How is spending money addictive? That makes little sense.
Money is basically an abstraction.
http://www.bowmansmoneycollege.com/Blog/Consumer_News/spending_money_most_addictive_behavior4 Reasons Why Spending Money Is The Most Addictive Behavior
1) Spending money is ruthlessly marketed to you.
You are overtly encouraged via advertising to spend your money on thousands of different things. Spending is covertly encouraged, for example, by product placement in TV shows. It is inferred that you will be better off if you look, live, travel, sleep, or even smell like highly compensated celebrities.
2) Spending money is extremely easy.
You can shop online or at a store, use store or major credit cards, take out a loan, have automatic deductions from income checks, get advances on tax refunds, use payday loans, put merchandise on layaway, get short term “same as cash” financing, use gift cards, and even use old fashion cash! There are endless ways to spend money.
3) Spending money is rewarded with recognition.
Who will receive more positive attention at work today? The woman who saved $200.00 by purchasing new work clothes at the Goodwill or the woman who spent $200.00 on a stylish new dress at the boutique? The guy who paid cash for his “new” 10 year old car, or the guy who leased a new luxury sports car? The guy who just ate the appropriate ratio of carbs, protein, and fat for lunch or the girl who is wearing new diamond earrings? The guy who gave $100 to charity or the guy who just bought everyone a round? The positive attention we are rewarded with when spending money validates the behavior in our minds.
4) Spending money is the patriotic thing to do.
Late in 2006 when worries of a recession were taking hold the advice we received from the President of the United States was “to go shopping”. Today, even as we still recover from the Great Recession our government leaders encourage us to spend in order to allow the creation of more jobs. The nation hovers around the consumer confidence index in hopes we are always spending more.
We have been conditioned to get “high” on the biological euphoria of spending money. Rewarding yourself even with little expenditures, such as gourmet morning coffee at the drive thru or cool ringtones for your phone, gives the constant drizzle of dopamine we all love. Spending money is one of the easiest things you can do. We are routinely told that it is not just ok, but life enhancing and even good for the country by professional marketers and respected leaders. Is it any wonder we are addicted to spending money?
