On the dole but wearing a mink stole!

People "would be horrified if they knew my spending habits." That was just one of the sentiments expressed in a 2008 study on compulsive spending published in the Journal of Consumer Research.

If the study's conclusions are a guide, nearly one in 10 of your acquaintances, or almost 25 million American adults, are shopaholics.

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ARTICLE: I’m spending my unemployment check on junk

BING: Am I a shopaholic?

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Fibbing about finances

Fess up. Do you fib a little when it comes to disclosing your income … even to your spouse? Join the crowd.

Nearly one in three people surveyed in a 2005 poll commissioned by lawyers.com and Redbook magazine admitted to lying to their partner about finances. On the other hand, a whopping 96 percent of those surveyed said financial honesty was the responsibility of both partners. Go figure.

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Mailbox morality

Tempting, isn't it? A big box from a mail order retailer -- Amazon, Victorias Secret, L.L. Bean -- lands on your doorstep addressed to some stranger you never heard of. The right thing to do is, of course, take out the big red marker and write RETURN TO SENDER. But nooooooo. The Post Office and major delivery companies are, understandably, reluctant to provide data about stolen or lost mail, but we all know it happens.

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Flat out broke

What are the chances that one of your neighbors is going to file for personal bankruptcy? Apparently a lot higher this year, than, say, two years ago.

According to the National Bankruptcy Research Center, one in 77.8 households filed for bankruptcy during the first quarter, compared with one in 80.3 for all of 2009 and one in 104.8 for 2008. Nevada residents, sadly, lead the nation in foreclosures, personal bankruptcies and unemployment.

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The law of attraction

That innocent little exaggeration about your income in your online dating profile, well, it boosts clicks.

According to a recent University of Chicago study on online dating preferences, "men are 3.9 percent more likely to contact a woman with an income in the range $150k to $200k than a woman who earns $35k to $50k per year. For women, on the other hand, the corresponding difference in first-contact probabilities is 8.9 percent."

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The mechanics of mooching

We all know how it works. Your friend is always short of cash. You're always politely forgiving. He leaves the restaurant satisfied. You leave pissed. That wallet-forgetting, manipulating mooch counts on your cordiality to facilitate his addiction to inequitable sharing. The worst of the breed doesn't only freeload, but makes YOU -- of all people -- feel guilty when his audacious behavior is challenged.

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BING: Is my friend a moocher?

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Deviant downloaders

Let's just say it's hard to imagine that all 40,000 songs stored on my buddy's 160GB iPod were downloaded in the most reputable way. But, is it possible that the cumulative economic loss from global music piracy is $12.5 billion, as the Institute for Policy Innovation suggests? And, is it possible that U.S. movie companies lost $6 billion to piracy in 2005, as IPI concludes?

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Chip in or check out

"At least reach for the check!" That was the secret sentiment of nearly two thirds of men surveyed in the 2008 Elle/msnbc.com readers poll when asked about dating etiquette after a few dates.

As for women, 57 percent say they always offer to pay, though "34 percent say they are bothered if a man accepts." Gratefully, almost 90 percent of women said they would not order the most expensive item on the menu.

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Call me if you can

Ever have a phone bill rant moment? Confusing plans and complicated contracts have raised many a cell user's blood pressure. Don't feel bad. A May 2010 Federal Communications Commission report says that one in six mobile users, or 30 million people, have experienced "bill shock" -- a sudden surge in their monthly costs. And, 23 percent of those surveyed said the increase was $100 or more.

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Boomerangers

"All of a sudden a bunch of 20-somethings are back on the block and I can't find a parking," a neighbor complained. According to a November 2009 Pew Research survey, 13 percent of parents with grown children report that at least one of their kids has moved back home. Census Bureau data confirm the trend, showing that the proportion of 18-to-29 year olds living alone has dropped since the recession began.

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Class struggle

"Who can afford a $10,000 first class ticket?" Maybe that's an exaggeration, but the funny thing is that those folks who board first and sip complimentary Champagne are usually dressed in the same ratty tee shirts and sweats as the rest of us Economy Class slobs. That may be one reason a 2009 Pew study found rich/poor animosity declining -- 47 percent of those surveyed said there were strong rich/poor social conflicts, down from 59 percent in 1987.

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The compulsive loser

A friend was telling me that her husband was constantly losing things -- jackets, gym clothes and his wallet more than once. But, she said, her husband was very organized on most things. He was always on time with the bills, he kept a very neat desk and he never misplaced his keys.

She concluded he was a "replacement addict" -- that he lost stuff because it justified his desire to shop for replacements without feeling guilty.

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Excessive frugality

Cheap cuts both ways. This is the 21st century, after all!

Ask any modern American man who isn't a multi-millionaire and he'll likely tell you he'd like at least some kind of monetary equity with his mate.

Ask any woman and she'll say much the same, even though both parties are often embarrassed or reluctant to broach the subject with each other.

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ARTICLE: I like you less now that I know you’re cheap

BING: Am I cheap?