My obsessions are deflating my wallet. Help.

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Hello everyone!

I am having issues with expensive obsessions. Every few months I come across something new to research and look into....and 99% of the time I end up buying it.

I don't want to sound like a conceited dirtbag....but I want you guys to realize how bad it is (or maybe I just see it as being bad?). All these purchases I bought the top of the line (or close to it) products. This year alone:
1) New smartphone
2) Fish tank - set it up brand new and bought everything imaginable for it
3) New laptop (I convinced myself I needed a lighter laptop for uni)
4) New suit
5) New (used 2009) Acura
6) 3 bottles of cologne (I use one at a time, why did I buy 3?)
7) Refurnished my room (unnecessarily)
8) Various expensive brand name creams and face junk (hundreds of dollars worth)
9) 3 new pairs of shoes
10) Vitamins (Just bought 195$ worth of em on Amazon)
11) 2 watches

I cannot seem to stop. I just keep spending money. Somehow ideas will randomly pop into my head about something and I will research the heck out of it, read reviews left and right and finally I'll buy it. This list doesn't include all the clothes I've purchased this year.

Is this normal? It's not a shopping addiction I don't think. Most of these are not impulsive decisions; they were carefully researched and thought out. I am in no way broke (yet!) but my bank account is shrinking. I am not in credit card debt but I do use CC's to accumulate points/miles (another obsession!). I pay my bills in full and on time. It's a good thing I have a job lol.

You don't sound any worse than the average American.

I can relate - I find something I want, then obsess over it until I get it. I actually get very anxious until I buy the item.

Ranges from $10 up to many many thousands. Fortunately I have the income to support my purchases, but it doesn't seem to be a sane way to behave.


I realised that I was chasing happiness from material things, but I think its developed into something else now.

OMG you sound like me! I don't buy major purchases and furniture but I am so obsessive about sitting at the PC researching the latest vitamin, handbag, shoes, face cream etc. and because I am constantly buying the cost adds up.

I feel as if I don't sit at the PC finding something to buy that something is missing. I get fixated on e.g. a particular handbag that I want and if I bid on it and lose I will keep looking for it again, or try to find that exact one elsewhere and not give up until I find it. When I have it, it will hang new and unused on a hook. I will also buy matching colour shoes for each handbag and virtually all are unused or worn once. My husband has started asking me why I keep buying them because I hoard so much stuff all over the place.

Shopping addiction is called oniomania. I think this is part of the female presentation of AS!

Hello everyone!

I am having issues with expensive obsessions. Every few months I come across something new to research and look into....and 99% of the time I end up buying it.

I don't want to sound like a conceited dirtbag....but I want you guys to realize how bad it is (or maybe I just see it as being bad?). All these purchases I bought the top of the line (or close to it) products. This year alone:
1) New smartphone
2) Fish tank - set it up brand new and bought everything imaginable for it
3) New laptop (I convinced myself I needed a lighter laptop for uni)
4) New suit
5) New (used 2009) Acura
6) 3 bottles of cologne (I use one at a time, why did I buy 3?)
7) Refurnished my room (unnecessarily)
8) Various expensive brand name creams and face junk (hundreds of dollars worth)
9) 3 new pairs of shoes
10) Vitamins (Just bought 195$ worth of em on Amazon)
11) 2 watches

I cannot seem to stop. I just keep spending money. Somehow ideas will randomly pop into my head about something and I will research the heck out of it, read reviews left and right and finally I'll buy it. This list doesn't include all the clothes I've purchased this year.

Is this normal? It's not a shopping addiction I don't think. Most of these are not impulsive decisions; they were carefully researched and thought out. I am in no way broke (yet!) but my bank account is shrinking. I am not in credit card debt but I do use CC's to accumulate points/miles (another obsession!). I pay my bills in full and on time. It's a good thing I have a job lol.

I'm a guy tho

But you sure sound exactly like me. I always have a bunch of tabs open on my browser and there's always at least one open that I have my shopping/research going on in.

A lot of times after I buy the item because of the exhaustive amount of researching and browsing I did I'll receive it and not even care to touch or play with it. So annoying. And returning it requires too much work lol