Credit Card Demons

The holidays have taken what little money I had. Why do I fall for that trap every time? Why do I always buy more things than I need to buy? I never even listen to my own advice. How many times did I say, “No one cares what you get them. No one cares if you buy them junk.” But then I go out and I buy junk.

It’s a compulsion.

Plain and simple.

And it’s hard to break out of it. Like alcoholism or sex addiction or chronic OCD, I’m addicted to spending. And why not? Why is that such a big surprise? I live in a capitalist country. I live in a city where 99% of employers are retail chains or fast food restaurants. Isn’t that America these days? Nothing but retail shops. Nothing but places for you to spend every last penny you’ve earned on total crap.

I guess alcoholics, after they give up booze, they start to see alcohol everywhere. Every time they visit someone, they’re offered beer. Every time, they go out to eat, there’s a wine/beer menu sitting right on their table. Every time they drive down the street, there’s a billboard with someone drinking.

It’s no different for us shop-a-holics either. For those of us possessed by the demons of credit cards. Every time I turn on the TV, there are a thousand commercials all telling me to open up my wallet and spend, SPEND, SPEND!!! And every time I’m at someone’s house, they’re telling me all the things they recently bought. Every time I go outside, I see billboards and signs for sales. Every time I close my eyes, I see dollar signs and new purses and new shoes and new clothes and new every thing I really don’t need but I feel I have to get.

I’ve become Cathy. I’ve become a cartoon character that spends compulsively. How does one break out of this cycle. For a short while, I can tell myself enough is enough and I need to curb the spending. But I never hold out that long. I can never keep the spending demons at bay. They always take over me, possess me and force me to betray my wallet.

Well, I’m depressed. Only a few days since Christmas, and I’ve already lost that holiday cheer.

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I’m so frazzled. I’m poor. Dirt poor.

Oh wait, let me stress how poor. I have no money at all. My bank account is empty. Thank God it’s pay day. I’m about to lose two of my roommates, which means my rent will almost double at the end of the month. I can’t seem to find any roommates anywhere I look, except of course for creepy old men with which I wouldn’t feel comfortable living.

All of these credit cards are killing me. Even without the cards, the high cost of my student loans sucks me dry each month. Well, today I attempt to close down another store card. I’ve already cut it up…a Sears card. Who needs it? Not me. Now I have to call them up, most likely fight with someone tooth and nail to get the card canceled, and then hope, cross my fingers, it was actually canceled.

Every card I cancel is like a small weight lifted from my shoulders. If only I could cancel rent and student loans…

M.

I received an inactivity fee on one of my credit cards of $36. Why am I being charged $36 for doing nothing? This is criminal. I read the new Credit Card act they passed in congress to protect meek, humble folks such as myself from the corporate slimeball credit card companies does nothing for these inactivity fees. Why on Earth not? This is one of my backup cards, one of my just-in-case-of-emergency cards. Who doesn’t have one of these? A lot of people that just about never use credit cards at least has one of these backup cards, in case the car breaks down, there’s a sudden medical crisis, you just plain need some dough while you’re waiting on that paycheck to come in.

But now, I’m getting charged for having these cards. It’s insufferable. I guess that’s another card I ought to cancel.

M.

LIE: It’s my fault I’m in so much credit card debt.

TRUTH: The truth is, the system is designed to put us in debt. The system relies on us being in debt. Who remembers the stimulus plan? Does anyone also remember the point of the stimulus plan? I can tell you right off the top of my head, the point was NOT to get you to put that money into a savings account for the future. I can tell you right off the top of my head that the point was to get you to spend that money on TVs and cars and clothes and other junks you don’t really need.

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Here’s another reason to avoid store cards (as if you needed one). So this happened to me a few months ago. I had canceled a store card from awhile ago, a really long time ago, probably at least two years ago. I had cut it up. I didn’t use that card anymore. Then, I get a bill from the store for $250.

Eh?

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