A shopping spree wherein one member of a romantic partnership whose finances are intertwined spends extravagantly and beyond the couple's means in order to exact vengeance on the other member. Such sprees are generally motivated by jealousy, rage, spite, etc., and come about in relation to specific instances where one member of a couple feels him or herself to have been excluded from the other's experience of pleasure.
Note that in some circumstances, one partner might attempt (with rare success) to preempt a revenge-spend by presenting the other with a lavish gift.
Note that in some circumstances, one partner might attempt (with rare success) to preempt a revenge-spend by presenting the other with a lavish gift.
The relationship between Ari Gold and his wife, as depicted in the popular series Entourage, provides countless examples of the revenge-spend, as well as of failed attempts at preemptive gifting. For just one instance, consider the episode where Ari, after having neglected to invite his wife to the Cannes film festival, must later talk her down from a "punitive spending spree."
by cyrus mcphee October 31, 2010