Why, finding ourselves in a difficult financial situation, some of us begin not to save, but to spend money? It turns out that this is how our family background affects us.
At the moment of financial difficulties, some of us begin to save money, while others, on the contrary, in the most illogical way, begin to frantically spend it. But why? “Such impulsive extravagance can be characteristic of those who grew up in a family with very limited funds,” explains psychologist Vladas Griskevicius from the University of Minnesota (USA). “When things are going well, these people deal with the feeling of uncertainty about the future that they have known since childhood. But during a crisis, anxiety intensifies, and they are involuntarily seized by a desire to take everything from life and immediately. To cope with such a buying impulse, the psychologist advises to learn simple rules: “Make purchases alone to avoid the temptation to impress your companions. Pay only in cash to experience spending physically. And set a shopping limit… that you can only go over once a month.”
* Psychological Science, 2013, vol. 24, № 2.