Tag Archives: shopaholic

Curbing the Impulse

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06shopping5Tales of Impulse Buying Horror!

I once knew a girl who bought so much stuff on QVC that they asked her to go on the air and talk to the hosts. She did but, in the middle of the conversation, she remembered that her husband said he would leave her if she bought one more thing on QVC. So she abruptly hung up on air!

I once knew a dude who filled his house with Hoosier cabinets bought at antique stores. He was convinced he was going to someday open a store of his own. There were so many that you had to shimmy sideways down the hall. Otherwise, the house was crammed with other collectible crap because, for some reason, he never thought to put it IN the cabinets!

So, yeah, impulse buying. On a small scale it can be relatively harmless. But when it’s out of control, well, it’s out of control.  For some folks, it’s a serious problem, causing money troubles and conflict in the home. What can you do about it? NerdWallet/ABC News has some helpful hints. As usual, these are just the bullets, with dumb commentary added…

  • Don’t buy with credit (duh)
  • Install a time delay for shopping websites (like, the site won’t load for five minutes after you click.)
  • Make shopping harder (like, when you store all your personal, payment and shipping info on a site to make shopping a breeze? Don’t do that!)
  • Follow the 30-minute rule (just back away…)
  • Unsubscribe from daily deal newsletters (I have wasted SO much money with these)
  • Take advantage of the cooling-off period (You legally have 3 days to cancel)

I like this one, because hey, we’re only human…

  • Keep a splurge fund

Again, much more detail at the original piece, so check it out! How about you do you know any impulse buyers (because, obviously, it’s not YOU)? Is it harmless or out of control? Do you think these tips would help? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!

ALSO: Shopaholics Anonymous …if you think you need it.

Tough Love for Shopaholics

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(credit: 123rf.com)

It used to be that we just “spent too much, ” or that we couldn’t “stick to a budget.” Today, in a world where the list of  “-oholisms” seems to get longer every day, we are told that compulsive spending can be a sign of larger emotional issues.

Between 2 and 5 percent of Americans have some form of shopping addiction, which means they struggle to control their purchases. It can lead to debt, damaged relationships, and might even be related to depression.  US News Money

The bright side (I guess) of turning everything into a disease is that it draws attention to the problem. The eggheads study it, identify symptoms and suggest ways to deal with it. And it tells those affected that they aren’t alone. So here is a brief list of behaviors that might point to a compulsive shopping problem:

  • You lie about your purchases.
  • You don’t talk openly about your shopping habits.
  • Your shopping habits are hurting your relationships.
  • You usually shop alone.
  • You think of shopping as a hobby.
  • You shop to feel better about yourself.
  • You feel a rush of euphoria when making purchases.
  • Your shopping habits are interfering with your life.
  • You use credit cards to finance your purchases.
  • You don’t know where your money is going.

I guess, like anything else, one or two of these behaviors might not be a problem. Five or six may be a different story.

And don’t get me wrong – this can be serious. I may not agree with turning everything into a disease, but wrecking relationships and going bankrupt are real things – things that you, like, want to AVOID. So, check out the original article for more details, and see if you notice these behaviors in yourself or others. And have a great weekend!