| People can be addicted to different things — e.g.
alcohol, drugs, certain foods, or even television. People who have such addition
are compulsive, i.e. they have a very powerful psychological need that
they feel they must spend money. This compulsion, like most others, is
irrational — impossible to explain reasonably. For compulsive spenders who buy
on credit, charge accounts are even more exciting than money. In other words,
compulsive spenders feel that with credit, they can do anything. Their pleasure
in spending enormous amounts is actually greater than the pleasure that they get
from the things they buy. There is special psychology of bargain hunting. To save money, of course, most people search for sales, low prices and discounts. Compulsive bargain hunters, however, often buy things they don't need just only because they are cheap. They believe that they are helping their budgets, but they are really playing an exciting game: when they can buy something for less than other people, they feel that they are winners. Most people, experts claim, have two reasons for their behavior: a good reason for things that they do and the real one. Of course, it is not only scientists who understand the psychology of spending habits, but also business people. Stores, companies, and advertisers use psychology to increase business: they consider people's needs for love, power, or influence, their basic value, their beliefs and opinions, and so on in their advertising and sales methods. Psychologists can often use a method called "behavior therapy" to help individuals solve their personality problems. In the same way, they can help people who feel that they have problems with money. |