The Deprivation Cycle

No matter who you are or how much money you have there’s a good chance you’ve experienced the deprivation cycle. It’s that feeling of entitlement that you need and deserve something because of x or y. Work was tough today so I’m going out to happy hour. I haven’t spent money on ME lately so I’m cashing in on a new video game. This is something that I have to battle with often even though I consider myself to be great at handling money.

On Friday afternoons I have a habit of treating myself to a tasty burger or sandwich at a local eatery. Since I work at home most of the time I cherish the chance to be out mingling with the rest of the world and of course I never pass up a tasty meal! It’s fun for me. So fun in fact I’ve caught myself wondering if food is filling some sort of void in my life. Good news, it’s just filling me and providing me with a fun reason to be out.

The hard part for me comes at the end of the month when my food envelope is a little low. I’ve got plans to take my wife out for dinner this weekend and I don’t have enough cash to eat lunch out Friday and take her out. So what do I do now? This is when the deprivation cycle kicks in. Dr. Maria Nemeth describes the deprivation cycle like this:

Doing/Working hard -> Feeling tired/deprived -> Rationalizations -> Spending Money -> [repeat]

The “I deserve it” attitude can provide a reason to buy almost anything! It’s such a powerful force that even though I’ve studied it I still find myself at Firehouse Subs ordering a large hook and ladder because I’ve had a hard week and I need to get out and enjoy the world a little bit. It’s costly to consume this way and has caused me to bust my budget on way too many occasions.

Dr. Nemeth continues:

To make matters worse, we have to build up to this “deprivation state” in order to get enough punch to justify our demands. It’s often this very state that interferes with our enjoyment.

What to Do About It

Everyone is different and what works for some may not work for others. Here are a few strategies to try to overcome the deprivation cycle.

1. Get Tough – Now that you know about the deprivation cycle you’ll start to recognize the pattern in your own life. Don’t let it overcome you!
2. Refocus – For me a good strategy is to refocus on my goals. If I overspend in one category it limits my progress toward my goal. If my goal is big enough it can easily keep me in check.
3. Establish True Values – Dr. Nemeth suggests figuring out what is really of value to you. If your house were to burn down and you had two minutes to gather anything you wanted to keep, then what would you grab? Use these as clues towards what you ultimately value in life. Knowing this can help you break the “must have -> must work -> must have” cycle that consumes us.

I’m not saying it’s wrong to treat yourself every now and then, but making a habit of it can cause you to spend significantly more than you should. It’s one thing if you’ve got the money and are still on track to meet your goals, but too many of us are off track because of this cycle.

Do you ever find yourself spending because you deserve it? What helps you break this cycle?

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