I would have spent more if I'd brought a bigger suit case with me. I'd given myself a "secret" amount to put on the credit card if necessary and I barely ended up having to resort to that. I bought everything I saw that I was remotely interested in. Because I could.

I *tried* to go on a spending spree for christmas. I ignored prices and grabbed the obligatory gifts only to realize I'd spent less on that 'spree' than I do on a month's worth of diapers for my sister's kid. It was very depressing.

Typically I'll just live cheap for a month or two and then splurge on some $50 online purchase. Or $8 for chinese take out every few weeks.

I'm a very cheap person. I have some sort of wiring in my head that won't let me get even an *urge* to spend money unless I have more than enough saved up already. Or it's a once-in-forever opportunity. I like to spoil myself on food - if I get the urge for milk, by God I'll get some immediately. But if I actually bought normal groceries, that wouldn't even count as a special treat.

I blame my family. They spend what they don't have on things they don't need and then whine about not having enough for bills. I see that and sneer. I'm a jaded penny pincher who has to have enough money to buy whatever I want whenever I want it - and that's fine because I almost never want anything. ^_^;

Note: I hate shopping unless I know exactly what I'm looking to buy. I go in, buy it, and get out as quickly as possible. There's no temptation to linger, no unexpected urges to have something I didn't go there to buy.

[Arigatomina]

How much of what you make do you spend on yourself?

I never thought of that. Makes me want to write down exactly how much I spend for a few months and see where it all goes.

I think I spend 60% on myself. That's rent/insurance/obligatory bills, food and necessities, and random cash blown on stupid things like fast food. The rest I'm not sure of - probably 30% on food and diapers for my sisters's kid (babysitter thing) and 10% on nightly snacks for my mother (it's tax season). I'm single and support myself. If I didn't live so close to my family 100% of what I earned would be spent on myself. The only donations I make are to my mother's church and the org and those are randomly and rarely given. Maybe if I had a real job that paid normal wages, I'd spend more money on other people.

[Otohiko]

Buying? What's that?

Not that I'm immune to it, but it very rarely happens - and in limited amounts. In Russia I did spend a grand total of 2500 roubles on books/DVDs/computer games (which equals a shocking... $100), 2000 roubles on sightseeing expenses and 1000 roubles on a random but cool gift to a friend, but that's about as 'extreme' as it got with me. I'm very conscious of not spending my money unless the deal is good and the item I judge neccesary. I can in fact go on for months not buying anything for myself excepting perhaps occasional snacks. In the year of 2005 I made the grand total of ONE personal entertainment purchase - my beloved game Silent Hunter III for $40. That was basically it from what I can recall.

I don't know if this makes sense or not in the context of western consumerism; for me, growing up in advanced poverty made it easy for me to NOT spend money. It didn't, on the other hand, make me greedy - I drop money easily when such is available and reasonable, but frankly I rarely see reasonable needs to do so. I'd rather save it for that random gift I can drop on whoever at the right moment.

It has its benefits though. Since now money comes to me in greater amounts (not that I'm getting richer - debts ahoy), I actually have more opportunities for impulse buying, but I've worked out a certain discipline not to; on the other hand, when something needs to be bought, I don't hesitate much.

[Otohiko]

Oh, as for the answer to the original question, ehhh...

What's "yourself"?

Let's see, out of 15,000 canadian that made it into my hands this year, I spend 5500 on tuition + books, 6000 on living expenses, 1500 on trip to Russia, 500 on fixing my f'cking computer, 1000 was taken by the government for stupid loan repayment (and I dare hope it be returned); that leaves me with about $500 that I can spend on moi, or loan out to relatives if needed. The latter is usually the case.

[jasper-isis]

My parents pay for my tuition (for now), but money for almost everything else I buy nowadays comes out of my own pocket. I try to save as much as I can with the little commodities, but sometimes it's hard to refrain from buying basketball tickets or going out for dinner when you're surrounded by friends with parent-endowed credit cards.

Also, I love shoes, and online shopping at shoe stores is WAY TOO ADDICTIVE. Especially at places like Zappos or Endless where overnight shipping and returns are free. I've literally, in the past four weeks, ordered NINE pairs of shoes on separate occasions. And I've returned all but one pair upon remembering each separate time that I wasn't about to walk around grounds in 4" stiletto heels or lace ballet flats.

[SQ]

Being as I'm always in a situation where I'm strapped for cash, I hardly, if ever, buy anything for myself.

Or, a make an appointment to spend money on myself.

Usually I will just write down whatever it is I need and put it on some type of list. BDay list, Xmas list, what have you.

But if i need it right then, I shop around for the best price(online) and usually doesn't exceed $70.

I usually only explode with the cash if:

a.) A store is going out of business(When Media Play went, I left with so much anime and OSTs, it's not even funny)

b.) it's a limited time offer, and I actually believe them(Usually amounts ot things like Dreamcasts and imported goods)

c.) It's AWA.

The only bad time I can think of is when I got drunk and discovered that I had some extra money in my paypal account.

So I went over to imvu.com and bought my avatar name and some other shit, then I went over to gaiaonline.com and "donated" to them about 20 bucks... And I think my last stop was here, where I donated some more money....

... And then the next day I found myself rich on the internet, but poor in ETF. And that made me sad.

[Flint the Dwarf]

I can in fact go on for months not buying anything for myself excepting perhaps occasional snacks.

That's how I am. My only other purchases this year were what I deemed necessary (my computer >.>) and long overdue (my bass). Then there were concert tickets, which I justified by buying my brother tickets and taking him to what was his first concert for his 16th birthday. And other than those expensive purchases, I've bought a few games this year. And that's pretty much it, but none of that was impulsive. It was all carefully planned out and such.

I could probably recall every purchase over $20 that I've made (and approximate cost) in the past 10 years. And most of it is stuff I still have. Which is probably why I can remember it. But the longevity of an item is one of the biggest factors in everything I buy.

[Kionon]

There is only one thing I really blow money on: KOR.

Usually KOR @ AWA.

Between KOR, airline tickets, hotel suite, and Super Secret Party resources, the bill comes out to like $1000 or more.

[Otohiko]

surrounded by friends with parent-endowed credit cards.

x__x

Haha, to me the idea is so bizzare it seems unrealistic, were I not in constant contact with such people myself (none are my friends though - un/fortunately?)

I should note that my parents don't pay for anything - even presents. Mom I don't blame as she's unemployed of course, my dad is just a greedy bastage like that; but in general - about a month from now will be the 5th anniversary of not-getting-anything-from-my-parents-that-costs-money (or money itself for that matter). Eh

[godix]

I should note that my parents don't pay for anything - even presents. Mom I don't blame as she's unemployed of course, my dad is just a greedy bastage like that; but in general - about a month from now will be the 5th anniversary of not-getting-anything-from-my-parents-that-costs-money (or money itself for that matter). Eh

Actually I wish I could get my parents to do this. Both are employed by neither are in really high paying jobs. Both continue to get me birthday gifts despite that all I want for my birthday anymore is for it to not be my birthday.