[Love&Toil]

Finish this sentence: I know I'm hypomanic because I've done ___________ with my money. Detailed responses would be helpful.

I am beginning to suspect some of my habits around money may be connected to hypomania. I am the main money manager in our household and have done a pretty good job of it for the past 13 years. I have noticed that I can get overly ambitious and optimistic about what we can handle. I use a monthly budget that I refer to frequently and check internet banking almost daily, but even so, our debt is creeping up.

A couple of years ago I went on a shopping spree ($500.00) feeling confident that I needed a few things for work and suddenly "needed" to replace my wedding ring which no longer fit. It all grew debt. At one point I decided I needed a huge tattoo - would just pay it off a little bit at a time as we worked on it - it cost $2000.00 by the end of it. Recently bought the kids a $1000.00 bunkbed because "we need it" (but of course we really didn't but long story). Later I regretted the financial impact of these decisions (do love the tattoo though LOL). Then there are the unexpected expenses that creep up.

I wonder if there's something about the over-confidence that these purchases are required and can be handled financially that is connected to hypomania. I'm not expressing myself very well. I haven't been able to figure this all out in my brain yet.

Please share your experiences. Thanks in advance.

[Tucson]

I wonder what is the difference between a person that just makes impulsive purchases and that which comes with hypomania? Maybe degree? Maybe when it presents with other symptoms? Just thinking out loud.

[Love&Toil]

Thanks for weighing in, its helpful.

It's very vulnerable putting this stuff out there but I want to know more and work this all out.

[Tucson]

I went through $60,000 in a few years on spending sprees. I think I will find this to be a worthwhile thread.

[cashart10]

Once when extremely manic, I donated $500 to a Christian organization that I was sure the Lord called me to donate (against my husband's wishes). This may not sound like much but we are a one income family living below the level of poverty. We are not poor because we live within our means but we have absolutely no money to spare.

Another time I went through about $1400 on I have no idea what on a credit card. I'm still not sure what I bought, we kept getting boxes in the mail. I was defensive and insisted we keep everything. My husband didn't put up too much of a fight because he had NO idea how much I was spending at the time.

Another time I went shopping on myself and spent $100s on clothes for myself when we didn't have a $.10 to spare. I never spend money on clothes unless I absolutely need them.

Those are the main ways I overspend, shopping sprees and donating money (in smaller amounts). I am usually very financially responsible.

I am very interested in the problem of manic spending as well. I read about one woman who bought 16 chainsaws in a manic ep!

I haven't done anything THAT silly but i have overspent. Once i bought a car [i hate driving]. Luckily it was a lease and i was able to return it [with a penalty]. Another time i wanted to buy a better condo and got pre-approved for the mortgage before i came to my senses.

Many times i have bought clothes and jewelry. I tend to have bold taste in design when manic so i end up with a lot of things that yell look-at-me which i dislike when i'm depressed and want to fade into the woodwork.

Like i got glasses during my Spring mania and i chose this fancy cats-eye-with-sparkles design which i don't care for now that i have come back down to earth.

Manic spending is actually the main reason i am here as i recently went thru a renovation mania where i planned to spend tens of thousands of dollars. Only the fact that the financing was delayed saved me as i had come back down to earth once it came thru.

I am asking people here to caution me if i go thru it again and asking my support groups to as well. I thought of ruining my credit rating so i don't qualify for borrowing but that's not realistic because what if i have a genuine emergency? I have a dog and she was sick in the hospital over Easter and i needed Old Mr. Credit Card then.

I thought of getting a trustee but a lot of people say that's a whole other can of worms.

One member here suggested an interesting idea: she keeps her credit card in a safe deposit box so access is inconvenient. I decided against that as i want mine for emergencies, but it's a neat suggestion.

In the end, i am hoping to get better meds to prevent another mania. I see my psychiatrist in a week and all my hopes are pinned on her.

