link to Atlantic article w/ overspending in the title

[haapai]

Just an interesting article that I might have found mildly helpful when I was digging out. 

www.theatlantic.com/sexes/archive/2013/05/overspending-has-become-a-modern-form-of-mating-deception/275963/

I particularly liked this line. "Choosing to quit overspending means accepting a reduction in status." 

In another part of the article, the author alludes to the fact that she spent the better part of a decade overspending before hitting a wall.  I can also identify with that quite strongly because I lived it too.  With a little bit of self control and a little bit of luck, pretty much anyone can live in denial for a decade or so. 

[Rocky Mtn Saver]

It is interesting to see it put into a context of the urge to find mates successfully.  I agree that because we live in an overspending world, that increases the risk from unburdening ourselves with the truth because the fall will be even greater than it would have been without the community bubble. 

[haapai]

Yes, there's a bubble that magnifies the effect of cleaning up your act.  But there's also that back against the wall thing that she mentions. 

She accepted the demotion in status among her peers because it was better than going off a cliff without any net.

I just thought it was neat to have someone mention going through some of the same things that I went through.  Does it tie in with the research findings that she is supposed to be writing about?  Probably not!  But I found it reassuring anyways. 

[Rocky Mtn Saver]

The article reminded me of how I noted a few years ago (before debit cards were as widely used for everyday stuff) that guys on dates tended to only ever have big bills on them.  I mean, we go to the movies and they whipped out that $100 because it was just all they had one them.  I started figuring that they were doing it to impress me.  But I'm a frugal gal, so I'm probably more impressed by a coupon. I always just found the big bill "don't want no change" thing to be pretentious and mean that they were financially irresponsible.