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AIBU?

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Original poster

To not understand people who "gotta get it spent"?

24 replies

flyingvisit · 09/01/2011 10:15

If I am given a voucher or money, it takes ages for me to use/spend. I like to think about it and choose at my leisure. Or hoard until i have a tidy sum to spend.

Am I alone in being bewildered by those who rush immediately to spend , as though the money is burning a hole in their pockets?

OP posts:
deliciousdevilwoman · 09/01/2011 11:11

I don't understand "hoarders". Different strokes for different folks, and all that. Perhaps the people you don't get have a clear idea/have coveted something for a while, so see no need to "hang on" to said voucher/money

Original poster
flyingvisit · 09/01/2011 11:13

Maybe you are right.
Im talking people who go IMMEDIATELY or the next day to "get it spent". Like birthday money.

OP posts:
LornMowa · 09/01/2011 11:15

I tend to be a hoarder. I have just found some book tokens that must be at least 10 years old. I wonder if they will still accept them. I wish I was better at spending them when I first get them.

borderslass · 09/01/2011 11:16

I used one of my birthday ones straight away but only because I'd seen a dress in next that I wanted,saving the other one and another next one I got off DH for christmas but am leaving it until summer as I don't need winter clothes but all my summer ones where too big last year so god knows what they'll be like this year.

usualsuspect · 09/01/2011 11:16

Sometimes its nice to be able to spend on yourself ...I have very little spare money so I can't wait to spend a voucher or birthday money on myself

onceamai · 09/01/2011 11:17

Depends if they have wanted something for a while and now have the money to get it.

mutznutz · 09/01/2011 11:18

Different strokes I suppose. Some people always have something in mind that they'd like to buy and others don't.

My 11yr old has burning pocket syndrome and constantly browses ebay before pocket money day. My 8yr old will save money until it's likely to not be legal tendar anymore Grin

coldtits · 09/01/2011 11:20

I think people are born that way. my parents are spenders, and although we were never in financial trouble, I'm a hoarder.

borderslass · 09/01/2011 11:21

mutznutz DD2[15] is like that she just spent her Easter and birthday money but still has christmas money and is likely to have it until the summer.
DS[16] has to spend it.

smellmycheese · 09/01/2011 11:21

I am a 'get it spent' girl. I'm the same with everything. for instance, all my easter eggs are eaten and gone by easter sunday, and all my xmas pressies are open by about 7am! I can't help it, i'm excitable!

DP is the opposite. He still has vouchers from 2 bdays ago that he hasn't spent. he's needed a new laptop since we met (5 yrs ago) but he's still researching and deciding which one to get!

But our biggest problem is the chocolate. He has only just finished his last eater egg from last year! As you can imagine, having it sitting in the fridge for all this time is a big challenge for someone who ate all of hers the day she go them!!

I won't show him this thread...it might remind him of the incident in 2006 involving his half of the chocolate ice cream disappearing Grin

Blatherskite · 09/01/2011 11:23

We bought vouchers for FIL's birthday a few years ago and it took him 3 years to spend them. It was so frustrating as we'd got the vouchers because he said he wanted something from the place and then he dithered about spending them for sooooo long.

We kept asking him if he'd bought himself the thing he wanted but he never had.

Won't get him vouchers again as it's too painful waiting for him to use them. I think as a giver, you want the recipient to have the joy of a gift they'd really like. The giving of the vouchers themselves is a bit of an anti climax.

BendyBob · 09/01/2011 11:28

If I don't spend money given to me as a present fairly quickly, I find it gets used up on everyday stuff. It sort of becomes absorbed into the household money and I end up sending into school for a trip or buying food. So I try and spend it on me asap.

With vouchers/tokens I have the opposite problem. I'm not at all good with them. I keep them in my purse forever and forget I have them.

Piggles · 09/01/2011 11:29

I definitely incline to hoarding too.

I think it is fair enough to spend immediately if there is an item you have been coveting (I did once run out to spend a ₤100 topshop voucher the day after my birthday because I'd seen shoes I just couldn't justify buying not long before that) but I really don't understand people who just seem to go out immediately and spend for spendings sake.

I actually know people who just seem to buy things simply because the money is there and it hasn't been designated for anything else... Really dont get them at all.

Mind you, they probably think I am odd usually squirreling away all my money until I am really, really sure that I want something Grin

BelligerentGhoul · 09/01/2011 11:29

I'm with Bob - if it's cash, it tends to get spent in Sainsbo's or something, unless I spend it straight away on something for me. I tend to take a bit longer with vouchers!

mutznutz · 09/01/2011 11:30

Borderlass 8yr old's money jar has often come in handy when the ATM isn't working...last week it was full of IOUs Blush

Original poster
flyingvisit · 09/01/2011 11:31

piggles that is exactly what I mean. :)

OP posts:
MissQue · 09/01/2011 11:33

Take care with vouchers, a lot of them have an expiry date on them, so check that carefully or you'll lose them.

I'm a spender unless there's something to plan towards, then I cut back and save. I love a good splurge, but the promise of good times at Glastonbury is enough to keep me reined in to save.

glastocat · 09/01/2011 11:33

I read somewhere that you should use vouchers asap because they can go out of date, or if the business folds you are at the back of the creditors queue. I've only been given book tokens (which were spent straight away after a happy afternoon browsing), or resturant vouchers (also spent PDQ). Actually the restaurant we went to has just gone into receivership so if I'd got those tokens this year I'd be going for lunch today!(They are still trading.)

Adversecamber · 09/01/2011 11:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ShoppingDays · 09/01/2011 11:40

I think it's polite to let the giver know how you spent the voucher/money. So I vote for spending ASAP.

monkeyslut · 09/01/2011 11:42

I could have written smellmycheese 's post...right down to DH not eating his chocolate and letting it sit in the fridge for months and months mocking me Hmm I'm pregnant FFS! He is lucky to have gotten his share of the ferrero wotsits we recieved at christmas.

So yeah I am a spender. Always have been...

mole1 · 09/01/2011 11:45

Dh is a spender, while I am a hoarder. Sometimes leads to tensions!!

FabbyChic · 09/01/2011 12:02

Those of us with personality disorders collect things, Im currently collecting Pilgrim charms, this is my tenth collection of things.

Im not in debt but I do spend whatever I have left after bills on something, if there is nothing for me to buy I start a collection.

mole1 · 09/01/2011 12:15

That does sound just like my dh - he has a range of collections - fishing, archery etc etc - spends far too much on them just to have all the latest gadgets and then gets into financial difficulties. Fortunately he seems to have finally got control of getting into debt and now only spends what he has. I agree it is a form of personality disorder!

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