[anonuser123456]

I have a friend like this. She is successful, has an Ivy League degree in engineering and has very high income. But she grew up poor and makes terrible financial decisions. They largely seem outside of her control.

I speculate that growing up in poverty is not the cause of behavior; rather it's the reverse. Her family behaves in particular ways that make them poor and she has inherited those traits, either biologically or environmentally. From talking with her about how her family operates, this seems to be true. They have very low income but buy a new 4K HD TV every year along with trading up their vehicles to new models. They manage everything by an ever expanding debt load collateralized on their house/credit cards. I don't think these behaviors are 'breakable' because they aren't habits. It's almost like they are built into the default mode network.

In situations like this, when you can observe your behavior as something beyond your control, the best bet is to influence your environment rather than your behavior. Put your money beyond your easy reach (401k, IRA, pay down mortgage early etc.)

I personally struggle with eating behavior that is beyond my control. The only way I've been able to successfully control it is to put a lock on my kitchen cabinet that I don't have the combo to. This acts as a big moderator that gets me through the self destructive impulse periods.