A young married woman wants to live the American Dream: two fancy cars, custom built home, two-income household, a beautiful baby with another on the way. It's a life with the bells and whistles that credit cards, bank loans, and money can buy. Then suddenly, the bubble bursts. The damage of overspending results in a mortgage underwater, a car towed away, $40,000 in debt, and a $1,000 a month deficit in family finances. Through trial and failure, Lauren curbed her spending addiction and successfully set up boundaries to keep her safe from her spending. In THE RECOVERING SPENDER, Lauren shares with readers her step-by-step program of how to exchange the over-rated, stressed-out American dream for a new one - a simpler, happier life with financial freedom.