[otroo]

I am a gambling addict and at one time I used to play a $1000.00 a hand card games. One year according to my wife I lost like $60000.00 playing cards but the next year I won over $125000.00 in cards. I have not gambled since last summer though cause it cause to much stress on my marriage but if I walked into a casino right now I would empty my wife's bank account right now.

[TheWell]

I bought a house when I was manic. Turned out to be a good decision but not the best way to get there. I also racked up 20k in credit card debt. Bad bad bad.

[~Christina]

Wooo hoooo ! Retail therapy .. Its all fun and games until you crash, right? .. I think everyone has done it at some point .. I use to do it alot .. Not so much anymore my one addiction is nail polish I buy 3-4 a month .. Manic i may buy 10..

Back when I was over spending .. I loaded X amount of dollars on a pre paid card that was the only card I used ( I handed over my debit and credit cards to a trusted friend when hypo wanders near the manic line I am lucky that i realize that point... when the money runs out the prepaid card the retail therapy ends .. I have never gone for big financed things thankfully .

[BipolaRNurse]

You have the nail polish thing too? I though I was the only one!

I have literally spent us into bankruptcy....not once, but twice. Thankfully I no longer have credit cards, only a debit card, and when I'm not manic I rarely overspend now. Two years ago I had a $1000 blowout at Wal-Mart---Wal-Mart!!!---and that was my last major bipolar shopping wingding, although I've had a couple that ate up several hundred dollars I hadn't intended to spend.

[wildflowerchild25]

My husband trusts me to manage the money so when I'm hypo I usually ok us going out to eat at expensive places and he thinks it's ok because I'm saying it is...

I buy books, lots of kindle books, I get stuck on one author and have to buy all their work and the buy the works of the suggested authors and then buy THEIR works...it goes on until I can no longer focus enough to read.

I buy all the things I've put off buying because we can't afford it like clothes, shoes, nail polish, hair dye, toys for my son, etc.

This time I've booked a vacation. Only two days, a long weekend really, but my husband doesn't have a job and my job ends for the summer on august 7 so you tell me how we're goin to afford to stay in a hotel and buy tickets of the train museum etc? I have no idea but I was hypo And wanted to go. It may gt canceled.

[Tucson]

I have a question. One time I had a hang up over the purchase of an expensive item on Ebay for making electronic music. One was not enough. So I rationalized the purchase of successively more costly versions. After spending over a $1000 this way, money I did not have, knowing I cannot return any of them, I manage to stop because I could not find anything else to purchase. What is interesting was I knew I would not have any real use for them.

Does this sound familiar?

[Love&Toil]

Originally Posted by wildflowerchild25

My husband trusts me to manage the money so when I'm hypo I usually ok us going out to eat at expensive places and he thinks it's ok because I'm saying it is...

[...]I buy all the things I've put off buying because we can't afford it like clothes, shoes, nail polish, hair dye, toys for my son, etc.

This time I've booked a vacation. Only two days, a long weekend really, but my husband doesn't have a job and my job ends for the summer on august 7 so you tell me how we're goin to afford to stay in a hotel and buy tickets of the train museum etc? I have no idea but I was hypo And wanted to go. It may gt canceled.

Wildflowerchild I hear ya that it may get cancelled. You just might have to do that very thing...

This sounds a bit like me. It's like I scrimp and save and put things off and am careful with our money..... and then I'll suddenly be like, "Oh we can handle it!" and I overspend or grow debt.

I returned the $1000.00 bunk bed today which was no problem since it hadn't been delivered yet. Phew, disaster averted.

I definitely need to pay more attend to this and make sure we don't increase our debt.

I'm appreciating this thread folks....

[pawn78]

I lost my house, and filed chapter 7 bankruptcy, lost everything in my last manic episode 4 years ago.

The GREAT part about it is that I am now 100% debt free for the last 4 years, I have no credit cards, no loans, etc.

I will never borrow money ever again in my life, because I know my weaknesses. I throw away every credit card application, I pay cash for everything. All bipolar people should do the same IMO, and most people in general should avoid debt.