5 Ways To Hammer Your Shopping Addiction

Shopping can be enjoyable, but it could turn into an addiction for some, which can be both time-consuming and expensive. Even with the convenience of online shopping where you have access to hundreds of local and international retailers, this poses havoc on both your sanity and your poor wallet. As a matter of fact, plenty of persistent buyers feel much worse after shopping.

Most experts term this behavior as compulsive buying disorder and would even classify it in the same class as alcohol or drugs. And like a drug addict, you’ve become too dependent on the rush that shopping brings to you. So how do you stop it? That’s where this article comes in.

To cut back on the dire temptations of shopping, follow these steps with great care and interest:

1.  Unsubscribe From Every Retailer Email

The first and obvious thing to do is to go into rehab to cut back on your shopping addiction.

If you’re an avid online shopper who always jumps at the chance when a new sales email or notification hits your smartphone or PC screen, then it’s time to click “unsubscribe. It is recommended that you unsubscribe yourself from all retailer email in order to curb the impulsive shopper within you that’s ready to burst like a bomb at any time.

At first, it may be hard because that’s how it is with people on rehab. But you have to muster the inner strength and will to resist the urge to spend. And unsubscribing from a few emails won’t do either. If you’re serious about getting rid of this obsession, then you have to unsubscribe from ALL of them.

2.  Tidy Up Your Wardrobe

As a shopping addict, your wardrobe may likely be full of outfits and accessories that you no longer wear or have simply forgotten about them, whether they’re from Louis Vuitton or your favorite goth store.

It’s understandable that you like them when you bought them for the first time, but your heart doesn’t yearn for them anymore and it’s leaving your room in a big mess as well. Later on, you’ll only feel ashamed, full of regret and guilt as to why you went overboard with your shopping habits.

Besides, decluttering will force you to decide on what you really need and is important to you. With this, you will feel good about it. Decluttering also helps you become more decisive when choosing what to wear each day.

3.  Don’t “Hang Out” At The Mall

We’ve all heard the “hanging out at the mall just to kill time” excuse over and over and now it’s time for you to find something else to do (especially things where money doesn’t fly out of your pocket often). Instead, you can try some of the following activities:

• Ride a bike
• Take a hike
• Relax at the beach
• Visit a museum
• Take a free fitness class

4.  Change Your Environment

There are numerous studies on how the environment is a crucial factor that influences our behavior whether it is our workplace, our co-workers, friends or even the neighborhood that we live in.

We don’t always choose our ideal environments, but we certainly can control some aspects of our surroundings. For instance, it wouldn’t make sense for an alcoholic to eat at a bar now does it? So if you want to quell your shopping urges, you can’t hang around at the mall.

5.  Challenge Yourself To A No-New Clothing Contest

Unsubscribing from your online retailer stores and deleting your shopping apps are a good start. But if you’re still struggling with your triggers, then it’s time to ditch unnecessary shopping altogether.

As we said earlier, curbing habits of addiction isn’t easy, but it is essential, so it has to be done. Therefore, we suggest you go for a no-new clothing challenge for over 30 days. It’s simple really: just don’t buy any new clothes, shoes or other accessories for a whole 30 days, or longer if you’re determined.

Author Bio

Hamza Shahzad is a writer/editor with an endless passion for bringing a lot of useful and trustworthy information to the community As a typical interior, Hamza is a perfectionist in work. He also assists in the business creation and controls social media content planning.