Yusra3
VIP Contributor
Compulsive shopping can be a real struggle, but it doesn't have to be.
If you're struggling with compulsive shopping, you know how it feels: the urge to buy things that you don't really need and can't afford, even if it's something that'll just sit in your closet for months at a time. You go out of your way to avoid shopping for yourself, because you know that once you've started, there's no stopping and then when the urge hits and the cashier rings up your total, you feel like crying because there was no way around it.
You might be tempted to give up on this problem altogether… but don't! There are plenty of ways to do things so that they don't get out of control again. In fact, here are four steps you can take right now:
1) Don't shop on the weekends. You'll be more likely to give in to temptation if you're tired and stressed out from work during the week, which makes impulse purchases more likely.
2) Keep track of what you buy and why (or why not). If you find yourself buying things that aren't important, or that aren't even on your list (like new clothes or shoes), take note of this shopping behavior so that next time around, you can avoid making an unnecessary purchase.
3) Reward yourself after every successful shopping trip! This will help keep your brain focused on long-term goals instead of short-term pleasures like buying new clothes or shoes which can lead us down.
4) Try setting aside a specific amount of money for spending in the future. this way, if you ever feel tempted by a brand new pair of shoes or a fun new outfit, you'll have something saved up so that you don't feel like taking on more debt than necessary.
If you're struggling with compulsive shopping, you know how it feels: the urge to buy things that you don't really need and can't afford, even if it's something that'll just sit in your closet for months at a time. You go out of your way to avoid shopping for yourself, because you know that once you've started, there's no stopping and then when the urge hits and the cashier rings up your total, you feel like crying because there was no way around it.
You might be tempted to give up on this problem altogether… but don't! There are plenty of ways to do things so that they don't get out of control again. In fact, here are four steps you can take right now:
1) Don't shop on the weekends. You'll be more likely to give in to temptation if you're tired and stressed out from work during the week, which makes impulse purchases more likely.
2) Keep track of what you buy and why (or why not). If you find yourself buying things that aren't important, or that aren't even on your list (like new clothes or shoes), take note of this shopping behavior so that next time around, you can avoid making an unnecessary purchase.
3) Reward yourself after every successful shopping trip! This will help keep your brain focused on long-term goals instead of short-term pleasures like buying new clothes or shoes which can lead us down.
4) Try setting aside a specific amount of money for spending in the future. this way, if you ever feel tempted by a brand new pair of shoes or a fun new outfit, you'll have something saved up so that you don't feel like taking on more debt than necessary.
