Ashamed of how much I've spent on a stupid mobile game

If it helped you get through a difficult time, then it was probably worth it. Think how much therapy might have cost!

But not something to make a habit of, ideally.

It was a coping mechanism.

Not ideal but far more expensive and dangerous choices available so it in the grand scheme of things it's relatively minor with no huge expense or lasting damage.

It's only an issue if you want to reinstall it or which to another unhealthy way of dealing with things.

If you are fully over it, then consider it a done and move on and don't be so hard on yourself.

Don't worry about it OP. It is noting to be ashamed of. There are worse things to spend money on!

Over the years, I spent far too much on mobile games. £100s. They are designed in a way to be addictive, and all those micro-transactions add up. One game I am playing right now... I have ran out of lives. It is tempting to pay a couple of pounds to buy gems to refill my lives... or I could wait a few hours and they will be refilled anyway.

Over what period of time have you spent this? I don't think it's as bad as you think to be honest.

I spend a lot of time on this game. I can see how people spend a lot of money on it because it can take a lot of resources to maintain a streak and even more to get one back.

It gave you escapism so it was worth it x

You need to go easier on yourself.
You have had a really tough time recently, this game hasn't caused you any financial hardship, and it's helped you through this time. People spend way more on other hobbies, even console games are £60+ each, so in the grand scheme of things you have spent an amount that was affordable to yourself on something that you enjoyed, that isn't a bad thing or something you should feel guilty about.

Mindless spending is obviously not good, but I see spending on games as spending on entertainment. You could have easily spent that money on 6-7 cinema trips, which would have kept you entertained for 3h at a time. You got many more hours of enjoyment from your game.

Shift your mindset OP.
You spent £100 on techno therapy to help you cope with a rough spell.
You've not gone into debt over it.
Consider it your treat to yourself and move on.
Sorry for your troubles.

This was the game I was interested in. It wasn’t even the money that triggered me to cut myself off but the sheer amount of time I wasted on it.

I had this with Royal Match until my interest in it suddenly waned. You are not alone in getting sucked in

I must have done similar with a different game. I haven’t checked and I don’t want to know. Cutting myself off from the game several months ago was the right decision but I do occasionally still get the urge to play it. So addictive!

Don't beat yourself up, OP. I spent way too much on Sims Mobile and it was mostly stress-driven. (Thankfully for my bank balance, the game is no longer in existence. 😄)

As pps say, a night out can cost you that much these days. These things happen, just make a resolution to stop.

It helped you relax during a very difficult time. I wouldn’t give it any more thought. Going out for a few coffees or having a glass of wine etc would soon add up to more than that.

I not long ago experienced bereavement too and found games on my phone a really effective form of mindfulness and relaxation.

I hope things feel better soon.

I spend money on games. I don’t drink, I don’t have any expensive hobbies, I don’t spend money on clothes regularly. A game for a console will set you back £50. I have no issue spending on a well crafted, well maintained game, these developers can’t work for free. I’m selective what I spend on, put an amount on my Apple account and don’t exceed it. It isn’t a waste of money, it’s the price of some of my leisure time.

Don't feel ashamed. I got addicted to a game (my singing monsters) after my mum died. I didn't spend money on it but you have nothing to be ashamed of and you aren't in financial hardship as a result so write it off to grief and be kind to yourself.

There are lots of free games (without purchasing options) on the Independent Arkadium page. My favourites are Mahjongg Solitaire and Jewel Shuffle, not intellectual but quite a challenge.

Oh give yourself a break!!

im really sorry to hear about both your parents & your car! You've had a shit year!!

£100 to distract you a bit & help you get through it isn't much! It doesn't matter what it was on.

Would it make you feel any better if I said I had a stroke last year & I've spent much more than that on a similar type of game & more on various books & bits to help me through this year? & I'm probably not going to be able to work again so really shouldn't be spending my small amount of savings I'm living on 🙇🏻‍♀️

what else could you have spent the £100 on that would have distracted you & helped you as much as playing this game?

This was me with Gossip Harbor.

Had to delete it and go cold turkey.

A relative codes a game for a company that has people buying stuff for CGI cars and they spend 1000s doing this. Literally cartoon cars!!!
Delete the app and don't stress out about it xx

Don’t be hard on yourself OP. Mobile games have helped me immensely when my anxiety was through the roof. As a PP said people would spend that on booze, fags or drugs without batting an eyelid.

Try Mahong. It’s a freebie game and very soothing.

Aw it's okay, sometimes we just need downtime to empty our brains. Most hobbies cost more than that. Cut yourself some slack (and find a new game for the difficult days!).

Mindless spending is never a good thing and that is £100 you will never get back. But people spend (or waste) money on lots of unnecessary things for emotional reasons - nice coffees, wine, cigarettes - this is no different. Don’t beat yourself up. You have noticed and can knock it on the head before it gets out of control.

You could easily have blown that on a night out or a trolley dash in Primark. It wouldn’t have got you far on a designer handbag. Please don’t stress about giving yourself a distraction at a really tricky time.