Shopping Addiction

Secretshopper

Hi everyone, I am new this to forum and am looking for some advice. I am a self diagnosed shopping addict, especially in relation to clothing. I am influenced mainly by social media. I wish I could just put down my phone and not look at Instagram etc. but its something I find quite theapuetic and relaxing. However, the compulsion part of buying items is causing me to feel frustrated and quite frankly embarrassed. This has been ongoing for some years and with the new year I would really, really like to curb it. Please tell me someone can relate and I'm not just crazy! Thank you

Stevie_Palimo

You could try destroying your cards and if the issue persists then maybe a straight jacket so that you cannot access your phone or other device to order anymore items.

Secretshopper

Sarcasm? Or trying to make light of a difficult situation?

Stevie_Palimo

Secretshopper wrote: »

Sarcasm? Or trying to make light of a difficult situation?

Destroying your cards will help in your plight for shopping addiction and whilst my 2nd part of was tongue in cheek it could be a drastic option should the need arise here.

Secretshopper

Didn't want to get off on the wrong foot I'm a little touchy about the subject atm.

Although simple, I need my cards to get by (I don't ever carry cash - maybe I should?).

I don't use credit cards (thankfully) but am fed up of spending l my 'spare' cash I should really be saving on renovating a house on clothing.

The jacket sounds tempting.

Stevie_Palimo

You could also go the route of cancelling internet and dropping it from a mobile phone should you have it, Then only take cash out for day to day things and have everything else set up on direct debit.

My oh loved to spend on cards and when we got together owed thousands on lots of items that were never worn or even looked at so an addictions of sorts to, I got her to cut the cards and then after this I cleared the bills up, A few months of cold turkey done the trick and now she spends what we both deep an acceptable amount every now and then.

determined_new_ms

I know people who do virtual online shopping. So filling up the basket but then when it gets to the checkout closing the page down. They say they get all the thrill of shopping but none of the pain.

Try the 333 project - google it. Also look at the Crazy Clothes Challenge on the challenges board and see if it's something you could get excited about.

Hope that helps

Secretshopper

Thank you, both of you.

Stevie - I think cold turkey might be a good tactic. I'm very much an all or nothing girl.

Determined - I will check out both projects.

Stevie_Palimo

Good luck and I hope you can overcome this.

mrsbee17

Hi SecretShopper,

Firstly, it must have been a big step to come to terms with the reality of your situation so well done for posting :-)

I can't say I'm in the same situation but I did find that at the end of each month, in the run up to payday, I'd look at where I'd spent my money and there was a lot of unaccountable stuff. For example, £4.50 here, £8.50 there etc etc. and I couldn't even recall half the time, what I'd actually got for my money. When we do pop out now, I usually give myself a good 5 minutes before I get to the checkout to re-consider my purchases, often, I've found I don't actually *need* the items i've picked up. I've also done this on-line too - like a previous poster said, add lots of stuff to my basket and have a quick review of it and often or not, I end up closing the window and moving on with my day not giving it a second thought. Even if things do make it through to getting delivered, I do a similar thing of just mulling it over before committing. A few months back I ordered a pair of leather Ugg boots for around £150ish and when they arrived, yes I was excited, but I was also annoyed that I'd given into the marketing ploys and returned them as I thought of all the other things I could do with £150! I ended up buying another pair of Boots from Tesco for £29 which is a massive difference.

It is obviously easier said than done but it's a good habit once you get into it. My sister calls me tight but I'd rather think of it as giving myself the flexibility to only purchase things I actually need and will make good use out of. I've also started using You Need A Budget which has given me a good view of where my 'dollars' are going and I love the thought that 'every dollar has a job'.

Good luck!

timefortea

Are you at all interested in craft, sustainability, eco fashion, etc? I used to buy a lot of clothes, including a lot of fast fashion, and gradually became more conscious of the cost to our planet of cheap clothes. Then I started to worry about the third world people who make a lot of our clothes, and the poor conditions and pay they endure. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I took up knitting, and decided that I wouldn't buy anything that I could knit myself. A year later I'm still on the wagon and while wool isn't free, I'm spending a lot less than I was on clothes, and my knitwear is much better quality than I was buying previously.

I also allow myself a clothes budget of £30 per month, and when it's gone it's gone, so I find myself spending ages researching what I'm thinking about buying, looking at how bloggers have styled similar items, comparing how many different ways I could wear one item vs. another. I'm just as entertained by buying one well-researched item than I was impulse buying lots.