Saturday, April 19, 2025

Why 52% of Parents Are Overspending on Their Kids

Parents/GettyImages/SDI Productions

Raise your hand if you have ever spent money on your child due to guilt? My hand is high in the sky. Case in point: I recently had a baby and often order art supplies and toys to keep my preschooler busy and happy since I know how much time I’m focusing on my newborn. If you can relate too, we aren’t alone. Ameriprise Financial’s new study, “Parents & Finances,” found that more than half (52%) of the 3,000 moms and dads surveyed report shelling out money for treats and perks due to guilt……..Continue reading…..

By Melissa Willets

Source: Parents

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Critics:

Financial experts say social pressure, lifestyle creep and emotional impulse spending are common causes. High inflation and credit misconceptions can also be factors. Curb overspending by addressing your psychological patterns and triggers, implementing a budget and seeking professional guidance when necessary. 

How do we stop overspending?
  • 1. Set a Budget Plan your spending: Allocate specific amounts for each category (groceries, entertainment, etc.)
  • 2. Track Your Expenses Monitor purchases: Use apps like Mint or keep a daily log to see where your money is going.
  • 3. Avoid Impulse Purchases
  • 4. Use Cash or Debit Cards

The action of spending more money than you should: The major problem we’re facing is overspending by politicians. The study showed overspending was more prevalent among women than men. During a manic episode, many people with bipolar disorder tend to make poor financial decisions – overspending, impulsive buying, or excessive generosity.Overspending is when someone consistently spends money to excess.

When a person routinely spends a large percentage of income on discretionary purchases, it can lead to hardship, debt, addictive spending, and sin. Pursuing worldly gains can even cause a person to abandon his or her faith. The 50-30-20 rule recommends putting 50% of your money toward needs, 30% toward wants, and 20% toward savings. The savings category also includes money you will need to realize your future goals.

Let’s take a closer look at each category.Getting in the habit of overspending and living outside your means can have a negative impact on your financial health, resulting in: A cycle of debt that can be difficult to break due to interest owed. An impossible environment to save for retirement as you try to keep up. Unfortunately, overspending typically leads to large amounts of debt. That debt then needs to be repaid—with interest!

With overspending, there will be an increased amount of stress to pay your previous month’s bills and the EMIs (equated monthly instalments) of your debt. This can affect your mental health and can have repercussions on your physical health as well. Individuals with ADHD often struggle with impulsive spending habits, which can have a significant impact on their financial well-being. The impulsivity associated with ADHD can lead to impulsive purchases and money problems.

Overspending can happen for different reasons, such as: You might spend to make yourself feel better. Some people describe this as feeling like a temporary high. If you experience symptoms like mania or hypomania, you might spend more money or make impulsive financial decisions. While this  is challenging to answer without making too broad of a generalization for all the reasons described above, borderline personality disorder (BPD) is often described as the hardest mental illness to live with by those who suffer from it and by mental health professionals.

We have suggested that those with a bipolar disorder may, during manic/hypomanic states, evidence sparkling eyes, have dilated pupils and, albeit rarely, evidence iris colour changes – especially blackening. Compulsive spending can be a symptom during the manic phase of bipolar disorder. Understanding what triggers it can help you keep your finances under control.

Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that causes extreme shifts in mood, from manic highs to depressive lows. 50% of your net income should go towards living expenses and essentials (Needs), 20% of your net income should go towards debt reduction and savings (Debt Reduction and Savings), and 30% of your net income should go towards discretionary spending (Wants).

concept is simple: Take a few envelopes, write a specific expense category on each one — like groceries, rent or student loans — and then put the money you plan to spend on those things into the envelopes. Traditionally, people have followed the envelope system on a monthly basis, using cash and envelopes.

People with ADHD may struggle with impulse control, leading to impulsive buying and overspending. This behaviour can significantly impact your financial health and overall well-being. Impulsivity is one of three core characteristics of ADHD, defined as acting without thinking or considering the consequences.

“Reckless spending”: It’s a symptom of mania or hypomania, characterized by excessive behaviors involving money. One might picture a whirlwind trip to the mall, heaps of designer clothes and maxed out credit cards. Or perhaps a large and risky investment into an uncertain business venture. Credit cards are an important financial tool, but if you tend to overspend, consider paying with debit or cash, at least temporarily.

Making purchases with money you have on hand helps rein in spending since you’ll immediately see the effect on your account balance. Compulsive buying disorder is tightly associated with excessive or poorly managed urges related to the purchase of the items and spending of currency in any form; digital, mobile, credit or cash. Overspending is a significant financial red flag, especially if it is spending on non-essential items.

If your partner is constantly splurging on things that they do not need, it can lead to financial problems in the future. Often, it’s driven by deep-seated psychological factors that influence our decision-making processes. Emotions, social pressures, and ingrained habits can all play a significant role in our spending behaviors, sometimes leading us to make choices that don’t align with our long-term financial goals.

Many public programs have uncontrollable spending limits that neither Congress nor the President can change. – This includes the interest due on the vast federal debt. – Most entitlements—Social Security benefits, food stamps, and so on—are also largely uncontrollable. High-functioning ADHD is not a formal medical term, but rather a colloquial way to describe individuals with ADHD who can manage their symptoms well enough to function effectively in daily life.

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