US Edition
Dear Abby: Man’s online shopping drains wallet and wife’s patience
Abigail Van Buren says compulsive shopping can become an addiction and urges the couple to try Spenders Anonymous, which helps people overcome overspending.
- An anonymous wife wrote to Dear Abby about her husband of 50 years, whose compulsive online shopping costs more than $2,000 per month on unnecessary items delivered two or three times daily.
- Abigail Van Buren, author of Dear Abby, identified the behavior as compulsive spending, noting that for some people the shopping provides a dopamine rush that helps manage depression.
- The couple receives two or three packages daily, including repeat food subscriptions that fill their pantry with overflow, forcing them to discard perfectly good food to make room for new items.
- Spenders Anonymous, a 12-step organization, was recommended by the columnist to help the husband overcome compulsive spending habits and address the financial burden.
- Now that the wife is retired and lacks independent income, she expresses concern over the financial drain caused by these repeated purchases, which the couple discusses but has not successfully curtailed.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Dear Abby: My husband spends $2,000 a month buying things we don’t need
DEAR ABBY: My husband of 50 years sits in his chair for hours at a time making online purchases he thinks are a necessity or just plain intriguing. We get two or three packages a day, which usually consist of “buy two and get a third one free” — fruit corers, citrus squeezers, air fresheners, car-washing supplies, cellphone holders, etc. What’s frustrating is that we already have the perfectly functional items he’s purchased. Most of the time th…
Dear Abby: Man’s online shopping drains coffers and wife’s patience
DEAR ABBY: My husband of 50 years sits in his chair for hours at a time making online purchases he thinks are a necessity or just plain intriguing. We get two or three packages a day, which usually consist of “Buy two and get a third one free” -- fruit corers, citrus squeezers, air fresheners, car-washing supplies, cellphone holders, etc.
East Bay Times
The Mercury newsDear Abby: My husband’s useless compulsion costs us $2,000 a month
Dear Abby: He promises to abstain, but the next week he's back at it.
Dear Abby:
The Berkshire Eagle
The Daily News of NewburyportMan's online shopping drains coffers and wife's patience
DEAR ABBY: My husband of 50 years sits in his chair for hours at a time making online purchases he thinks are a necessity or just plain intriguing. We get two or three packages a day, which usually consist of…
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