Why Can't He Stop Spending (Even Though He Knows Better)

I know a guy — we’ll call him Mike (not his real name).

Mike’s in his early fifties. He’s sharp, good at his job, and spends his days knee-deep in budgets and spreadsheets. He can balance a company’s accounts without breaking a sweat.

But his own finances? That’s a different story.

It’s 11:48 p.m. on a Tuesday night. Mike’s propped up in bed with his laptop, a soccer game replay on mute in the background. He clicks “Buy Now” on the latest jersey for his favorite team — $200 — charging it to a credit card that’s already dangerously close to the limit.

Thursday afternoon, he’s at the office. Instead of catching the bus home, he orders an Uber. “It’s only $22,” he tells himself. The week’s been long. He deserves it.

Saturday night, he’s out at his favorite Italian restaurant. Again. No special occasion — just habit. He orders the pasta and another glass of wine without thinking about the bill.

From the outside, it looks like harmless little splurges. But the truth? These moments are stacking up into something heavier.

The debt’s climbing. The anxiety is constant. And it’s not the kind you can shove into the back of your mind. This is the kind that keeps him up at 2 a.m., staring at the ceiling. The kind that’s starting to chip away at his health.

And here’s the kicker — Mike knows better. He works with numbers every single day. He understands exactly how quickly these costs add up. But overspending isn’t really about knowing the math.

It’s about the way our brains are wired.

When Mike clicks “Buy Now” or orders another round, his brain gets a hit of dopamine — the same brain chemical that makes us crave chocolate, check our phones, or binge our favorite shows. It’s quick, it’s satisfying, and it reinforces the habit: want → buy → feel good → repeat.

By the end of the day, after making hundreds of work decisions, his mental energy is drained. That’s when instant gratification wins. It’s easier to order the Uber, the pasta, the jersey — and push “future Mike” into dealing with the fallout.

And like most of us, he justifies it:
“It’s been a rough week.”
“It’s only forty bucks.”
“I deserve this.”

Except “only” forty bucks here, twenty there, a couple hundred for a jersey — turns into thousands over the course of a year. Thousands he wishes he could be using to dig out of debt or take the stress off his shoulders.

Mike’s story is a reminder that financial self-sabotage isn’t about being bad with money — it’s about habits that trade your future peace for a quick hit of feeling good. And the longer those habits run on autopilot, the heavier the cost becomes.

If you see yourself in Mike’s story, you’re not alone. I help people spot the patterns they can’t see — and shift them before they cost more than just money. Contact me for a free 15 minute consultation call to see if I can help you stop your self sabotage.