Regain Control of Your Finances By Putting Your Emotional Brain in Check

Out the corner of your eye they catch your attention.

The sharp pair of designer shoes sits there calling your name. At first it’s just a whisper, then it turns into a seductive dialog, and finally morphs into a maddening roar of temptation.

And so the age old battle begins anew – the war between your rational brain and emotional brain.

Yes Ms. “Pay your bills, get out of debt and save some money” Rational Brain tries to keep you on track, turn you toward financial superstardom.

But Ms. Rational Brain finds herself undone at every turn, sabotaged by the perversions of Ms. Emotional Brain - the reptilian brain inside all of us that adores nice, shiny NEW stuff.

Ms Emotional Brian spends money like a drunken sailor, throws caution to the wind, and could care less about the consequences.

Yes she’s a silver tongued seductress.

She whispers ever so gently in your ear, “These are sharp, stylish – not like those cheaper knock-offs.”

She shamelessly plays on your sense of identity, “You’re a women of class, distinction, taste. You are the trendsetter, the diva of fashion. You have to look good.”

Ms. Emotional reminds you of the pictures of Zoe Saldana rocking the red carpet with the same style shoes. “Ya know you’re going to look just as fly,” she tells you.

Ms. Rational tries to muster a fight. “You know you ain’t no Zoe Saldana and you sure as heck don’t have Zoe Saldana type money. Girl you have rent due next week.”

Yet her arguments fall on deaf ears.

“Notice the fine craftsmanship,” extols Ms Emotional, even as Ms. Rational tries to point out the “Made in China” stamp imprinted on the bottom.

“That’s sooooooo you. They look so good on you,” the bright eyed sales lady chimes in – as if Ms. Rational Brain didn’t need another enemy in this fight. A two on one beat down.

“This is the latest trend you know,” the sales lady persists.

Ms. Rational Brain manages a “The last I heard, the latest trend was creating an emergency fund.”

But Ms. Emotional Brain answers quickly, “Emergency fund. Huh, Where’s the fun in that? Don’t you want the rush as they hand over your new shoes? You know your girlfriends are going to be jealous.”

But it doesn’t stop there. Ms. Emotional never plays fair. She’s the master of rationalization.

Ms. Emotional: “You know you have to uphold a professional image at work. Nobody’s going to promote a bum. You have to look sharp or people aren’t going to take you seriously. These shoes are an investment. Yes, a small price for career advancement.”

Yes by now poor Ms Rational’s protestations are all but a whisper. You barely hear the, “You really think you’re going to wear those shoes to work?” or the “Don’t you have enough shoes in your closet already?” claims.

Like Flava Flav at a KKK rally, Ms. Rational Brain is outdone. Time to raise the white flag of surrender. This fight is over. Nothing else to see folks. Move along.

But Ms. Emotional doesn’t deal well with nice easy wins. She’s a vicious son of a gun. No, she wants a gangland style, in your face, Rodney King beat down up in this mug.

She kicks it into high gear – plays the “I deserve it card”

Oh yes the “I deserve it card” – the golden bullet, the piece de resistance.

Ms Emotional:

“You put up with a lot of crap. No one values you. They don’t appreciate your hard work, your long hours, your sacrifices. No one cares.

When’s the last time someone told you job well done. You need to appreciate you because no one else does. Go on girl get those shoes. ………. You DESERVE them.”

Game, set, match. Ms. Emotional has whopped some serious behind once again.

Yeeeeesssssss Ms Emotional gleefully lets out as you reach for your wallet and pull out the Visa. Waves of joy percolate throughout your body. You proudly watch your beautiful purchase placed in the bag and glide gleefully out the store.

All is well with the world.

Once again Ms. Rational Brain has been crushed, thoroughly defeated. But did she ever stand a chance? I mean really.

Just look at the tale of the tape. According to CardWeb.com the average American household with at least one credit card has over $10,000 in credit-card debt. In 2005 the national US savings rate dropped below zero.

Truly Ms. Emotional Brain has gotten the better of us all.

Now before you think this is another 20/20 media style smash down of Black women and their shoe shopping habits, let’s be clear – the Mr. Rational vs Mr. Emotional Brain battle is being waged in the minds of the male species across this great planet as well.

…and often the stakes are higher.

In this case we’re not taking about a $129 pair of shoes but a $179 all season access cable sports package, a $425 Blu-Ray player, a $725 iPad, or a $11,000 motorcycle.

If Ms. Emotional Brian has her way, none of us will ever be financially free. There’s simply too much shiny, NEW stuff in the world.

Take back your life. Put a muzzle on the Ms. Emotional Brain. SHUT her down.

Stop the battle in its track. Eliminate shopping as a form of entertainment

Ms. Emotional Brain rears her ugly head when we’re tempted with shiny NEW goods. Why give the battle a chance to brew? Eliminate shopping as a form of entertainment. Go out for a good run, spend time with your children, talk to a close friend on phone. All of these activities are alternatives to shopping that keep Ms. Emotional Brain from wrecking your finances.

Don’t give Ms. Emotional Brain ammunition. Leave the credit cards at home

Yes I know this may be sacrilege to some, but the best way to de-claw Ms. Emotional Brain is to leave your credit cards at home. Just take them out of your wallet.

Yes it runs in the face of conventional wisdom, I mean what true blooded American doesn’t walk around with a wallet or purse full of plastic? But it will let you win the war against Ms. Emotional Brain and your bank account will thank you for it.

Leave the credit cards in the car.

OK. So you can’t leave the credit cards at home. Do the next best thing. Leave them in the car. The next time Ms. Emotional Brain gives a lashing to Ms. Rational Brain and cajoles you into wanting something, you’ll have to go to your car to retrieve the plastic.

This gives Ms. Emotional Brian time for a comeupance. An opportunity for Ms. Rational Brain to take her on in neutral territory away from the bright lights, pleasant smells, and overwhelming temptation of new things.

By the time you reach your car, Ms Rational Brain may surprise you with an underdog Rocky Balboa type knock out of her own.

Question: Have you been seduced by Ms. Emotional Brain? How do you fight back?

Tagged as: Impulse Spending, Psychology