Recession Proof Your Wallet
A Look at Mindless Spending

By Jenny Williams

I used to be convinced that my wallet—a simple fold-up piece that fit neatly in my must have hand bag—was actually a prop in some magician's disappearing act. Cash seemed to vanish from it the moment I left the ATM. Crisp twenty-dollar bills were replaced with worn out ones and fives. I was baffled: was there a secret pocket? A trick flap? Where was all of my money going? To my dismay I was responsible. I was spending it of course—but in such a way that I never realized how quickly it all added up, or subtracted.

A frappuccino here, a new scarf there, a candy bar added to my basket of groceries in the checkout lane and super sizing my soda during my fill up at the gas station. Each expense was relatively small, so the habit of mindless spending was easy to justify. "Oh, it's just a few dollars," I would convince myself, dropping a new shade of lipstick in my cart, along with the extra set of dishtowels and trendy pair of sunglasses I had picked up earlier. I really noticed the drain I put on my wallet when it was time to pay the important stuff, life’s necessities like my mortgage, gas bill, water bill, electricity, telephone and auto insurance. My bank account suddenly had to strain to cover my living expenses.

How was it possible that I, a working professional, could barely make my monthly payments? After several years of willful denial, I finally recognized my mindless spending for what it was: a drain on my resources, and ultimately—on my future. The candy bars and frappuccinos only padded my hips, and my makeup case bulged with rejected lipsticks. Instead of saving up for a winter holiday on the ski slopes, I was wasting my money on disposable consumables that added very little to my life.

I know I am not alone.

Of Course there are several tips about How to Recession Proof Your Wallet and Eliminate Mindless Spending in the current issue of Positively.