The Biggest Sign Of Being a Compulsive Shopper, and a Surprising Antidote

Thought for today: As holidays approach and family gift giving is on the agenda, we pause to think about compulsive shopping. DA Sign 4 of being a compulsive debtor: Compulsive shopping: Being unable to pass up a “good deal”; making impulsive purchases; leaving price tags on clothes so they can be returned; not using items you’ve […]

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6 Signs of Time Debting, And Tools For Timefulness

Thought for today: Time-debting is when you don’t spend time in sync with our goals.  It’s as if our goals and our ideals are at odds.  We say we want one thing, but are moving toward the other instead. Some symptoms of time-debting: Procrastination.  Putting off doing simple tasks like opening the mail.  Spending more time […]

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Signs That You May Be A Compulsive Debtor (Signpost #8)

Thought for today: When we were debting, life seemed like a race we were always losing.  We made decisions about money emotionally, out of fear, lust, jealousy, or big-shotism. At a restaurant, volunteering: “Let me get that bill – it’s on me!”. At the store: “I’ve got to have that ______!” When loaning a friend money: “Don’t worry […]

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Signs You May Be a Compulsive Debtor (Signpost #7)

Thought for today: Money is neither good nor bad. It just is. It’s a tool – a means to an end. Nothing more.  It’s people who attach anxiety to it.  Money doesn’t think. Signpost #7 (of compulsive debting) “Living in chaos and drama around money: Using one credit card to pay another; bouncing checks; always having a […]

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Signs That You May Be A Compulsive Debtor (Signpost #6)

Thought for today: Credit cards are a dubious luxury of “normal people” – but they aren’t an essential ingredient for being  “grown up”! A member shares: “The credit card companies make these incredibly attractive terms to get us started, and it feels like magic!  Out of nowhere, money is there for anything we want” ” Flashy advertisements, accumulating points […]

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May 2, Just for Today, a New Beginning in DA (Reflections on Signpost Five)

Thought for today: Before DA, many of us neglected ourselves.  Depressed and isolated, we simply gave up the basic things “normal people” did automatically. A member shares: “I struggled to show up for work on time and put in an honest day’s work.  I had so much  emotional pain before even getting up in the morning. […]

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April 19, How to Stop Compulsive Shopping, Gain Inspired Awareness (And Heed Signpost #4 That You May Be a Compulsive Debtor)

Thought for today: Do I return a complement with the price tag quote? Do I regret buying something soon after you bring the merchandise home?  After the newness wears off, is there “buyer’s remorse”, lost receipts, and vagueness like a hangover? Compulsive shopping, especially when using credit cards to pay for it, happens quickly in […]

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April 17, Escape From A Family’s Sick Culture Around Money (and Signpost #3 That You May Be a Compulsive Debtor)

Thought for today: One DA member vividly recalls how they stopped saving when their parents “borrowed” their piggy bank savings at age seven to put food on the table one day. The weeks went by and the money was never returned or even spoke about again. The family hid this and other shames for years, […]

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April 16, Why We Frequently Borrow, And How We Can Heal (Signpost #2 that you may be a compulsive debtor)

Thought for today: The compulsion to debt is a symptom of a deeper problem: the need to be beholden to the other.  Debtors accumulate guilt.  Unconsciously, we seek distraction from ourselves. We must squelch the illusion that “things equal love”, or that we are perpetually lacking some thing that would make us feel complete.  No longer […]

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April 14, “What the Heck is Going On Around Here?”* (Signpost #1 that you may be a compulsive debtor)

Thought for today: Have you ever felt clueless about where your money was going?  Have you ever said these things to out loud or to yourself? “You’ve got to be kidding me!  $35 for being one day late?” “You mean to tell me I get charged for every ;$&@@ mile over the lease allowance?” “You […]

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