In Recession, Women Splurge as if Addicted

[DJDamage]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20090521/sc_livescience/inrecessionwomensplurgeasifaddicted

This may come as little surprise to most people: In times of crisis, women are more likely to take a shopping spree than in normal times.

A new survey finds almost half of UK women are frightened or scared by the recession, and 45 percent felt their financial situation had taken a hit. A full 75 percent said they would be making cutbacks.

Yet 79 percent of them said they would splurge to cheer themselves up.

Of the 700 women surveyed, 40 percent said depression was an excuse to overspend; 60 percent said "feeling a bit low" was a good enough reason.

"This type of spending, or compensatory consumption, serves as a way of regulating intense emotions," said Karen Pine, a University of Hertfordshire professor and author of "Sheconomics" (Headline Publishing Group, 2009).

The itch to shop has long been known to overwhelm some people, either because of simple materialism or to compensate for emotional problems. Many researchers liken it to addiction, and some think it has been a growing problem in the modern consumerism society.

The problem is likely not confined to women. A 2006 study in the United States found 6 percent of women have it so bad they are labeled compulsive buyers, but so are 5.5 percent of men.

Pine says this compensatory behavior could become more pronounced in a recession. People use drugs and alcohol similarly to regulate emotions, Pine explains, but she thinks shopping is increasingly employed by women for this purpose. And, paradoxically, worrying about money could lead women to spend more, she said.

"If shopping is an emotional habit for women they may feel the need to keep spending despite the economic downturn," said Professor Pine. "Or, perhaps worse still, if they can't spend we might see an increase in mental health problems such as anxiety and depression."

Problem is, the splurges don't always have the intended effect.

About 25 percent of the women surveyed said shopping sprees in the week prior to being surveyed left them with feelings of regret, guilt or shame.

Sounds a lot like other addictions, Pine said.

Sounds about right.

 

[Deep Dish]

Women are to malls as men are to strip clubs.

More proof women have no logic - 'Damn, I'm out of money, but my nice chump of a chode boyfriend will pay for the bill. Weee!!!! *some time later* What, you have no money/aren't going to cover me? *cries*'

You should wait eight years before posting in this forum.

 

[synergy1]

this touches on the topic discussed on a thread I started. I don't think women understand how to allocate money or if necessary cut back spending. One of my friends earned more than I did , yet struggled with finances to the point where she was paycheck to paycheck. she will be worth 6 figures soon and is clearly doing well with her career....just no concept of financing.

 

[jophil28]

this touches on the topic discussed on a thread I started. I don't think women understand how to allocate money or if necessary cut back spending. One of my friends earned more than I did , yet struggled with finances to the point where she was paycheck to paycheck. she will be worth 6 figures soon and is clearly doing well with her career....just no concept of financing.

It is not really a problem of "no concept of finances" it is more that women have no developed sense of self sufficiency and no desire to be so..
Feminism was loud and shrill about women's "right" to financial independence but it was silent on the issue of womens' responsibility to manage their money.
Every single woman I know RESENTS being personally responsible for having to provide for herself. They do so (manage their money) only because they absolutely have to do it, and they mostly do it like a retarded 8 year old who has raided dad's liquor cabinet and then stolen his credit cards.
Western women seem to believe that having a man provide them with a magic carpet ride is their birth right..

The article above illustates how woman really view money and it's deployment.

 

[DJDamage]

It is not really a problem of "no concept of finances" it is more that women have no developed sense of self sufficiency and no desire to be so..

Precisely.

Most women I know prefer to go into debt on 3 different credit cards and live on a month to month basis while splurging instead of cutting back and saving their cash. A woman feels good when she spends her money and apprently that's good enough reason for her to do so. I think most women these days own at least 20 pairs of shoes in which half they don't even wear. If you open a closet in a woman's bedroom half of her cloths still have a price tag on it because they don't even wear it.

 

[Nutz]

It is not really a problem of "no concept of finances" it is more that women have no developed sense of self sufficiency and no desire to be so..
Feminism was loud and shrill about women's "right" to financial independence but it was silent on the issue of womens' responsibility to manage their money.
Every single woman I know RESENTS being personally responsible for having to provide for herself. They do so (manage their money) only because they absolutely have to do it, and they mostly do it like a retarded 8 year old who has raided dad's liquor cabinet and then stolen his credit cards.
Western women seem to believe that having a man provide them with a magic carpet ride is their birth right..

The article above illustates how woman really view money and it's deployment.

It's scary how well you know my ex-wife.

 

[SXS]

More proof women have no logic - 'Damn, I'm out of money, but my nice chump of a chode boyfriend will pay for the bill. Weee!!!! *some time later* What, you have no money/aren't going to cover me? *cries*'

Ha, ha, isnt exactly what Obama is doing ?

ROTFL.

 

[Jitterbug]

I think most women these days own at least 20 pairs of shoes in which half they don't even wear.

Change that to 80 pairs and you may be closer to the mark. You may see 20 on the main shoe rack but there are a lot more in the closet and other hidden racks.

I've dated girls who don't have much money (students working part time or with sh!tty jobs) and they're closing in on 100 pairs. Imagine the ones with higher income!

###

Talking about Recession and women spending money, I'm in the jazz/blues scene and one of the most favourite songs of women I know is the classic Why Don't You Do Right, with lyrics like:

You had plenty money, 1922
You let other women make a fool of you
Why don't you do right? like some other men do
Get out of here and get me some money too.

So if the darlings aren't allowed to spend money to "regulate" their emotions, like Professor Pine said, we may see an increase in mental health problems and who else but we men will be blamed for not Doing Right.

 

[Hooligan Harry]

If they cant spend money to make themselves feel better they may resort to comfort eating. Please rather spend my pay check.

 

[Aenigma]

If they cant spend money to make themselves feel better they may resort to comfort eating. Please rather spend my pay check.

Better clothes then food. No one wants to date a fattie.

 

[reset]

Both men and women spend money when they are nervous. To say this only applies to women is ridiculous.

 

[Da Realist]

Both men and women spend money when they are nervous. To say this only applies to women is ridiculous.

I don't think that's true. Men usually work more hours, stress out, and die of heart attacks later. Women just shop and live longer. Maybe I should go shopping...

 

[jophil28]

Both men and women spend money when they are nervous. To say this only applies to women is ridiculous.

MY sister was trained as a teacher but quit after twenty years of parenting other people's brats. Then she opened a woman's shoe store and ran it successfully for five years.
SHe said recently that shopping (for shoes in particular) is an exciting event for a woman as much as an opportunity to acquire new footwear.
Women go shopping to scan the new stock ,have endless convos with other women and seek out that exclusive new item which she can snare for her already bursting wardrobe.

Shopping for men is purpose driven and efficient . WE want or need something, and then we seek out the supplier, and we go buy it and then return to our garage.

Shopping for women is an adventure which is full of promise and anticipation...it is an emotional experience.

 

[Nutz]

Shopping for women is an adventure which is full of promise and anticipation...it is an emotional experience.

I fully agree with this statement having seen first hand this phenomenon with my ex as she wasted a load of money on crap we don't need. Often times she'd shop for the experience and then I'd make her return everything that wasn't necessary. This became nearly a weekly ordeal, which is part of why she's my ex now.