[lunaticfringe]

Does anyone else have expensive taste, especially if it's not within your means to live that way? I find that I have a general taste and desire for nice things, and it is hard for me to settle for less. I grew up as an only child of a single mother and we had very little money, but somehow I have always managed to get what I wanted and do nice things...This obviously causes problems for me as I have huge grandiose ideas about things I want to buy or do and I get to fulfill very few of these. I'd say this is my default setting even when I'm depressed although I definitely go through with more purchases when hypo/manic (which I have been for the past few months I guess...). Does anyone else experience this as a part of grandiosity, exuberance for life, etc. etc? I find I have a high level need for stimulation and spending money in all ways just really meets a need in me. I find myself coveting things or experiences and doing whatever I can do to get them! I just cannot stop myself. Ugh. Anyway...off to therapy later today...Thanks for reading

[CopperStar]

Sort of. I tend to have a hoarding mechanism that goes off when I am in the beginning stages of a high/mixed mood. I tend to be attracted to things I deem to be like treasures (such as crystals, gemstones, jewelry, minerals, etc) or luxuries (essential oils, soaps, cosmetics, clothes, etc).

I've gotten it under control at this point in my life, but it used to be really bad. I once bought about 300 bars of handmade soaps during one of my spending-spree hoarding phases, and then fell into a depression so that I never showered anyway. Another time I bought about $700 worth of fetish leather apparel from the UK that I could never wear in public, and I didn't even have a partner. It wound up just collecting dust until I donated it to Goodwill years later for the lulz.

[Skeezyks]

Hello lunaticfringe: My mother used to call it having a champagne appetite on a beer income. Yes, I've always preferred to have quality-made products. I have always tried to avoid buying things made cheaply in China & various third-world countries. I prefer to buy things made well in the U.S.A., Canada or Europe. I'll buy hand-crafted items whenever possible. These sorts of things always cost more. I don't shop at Walmart! Also, for many years, I bought many things I didn't need trying to fill the void I felt within. I cringe to think of all of the money I wasted...

Having said that, however, my spouse & I are now both retired. So we're on a fixed income. As a result, I've now made he commitment to not spend any money I don't really need to spend. Realistically, I have everything I need & more. So, I've shut off the spigot, so to speak... no more unnecessary spending! Still... I can't help but look admiringly at all of the fancy new autos on the streets & imagine what it would be like to go out & buy one. (My spouse has a car that's a few years old now. I don't drive anymore...)

I call it part of the classic hypomania and manic response to risk take and spend money

I'm the same here when it comes to store bought stuff. It's got to be upper quality or nothing at all. Now when the manic aspect steps in, I tend to recklessly buy lots of nice things.

Nope. My tastes are a roof over my head and food. When hypomanic I go for expensive experiences and buy animal related things that get used or sold eventually. Rarely will I spend more than I need to on myself. Except for chocolate...

I definitely go on spending sprees. I was just on vacation and almost bought some expensive art. And I am just hypomanic at the moment.

[Edgar's Mom]

I am an artist and have an eye for quality, so if I'm looking at things, the one I pick nearly always turns out to be the expensive one.

I don't really want things I'm not going to use so the things I get are usually equipment for my horse or dogs. I do like good equipment though, if it really makes a difference. Not regarding the name brand, but the quality.

We are animal poor so I can't be materialistic. I don't have many clothes and I drive a nerdy old car because those things are less important to me than horse gear and dog stuff. Our dogs are ridiculously spoiled.

My horse has a very expensive wardrobe...

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[Trippin2.0]

My problem is I like super expensive stuff without knowing they're super expensive beforehand.

Something inside of me is just naturally attracted to the finer things in life, but since I'm on a beer income, I don't get to buy all the champagne I want.

Which makes me really sad at times, having to settle for "less"...

I generally have a spending problem, today I went to the store to get some flu and allergy meds, needless to say, I emerged with a bag of stuff...

Friday the same thing happened, went to get a week's worth of groceries, came back with a month's... I don't know how to spend small, it's part of my "go big or go home" / "all or nothing" problem, that is probably more BPD than BP because it happens even when I am not hypo.

Anyway, all I meant to say was that on some level I do get it, and I do get into trouble at times yes.