Spencer Pratt Defends Blowing Through $10 Million Years Before L.A. Mayoral Run

Spencer Pratt is firing back at folks who think he's bad with money ... and he's defending his much younger self for blowing through $10 million.

Spencer was on the "No Jumper" podcast when he took aim at critics bashing him for spending his own money back in the day ... saying every dollar he spent came from his "The Hills" paydays.

Spencer's running for Los Angeles mayor at 42 ... but when he was in his 20s, he says his life goals were much different ... get rich, get famous, and build an empire like Kim Kardashian.

Spencer says he never expected the reality TV gravy train to come to a screeching halt, so he wasn't treating the money like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Plus, as he points out, he wasn't spending anyone else's money but his own ... and definitely wasn't touching taxpayer dollars.

Spencer says the only one bad with money is Mayor Karen Bass, who had some choice words for him earlier this week, arguing she spent hundreds of millions in taxpayer money on what he views as reckless projects.

SP says his spending spree back in the day helped support friends and people around him ... and he says no regrets and wouldn't change a thing.