Overcoming Overspending: A Winning Plan for Spenders and Their Partners

Rating:
Summary: I shouldn't even give this book one star
Review: I am a compulsive book buyer. When I stop buying books I replace the books with some other obsession. I have bought most of the books that amazon offers on compulsive buying(trying to help myself through my compulsiveness).I have learned something in each one that I have read. This book "Overcoming Overspending" is the worst book on compulsive spending that I have read so far. I actually skipped the entire middle of the book(I did read the chapter headings and skimmed through). In the beginning of the book I had hope that the book was going to be real good but it started talking about doing these ridiculous exercises. I felt that these were things that were a total waste of time and absolutely were not helpful at all. I would like to know if anyone out there that has read this book actually followed the program. I have just started another book called "Consuming Passions" and already in the first few pages of the book I have learned more than I learned in the whole "Overcoming Overspending" book. I hope this helps someone, because now I have a book that I feel was a total waste of my time reading it and the money I spent on it. ...

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: I can't say enough good things about this book. It has helped my husband and me enormously. But for the book to work, I think you have to truly want to change your spending habits as individuals and as a couple and commit to the exercises. Skimming it (as the reviewer below did, to his or her disappointment) and hoping for magic is not going to bring about change. Let me just give a couple of examples from our experience with the book .... For my wonderful husband (a classic overspender) and me (a chronic underspender aka penny pincher), money was the one thing we argued about. I dreaded Christmas because my husband would buy loads of expensive presents, certainly many more than I wanted--and we'd spend the months after paying off debts. He tended to make impulsive purchases and frequently ate out. Over time, with the help of this wise book, we learned to make changes and capitalize on our strengths as a couple. I took over financial matters, we set up a budget, we commited to savings, we considered purchases carefully and went into stores at Christmas with a list to avoid impulsive purchases. Most importantly we learned how our childhoods, especially the models of our own parents, contributed to our present money woes. Getting a handle on our money issues, helped us move forward in other areas of our lives: having a child and considering adopting another, buying a new car, investing, saving for a house. So the book does work--if you're willing to invest the effort to change!

Rating:
Summary: Wise advice from a compassionate expert
Review: The reader who said the exercises in "Overcoming Overspending" are ridiculous does not want to examine his/her feelings about money. I have worked on many of the exercises and have found them enormously helpful with my own compulsive spending issues. Overspending is such a widespread problem now that a number of useful books have been written on the subject. Olivia Mellan's book shows gives readers the benefit of her years as a professional money counselor. Readers will find it well worth their time and thoughtful contemplation.