How to Overcome a Shopping Addiction
Some people may find shopping frustrating. They may feel challenged by bargain hunting or by the long lines at the store. Others love to shop and relish getting new clothes and jewelry. However, for some people, shopping is an addiction.
How Can Shopping Be an Addiction?
For some people, shopping can become a compulsion as strong as alcohol is for an alcoholic. For an addict, the addictive activity can feel less like a choice and more like something they’re compelled to do. One of the warning signs of shopping addiction includes shopping due to an emotion – like shopping to “cheer yourself up.” If you buy something with a credit card because “it’s too much cash to spend,” this could be another sign of shopping addiction.
Shopping addicts spend money on things they can’t afford. Their addiction often drives them to buy something they don’t need – even when they’re already having problems paying routine bills like rent. When shopping addicts aren’t spending money on shopping, they think obsessively about shopping and what they will buy next. Addicts report they feel a sensation of pleasure while shopping – like the feeling a narcotics addict does from taking drugs.
How Does Someone Overcome a Shopping Addiction?
Overcoming any addiction is a challenge. Sometimes, a shopping addict will have to file for bankruptcy. To qualify for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, you must meet with your creditors. That meeting is typically held 30 to 45 days after you file your bankruptcy case.
While you may feel desperation if your shopping habit results in bankruptcy, you’ll then have a chance to start over financially. If you look at it as an opportunity, you can live your life without a shopping addiction.
One thing that may open your eyes is to look at your bank account or credit card bills for the previous few months. By checking what you spent your money on, you may see a pattern you can correct in the future.
How Can You Be Financially Healthy?
One crucial way to start is to make a budget. Write down necessary expenses like rent, utilities, and insurance. Add costs like groceries, gasoline, auto maintenance, and medications. After essential expenses are budgeted, you can consider saving money for an upcoming vacation or family event.
Next, look at the records you made of the last few months. Shopping addicts may spend money on impulsive services, such as lip augmentation. According to byrdie.com, the national average cost for lip fillers is between $500 to $1000. Since the Cleveland Clinic estimates lip fillers last only 12 to 18 months, you may decide that type of spending isn’t financially justified.
How Else Can You Help Yourself?
According to behavioral psychologist James Clear, it takes about two months before a new habit becomes a behavioral pattern. Shopping addicts may find it challenging to go grocery shopping because they may be tempted to overbuy. According to Eat This, Not That, try buying family-sized meals at the grocery store – as they’re designed to feed four to five people. You don’t have to purchase overpriced ingredients to keep your family healthy and well-fed.
Are there apps or services you’ve subscribed to that you don’t truly need? If so, unsubscribe from those sites. Regaining financial health means living within your income. Since you know you have a problem with spending, live on a cash basis: cut up your credit cards if you feel the urge to use them.
Following a budget may seem constricting at first, but when you get used to it, you’ll see wise money management will begin to be its own reward. Overcoming an addiction can be very challenging, but you don’t have to do it alone. Access the website for SAMHSA (Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Association) for helpful information about support groups and other resources for dealing with addiction and other mental health challenges.