Seven Signs You Have A Shopping Problem

Seven Signs You Have A Shopping Problem, If you start to get these kinds of feelings during and after purchases, you could be addicted. 7 Signs You’re A Shopaholic, It’s one thing to surrender to the occasional impulse buy – that watch gleaming from behind the display case, or a pair of black shoes that will add the perfect dash of sophistication to your favorite business suit. But when your purchases shift from impulsive to compulsive, it’s the first sign that you might be grappling with a more serious condition: a shopping addiction.

Researchers estimate that up to 6 percent of Americans are so-called shopaholics. And with retailers ramping up their promotions on TV and even more intensely online, this number is likely to rise. In our society, the phrase “shop till you drop” translates as frivolous and fun, but when spending presents a real problem, the glamor fades.

Psychologists call it Compulsive Buying Disorder, which is characterized as an impulse-control issue – just like gambling or binge eating – and has the potential to create a whirlwind of emotional and financial distress.

In the video below, Money Talks News founder Stacy Johnson reveals some of the telltale signs of shopaholics and explains what they can do to curb their spending.

Are you or a loved one a shopaholic? Here are seven signs of a potential problem. For a more complete*n*lysis, also check out the Compulsive Buying Scale, developed by psychologist Gilles Valence and his associates.

1. You have many unopened or tagged items in your closet
We’re not talking about the sweater your aunt gave you last holiday season, but about items you selected on your own that sit unopened or with their tags still attached. You likely even forgot about some of these possessions – boxes of shoes lining the bottom of your closet or jackets that have never seen the light of day.

2. You often purchase things you don’t need or didn’t plan to buy
You’re easily tempted by items that you can do without. A fifth candle for your bedroom dresser, a new iPod case, even though yours is fine you get the idea. You’re particularly vulnerable if you’ve admitted to having an “obsession,” like shoes or designer handbags. Just because your splurges tend to stick to one category doesn’t make them any more rational.

3. An argument or frustration sparks an urge to shop
Compulsive shopping is an attempt to fill an emotional void, like loneliness, lack of control, or lack of self-confidence. Shopaholics also have a tendency to suffer from mood disorders, eating disorders, or substance abuse problems. So if you tend to binge on comfort food after a bad day, studies suggest that you may be more likely to indulge in a shopping spree too.

4. You experience a rush of excitement when you buy
Shopaholics experience a “high” or an adrenaline rush, not from owning something, but from the act of purchasing it. Experts say dopamine, a brain chemical associated with pleasure, is often released in waves as shoppers see a desirable item and consider buying it. This burst of excitement can become addictive.

5. Purchases are followed by feelings of remorse
This guilt doesn’t have to be limited to big purchases, either; compulsive shoppers are just as often attracted to deals and bargain hunting. Despite any remorse that follows, though, shopaholics are adept at rationalizing just about any purchase if challenged.

6. You try to conceal your shopping habits
If you’re hiding shopping bags in your daughter’s closet or constantly looking over your shoulder for passing co-workers as you shop online, this is a possible sign that you’re spending money at the expense of your family, your loved ones, or even your job.

7. You feel anxious on the days you don’t shop
It’s one thing to feel anxious if you haven’t had your morning cup of joe, but if you’re feeling on edge because you haven’t swiped your debit card all day, be concerned. Shopaholics have reported feeling “out of sorts” if they haven’t had their shopping fix, and have even admitted to shopping online if they couldn’t physically pull away from their day’s responsibilities.

Just Sad: The 10 Wimpiest Muscle Cars Ever

Just Sad: The 10 Wimpiest Muscle Cars Ever, The 1978 Ford Mustang King Cobra had a V-8, but it only produced a meager 139 hp. 10 wimpiest muscle cars ever, There’s a dead zone in the history of performance cars between the hairy-chested muscle cars of the 1960s and the rebirth of power in the mid-1980s: the 1972-82 “malaise era,” when machines were so strangled by new emissions rules that their performance levels were an embarrassment to even today’s compact cars. Automakers slathered flashy paint and taped racy stripes and stickers to the hoods of the cars, but these 10 just couldn’t get’er done at the dragstrip.

Ford’s legendary performance car hit its nadir with the downsized Pinto-based Mustangs of 1974-1978, called Mustang II. Although this generation of Mustang came with a V-8, it was a 302 cid V-8 with a mere 139 hp. Yes, you read that right. Second-gen Mustangs pumped out just 19 more hp than you’d get from the 1.6-liter four-cylinder in today’s Ford Fiesta.

