The Wall Street Journal had some good stories today. Here’s another one. Whether you call it compulsive shopping or “shopaholism,” some people have serious issues with shopping. It’s especially difficult during the holiday season, when discounts are aplenty. Take the story of Nikki Ebben, for example. From the Journal:On Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving and the first official day of the holiday shopping season, 31-year-old confessed shopaholic Nikki Ebben was holed up in her bedroom in Appleton, Wis., while her husband went to Wal-Mart to snag a $500 flat-screen TV. Ms. Ebben, who has maxed out 15 credit cards and racked up more than $80,000 in debt, says she vowed to stay away from stores. Still, she couldn’t resist the temptation of e-commerce, particularly the appeal of 30% off and free shipping. While her husband was gone, she spent $400 at Toysrus.com and Target.com, using money from the couple’s joint bank account.”I went crazy,” admits Ms. Ebben, whose mother stopped speaking to her for a time because she owed her parents so much money.”I told her, ‘We’re retired now. We can’t afford to bail you out,’ ” says Ms. Ebben’s mother, Judy Patrie.Nikki clearly has problems. Still, maybe she should become a bank-holding company. That way she could get bailed out as part of the $700 billion TARP. Seriously, though, it’s no laughing matter when it comes to compulsive shopping. I know a few people who have gone broke because of this. It’s quite sad.
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