I think it's rather subjective depending on the person - experiences with hypomania vary from patient to patient and hence it's difficult to judge whether hypomania is present or if it's just poor budgeting/overspending.

As others have said: typically when hypomania is to blame, the urge to spend is coupled with a feeling of urgency to buy whatever it is that you desire.

For example, you may have limited funds to buy something you want. If you wait a week you will be able to afford it but that's too far away - you want it now and it can't wait. In frustration you spend the last of your money, or you get out your credit card and add more money to your ever-rising debt.

I've taken out many loans of large amounts just to buy things I wanted because I needed them when I wanted them and felt unable to wait for just a few more days.

I could give you another example: spending without thinking about it or even buying things you may never use. I can't count all the times I've walked into a shop to buy one thing and walked out with five bags of pointless stuff that nearly always end up in the attic. Once I bought a hamster, a huge cage and lots of hamster food without thinking about it before hand. On the car journey home I began crying (not sure why) and decided I didn't want it and I took it back just an hour after I bought it.

I've also invested in stocks and companies without considering a business plan or thinking about it any longer than a few minutes. During my younger years, I opened multiple companies with my mother's bank account and had to repay her over £700 worth of bills.

On top of that, I am in general terrible at managing my money and sticking to budgets. But that's just me I think!

RB