Is it a normal ASD thing to fixate almost haplessly on whether you should buy something or not? I've been known to linger outside shops in an almost frozen state trying to figure out whether I should put money down on something that I really really really want. Once I buy the thing, though, I don't recall ever having a moment where I regretted buying it or felt too awful about it afterwards, so I doubt it's impulsive per se. In fact I usually very carefully consider everything about buying it.
I imagine this is relevant to ASD (though I don't want to jump ahead of myself) because more often than not those purchase decisions have a lot to do with things that I believe will add to things that I'm interested in — e.g. I'm currently really fixated on a Moleskine notebook and a fountain pen (within affordable limits) because I fully fully believe that they will be nice and useful for this area of knowledge that I'm learning about. However, I also live alone in London and while my finances are okay for now it's clear that my in-flow/out-flow habits aren't always the wisest, even if I'm not exactly a wastrel.
Do people share similar experiences, and does anyone have any tips or ways of coping with that strong sense of fixation when it hits?
