Many people find shopping to be leisure. I have to admit that when I find myself depressed, shopping releases all of my tension and stress and I feel good deep inside. There may be many of us who are shopaholics and could not resist a good buy especially a good bargain. Being a savvy shopper is good but if a big bulk of your money goes to purchases on clothes, shoes, bag and the like you need to teach yourself to fight the urge of wasting most of your money. I am not saying that buying merchandise that is nice and affordable is a complete waste of money especially if you have every intention of using it. It is just that spending way beyond your budget or maxing out your credit card to make these purchases is not a good thing that could later on lead to debt related problems in the future.
You can help yourself fight the urge to shop by first keeping your money and credit cards out of your reach. When you have extra money that you won’t need try investing them in time deposits or such. Carry only the amount of money that you would need and a little extra for emergencies for your purchases when going to the mall. Do not carry with you your credit card or ATM card unless you have a scheduled purchase like groceries for the week for example to prevent yourself from getting tempted on making unnecessary purchases.
Motivate yourself to save buy having a goal like your dream car, dream house or dream vacation. This would constantly remind you that you are giving up your bad spending habits and impulse shopping sprees for something more worthwhile.
The thrill of shopping, I tell you is the temporary happy feeling we get when so called happy hormones are released into the body. You can divert your attention on other happy activities like exercising for example. Not being able to purchase the latest designer bag or the latest fashion trends in clothes won’t kill you. Besides these items don’t necessarily turn you into a swan if you are an ugly duckling or make everyone admire you just because you are sporting the latest of who’s who in the fashion business.
Resisting the urge to go on a shopping spree is quite difficult, especially for someone who is so used to it. Of course, you cannot expect results in a matter of one day. Having someone around who supports you and helps you control your shopping urge could definitely be such a big help.
Word count: 432