overspending

Spending beyond means

Overspending is spending more money than you should or more than you have.

It can describe personal habits overspending on credit cards or institutional excess government overspending.

The word implies crossing some threshold—a budget, an income level, or reasonable limits: Holiday overspending left them in debt through February.

excess

extravagance

Excessive, wasteful spending

indulgenceYielding to desire
profligacyReckless, wasteful extravagance
squanderUse up carelessly

lavish · opulence · overconsumption · wastefulness · exorbitance · luxury · splurge · intemperance · overindulgence · dissipation

recklessness

impulsive

Acting without deliberation

irresponsibleLacking sense of duty
carelessInattentive, prone to mistakes
rashHeedless or skin irritation

thoughtless · imprudent · unwise · foolhardy · negligent · shortsighted · haphazard · undisciplined · unplanned · spendthrift

budget

deficit

Amount still owed

shortfallFailure to reach quota
overrunSpread throughout uncontrollably
overbudgetExceeding allocated funds

cutbacks · austerity · belt-tightening · underfunded · unbalanced · adjustments · accountability · overshoot · appropriations

compulsion

shopaholic

Compulsive retail addict

impulseSudden urge to act
addictionCompulsive substance reliance
bingeBout of excess

splurge · uncontrolled · habitual · craving · obsessive · compulsive · urge · irrational · fixation · hoarding

debt

creditors

Those owed payment

bankruptcyLegal status when insolvent
loansBorrowed money arrangements
defaultPreset standard option

arrears · repayment · insolvency · foreclosure · liabilities · overdue · collection · bills · interest · penalties

consequences

regret

Sorrow over past actions

stressPressure, mental or vocal
anxietyPersistent apprehensive distress
guiltMoral self-reproach

shame · divorce · eviction · repossession · garnishment · poverty · hardship · downsizing · sacrifice · recovery

Categories

money mistakesimpulse buying, gambling debt, debt spiral, no savings, late payments
money troublesdebt relief, bad debt, bankruptcy filing, paycheck to paycheck, struggling
overdoingoverdoing, overindulging, overkill, excess, overreacting
overspendingcredit card debt, maxed out cards, overdraft, impulse buying, shopping sprees
Shopping Mistakesimpulse buying, overbuying, subscription traps, hidden fees, buyer remorse
Budget Mistakesmissed payments, impulse buying, hidden fees

Opposites

financial behavior

overspendingfrugality

Economical resource management

saving · underspending · thrift · economizing · prudence

resource allocation quantity

overspendingunderspending

Insufficient expenditure of funds

underinvestment · underfunding · budget surplus · hoarding

resource consumption

overspendingconservation

Preventing waste or loss

restraint · moderation · rationing · cutbacks · abstemiousness

Family

spent, spend, expensive, expense, spending, dispense, inexpensive, dispenser, expenditure

Familiarity: Top 50,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Negative · Everyday, not technical · Rated G