Hi Tim!

As BirdDancer has replied, most anything is possible with Bipolar illness. We are all different in what we do.

For me, I so very rarely spend any money...ever. (BPII here.) I don't spend a lot when hypomanic, either. In all of my years, I once spent money when hypomanic. I had bought a $1000.00 item. It was something that went, almost entirely, against my own beliefs and values. I do not recall anything about buying it; however, there was a receipt and my bank account showed the expenditure. I had shocked myself by doing this.

My soon-to-be ex-husband, also BPII, spends, spends, spends! He is a spender even when not hypomanic and an even bigger spender when hypomanic. His doctors have told him, repeatedly, to let me hold the purse strings, but he loves to spend, so he is not ever going to allow me to slow him down re: spending.

So, it is very much an individual thing, despite having the same diagnostic label.