If your addiction affects your money, read this…

Addictions can be a luxury, not all of them, but some of them can. It can cost you a lot of money and even ruin your budget and financial goals. Sometimes, you might not even realise what you’re doing at the time and the impact it’ll have on your budget or finances.

Some expert say addictions are genetic predisposition that we are born with; others say that we are trying to fill a void in our lives. People with addictions aren’t the only ones who can suffer financially; friends and family can also pay the price of addiction.

This one is pretty self-explanatory, but just in case I’ll elaborate on it. Obviously, compulsive shopping can get expensive depending on what you’re buying, just like your credit card that can cost you more than you think. Some people don’t really have any other hobbies aside from shopping.

Whenever they want to hang out, they feel like running around and shopping. Walking around the mall or other stores and browsing is the standard and expected activity for companionship and tries to make light of it.

Hanging out with people who have a shopping addiction can be really beneficial. You can get in some exercise and learn from their mistakes. Whenever you say anything negative about their pastime, they considered a personal attack and then get upset about it.

You may actually know a lot of people that have had drug addictions in the past. Maybe you are not friend with them anymore, but in the past. Having relationship with drug addict can really be irritating. Some may have “friends” that have steal money from them as well as stuff to sell or trade for drugs.

Sometimes, getting more drugs was more important than paying rent, which can really led them homeless. Some ending up going to jail, doing community service, losing their jobs (because they were high all the time), ruining their relationships and having their stomachs pumped.

Gambling addiction is another habit that can ruin your finance. There are so many people that have wasted so much money while engaging themselves in different forms of gamble, but never really seem to learn their lesson.

It’s not even really about winning money either, which seems rather odd but the issue is that, they all tend to carry significant financial costs, both in terms of paying for the addictive substance or behaviour, and in terms of the time taken away from other activities, including work, gambling and shopping addiction almost always lead to money problems, simply because they strike at the core of the addict’s finances. Without money, there can be no gambling, and without money, there can be no shopping.

According to experts, the solution to money problems for shopping addicts and over spenders is both simple and difficult. You need to take complete responsibility for your actions and for the consequences of your actions, and to take control of those actions by monitoring and making careful decisions about what you spend your money on.

Unlike addictions to alcohol and drugs, there is no way to avoid money, or to avoid the need to shop. You may need a complete break from spending before getting to this point, by asking someone else to take responsibility for purchasing the basic necessities of life until you have had a reasonable break from spending. But sooner or later, you will need to formulate spending plan which will give you complete control over how much you spend, and what you spend it on.

TIAMIYU ADIO ISMAIL