Best Prepaid Mobile Plans

Best Prepaid Mobile Plans, Why should you stay on a contract plan with limited data and pay twice the price when you can get unlimited data for half that and no contract? Many are reconsidering the idea.Now may be a good time to start considering pre-paid phones. While in the past no contract often meant getting terrible signal and being stuck with an out-of-date, featureless phone, that may no longer be the truth. Pre-paid phones have come a long way and two of those services are now offering the newest iPhone to boot.

This may hurt a little. If you want a pre-paid iPhone you’ll have to pay for the phone’s full price up front. The damage is a total of $650. While that may sound like an automatic deal breaker, it isn’t really and you will likely still save money.

Getting a cheaper phone on a contract plan is much like making car payments instead of buying a car with cash. It may seem that you are only paying $200 for a fancy phone, but in the long run you are actually making larger monthly payments to compensate for what the phone company has lost by offering you such a cheap price for the phone. To make matters worse, in the end it also means that you are paying the company interest as well. Do you really want to pay interest on a $650 purchase? (Christian Post)

Federal Job Cuts

Federal Job Cuts, 154 federal government employees in Newfoundland and Labrador were issued redundancy notices on Wednesday.Most of the impact was felt at Service Canada, where 118 notices were issued. At Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 30 employees, mostly at the inland fisheries division, also recieved notices.

In addition, it was announced on Wednesday that at least two Transport Canada offices in the province will be shuttered.

Boating safety offices in Lewisporte and Corner Brook will be closed, eliminating four jobs. The remaining two jobs with boating safety will be relocated to a central office in St. John’s. (CBC News)

Best Places To Retire In The U.S. In 2012

Best Places To Retire In The U.S. In 2012, This northwestern city has a low crime rate, nice climate, and the average home costs just $118,000. It’s time for our annual list of the Best Places to Retire.Reflecting what retirees say they want, there’s a slightly bigger bias toward warmer climates in states like Florida, New Mexico and Arizona. Only about a half-dozen Best Places are located in what could be called chilly parts of the country.This group includes Bloomington, Ind., Fargo, N.D. and Pittsburgh.

But the bigger bias is the importance we place on day-to-day economic issues: the average price of a home, the cost of living and the tax burden on retirees. So there are no entries here from states where it costs a lot to get by, such as California, Connecticut, New Jersey and New York.

We reviewed data for hundreds of cities in all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia. Besides the usual financial factors, we looked at weather, availability of doctors, serious crime rates and encouragement for an active retirement. To do this, we considered evaluations by Bicycling Magazine and volunteeringinamerica.org.

More and more retirees are working, at least initially. So we also took into account both unemployment rates and rankings of job and economic growth compiled by the Milken Institute.

Nationwide, the average price of an existing single-family house is $163,500, according to the National Association of Realtors. Only four cities on our list have median prices above that, and none really by all that much. The priciest, at $198,000, is Asheville, N.C. At the other end, the average price of a home in Atlanta is only $91,000, followed by Cape Coral, Fla. at $116,000 and Boise, Idaho, at $118,000.

Ingenious Ways People Cheat Casinos

Ingenious Ways People Cheat Casinos, Using age-old and high-tech methods, crooks scam millions a year, an expert says.There’s no doubt about it, gambling means big business. Casinos in the U.S. raked in $62.8 billion in 2011, according to Spectrum Gaming Group, a research and professional services firm.

But with the good comes the bad for the gaming industry — cheating is also a big money maker for those who find ways to deceive the house. Thanks to technology, it’s getting harder to pull off. Casinos have cameras trained on every table and are always on the lookout for anything suspicious. But some people still manage to do it. Casino cheating expert George Joseph of Worldwide Casino Consulting estimates the industry loses tens of millions of dollars a year in scams.

The scams can be pulled off with age-old sleight-of-hand tricks or with the aid of high-tech devices. Either way, they are illegal and could mean time behind bars for those who are caught. However, penalties vary from state to state. In Nevada, for example, someone convicted of cheating faces one to six years in prison, or a fine of up to $10,000, or both.

So what are some of the ways people cheat in casinos? CNBC.com spoke with Joseph, who is author of “The 101 Most Asked Questions About Texas Hold’em and Poker Cheating,” to compile a list. Some are common cheating methods; others are employed less frequently but can result in a big payday.

This casino cheat needs the participation of the casino’s card dealer to work. The dealer employs a false shuffle, which is meant to look like a regular shuffle but secretly leaves some cards in place. That allows the players involved in the conspiracy, who have been tracking the cards, to know when the unshuffled cards are dealt.

It was a scam used to great effect by the Tran Organization. The gang hit casinos all over the U.S., pocketing up to $7 million in false shuffle mini-baccarat and blackjack games. The organization was ultimately brought down, and more than 40 people pleaded guilty to charges relating to the cheating scheme, including its founders, Phuong Quoc Trong and Van Thu Tran.

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