16 Ways Twentysomething Women Rationalize Spending Money

1. This is basically the price of my work expenses! I know I haven't even filled out my reimbursement form and I might not be able to find a third of my receipts but once I finally get around to filing that and getting my check back it will more than make up for the price of this leather T-shirt that I really need since that girl at the bar last night looked so good in hers.

2. Expense reimbursement checks are practically BONUSES. This feels like money I earned instead of money I already spent therefore I absolutely deserve those silver shoe booties Stacy said looked super-good on me. Stacy has the best taste.

3. I spent all that money to come on this tropical vacation already so what's another $50 on a Ceasar salad and fries? I came here to enjoy myself, not spend my time searching for reasonably priced nachos. Every proper yuppie knows that sitting next to a pool causes the price of everything to increase four fold. It's just a fact of life.

4. I already spent $60 on three daquiris yesterday. What's another $18 mai tai at this point? I pay $2 extra for egg white-only omelettes all the time.

5. Spending a week at my parents' house saved me SO much money. That's a full week's worth of eating out and apartment utilities that I don't have to pay for. I hope Stacy comes to Zara with me after brunch!

6. Ugh I had the WORST day. I can't believe how stupid that new department head Donna is. I can't wait to quit and work in a place where my brilliance is actually appreciated and — ooh Urban Outfitters. I'll just zip through — I deserve a new freakum dress after the shitty day I had. Donna wishes she had the body to pull this off.

7. I'm so excited about my new [apartment/job/promotion]! I better get a new [coffee table/shift dress/Theory blouse] since I'm most definitely not in a position to look like a shabby Sharon anymore. #MovingOnUp

8. I am so beyond stressed out. I can't do this anymore. Where's the number for Bliss, let's see here — "Hello? Hi, I need to come in for a massage this evening. Yes, 7 p.m. sounds good. You know I was thinking of the 60-minute deep tissue but if you have 75 minutes available… Mm hm, it's a Visa —"

9. Just another $30 for a paraffin foot wrap? OK! Why not? I've come this far. This massage is already so beyond worth the $200 I'm spending on it! I deserve it after the week I've had.

10. Maybe I should just go to the nice nail salon for a change. I mean, I don't have kids, I'm not married. Now is the time in my life when I can really afford to treat myself.

11. Being single just costs money. If you're going to go out to bars to try to meet potential mates you're going to have to spend $12 on one cosmopolitan sometimes! That's just how it goes. You can't meet people curled up in bed with Hulu Plus!

12. These shoes were not made for public transit. These are cab to curb shoes and that is it. Shit, is it raining? Fuck it, I'll just order an Uber.

13. Why is it that the only food I ever have in my apartment is frozen bread and Annie's bunny pasta. If I have another carb-only meal I'm going to turn into a churro. I better order that $16 salmon salad that's really good and filling and never makes me feel fat.

14. I would go to the gym so much more often if I had awesome neon-accented workout clothes. Besides, those Lululemon leggings make your thighs look firm instead of jiggly so I can go to aerobics class without feeling weird about my body. Oh, it's 10 percent off the second pair today only? I may as well get two.

15. Omigod omigod Gilt only has one left in my size! If I don't get that blazer right now I'll never find it in my size again. Added to cart, there. Omigod omigod! I only have six minutes left to purchase! I better get my credit card so I can enter everything in before I lose the last small.

16. Man, this blazer is kind of disappointing-looking on me. But returning it is like sooooo not happening #lazy #ihatemail. I'll just keep it.

Photo Credit: PacificCoastNews.com

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Secret Spending and How It Kills Relationships Dead

Money. Not only is it the fourth most-written about fact of life in popular songs, after love, sex and death (just ask the Beatles, Dire Straits, Pink Floyd, Nine Inch Nails, ABBA, Madonna, 85% of modern rappers, et cetera), but it’s also a significant cause of breakups, whether it’s her addiction to J.Crew pumps or his secret trips to Radio Shack.

In relationships, there's generally the thrifty one and the impulse spender — in other words, the bad cop and the good cop. And if you're the cheap one, yelling at your boyfriend about buying his forty-seventh iTouch, you may walk away feeling like his Mean Mommy. Never good.

We spoke to Farnoosh Torabi, personal finance expert and host of Financially Fit on Yahoo! about secret spending in relationships and how to avoid it.

Cosmo: What are the most common forms of financial cheating that can ruin a relationship?

Farnoosh: It can be as simple as cutting off price tags on a new dress so your partner doesn't know how much you really spent to hiding purchases under the bed...or worse, opening up a secret credit card. Financial infidelity is more common than you think and the actions are often rooted in all sorts of emotions. For some it's a fear of being judged. For others, it's wanting to regain some sort of financial control in their lives and feeling like they can't be honest about it for some reason with their partner. Financial infidelity is a sign of bigger and deeper issues in the relationship.

Cosmo: Do you have any advice on how to avoid falling into these kinds of situations?

Farnoosh: As the saying goes, you need to be honest with yourself before you can be honest with another person. If you have a spending problem or a communication problem around money, best to get some professional help or therapy to try to take control of the issue -- before a relationship gets too involved.

For those who are already in a serious relationship, I think it's imperative to keep a strong level of financial transparency in the relationship. Even if you don't share bills, share access to those accounts so you can view bills online together. Agree to talk about household purchases that exceed a certain amount of money - say $200 - so that you can check in from time to time over spending habits.

I also think it's helpful to have a shared checking or savings account. Every relationship is different but there is value in having one joint account that services the family's joint expenses like the rent or mortgage, that each person contributes to and monitors...Or, it could be a joint account for the purpose of saving for a future goal, a new car, a family vacation. This way each person in the relationship feels accountable to one another. You're more engaged and hopefully more careful that way.

Cosmo: And how can you recognize if you might be involved with a financial cheater?

Farnoosh: Beware of red flags. If your partner doesn't even want to talk about money...or for some reason is kind of a control-freak when it comes to managing the money in the household, that's a red flag. Also, if he doesn't want to share online account passwords...or if you see a bill from a bank or credit card company in the mail that you don't recognize.

Cosmo: If you're already in the hole with them, so to speak, how do you recommend a spouse or significant other of a person in financial trouble deal with it?

Farnoosh: Communicate, Communicate, Communicate. Literally schedule a time each month to discuss your savings, goals and expenses. It's too easy to just avoid the topic of money and that's when a spouse can go awry with spending (in hiding).

Don't bury your head in the sand. Even if you're not the one managing the finances in the relationship, stay in the know and keep an eye on spreadsheets, bills and statements.

In a Pew Research survey conducted a few years ago, nearly one in four women said their partner was the one primarily managing the household finances. And more recently, an informal survey by The New York Times found that many women defer managing their household’s finances to their spouses and of those women, very few know basic details such as the interest rate on joint mortgages, passwords to shared savings accounts and how much each spouse earns after taxes.

So get educated, open up, and get your fiscal house in order.

Follow Anna on Twitter: @annabreslaw

Image via istockphoto

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