As the title states, shopping can be a form of addiction just like any other substance. Sure, it may not be as harmful or compulsive, however, many people do tend to overspend without realizing it, only to regret it much afterwards. In this case, what tips and advice would you give someone to slowly get over this problem and break out of this habit of overspending?
Most people I'd call shopaholics admit that shopping for them is a way relieve stress. It might help but it certainly is a costly way to relieve stress which is why the advice I'd offer to those who go shopping each time they are upset is to find some other way to deal with stress. Hit the gym, exercise, this should help. For those who don't stress-shop, trying leaving your credit and debit cards home each time you go out. This way even if you are tempted to buy something, because you don't have your credit card with you . . .
I used to shop out of complete boredom when I moved to the city I am living in now. I did not have any friends and I worked so much that I did not have time to go out and make any when I first arrived. I would do a lot of shopping when the weather outside was too cold to be outside as a way to get out of the house. I eventually had to stop because I was going broke and had stuff I never even took out of the packages
Sometimes people buy things because that makes them happy and it feels good to buy something new! Trust me I know. I suggest if you see something and you want to buy it, think twice, if you really need it or you just want to buy it because you like it. This trick works for me , Now I usually buy things only if i need them (alright, not always )
It has been my practice to only bring a budgeted amount of money everything I hit the mall. This way, I don't get tempted to buy anything that suddenly attracts my eyes. It is also a good idea to leave debit and credit cards at home as mentioned by @Denis Hard for you to make sure that there's really no way you could get tempted to buy things you don't really need.
The solution is actually quite easy. Just avoid going to shops where you know you will be tempted to buy something. Even visiting online shops can be tempting, so avoid that too. When I used to browse Ebay, I always end up buying things I don't need because I want to win the auction.
I find shopping very therapeutic, however,I don't have shopping addiction. Shopping is fun, it is a stress buster activity as long as you don't over do it. When you over do, you won't benefit anything, you will only become spendthrift. If you shop too much,where are you going to put all those items? If you have shopping addiction, simply avoid visiting shopping malls or going to marketplace.When you have a desire to shop, watch a movie instead.
