Among Friends

[SeaMaiden]

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@Snowhite714 wrote:

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@SeaMaiden wrote:

What is buying/shopping giving you?  It is fulfilling a need....it is giving you pleasure or you would not do it. Few people are addicted to something that gives them pain or unhappiness.

next time you feel the urge to buy something....STOP FOR A  MOMENT before ordering...ask  yourself why you need it. How do you feel....sad? Lonely? Bord? 

Keep a journal of these feelings write them down ...even if you still go ahead and order.  You will find  through what you write down a common thread....it could help you understand what is going on behind the urge to buy more and more.

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Thank you @SeaMaiden.

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@Snowhite714   I often times catch myself doing the same thing.   I too am a work in progress...🙂❤️

[NYC Susan]

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@Imaoldhippie wrote:

@Snowhite714 ................this is not a problem for us to answer.  You need to make an appointment with a counselor, you have an addiction problem.  Good luck.

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I agree.

I think support can be found here - and that's a good thing.  But no one here can get to the root of the problem.  It's an addiction, and people with addictive personalities might substitute one addiction for another.  So it really needs to be addressed professionally.

@Snowhite714 , if you really can't stop, then you need to seek appropriate help.  It can work wonders.  There are support groups that would be helpful too - but in addition to treatment/counseling, not as a substitute. 

[Anonymous032819]

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@NYC Susan wrote:

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@Imaoldhippie wrote:

@Snowhite714 ................this is not a problem for us to answer.  You need to make an appointment with a counselor, you have an addiction problem.  Good luck.

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I agree.

I think support can be found here - and that's a good thing.  But no one here can get to the root of the problem.  It's an addiction, and people with addictive personalities might substitute one addiction for another.  So it really needs to be addressed professionally.

@Snowhite714 , if you really can't stop, then you need to seek appropriate help.  It can work wonders.  There are support groups that would be helpful too - but in addition to treatment/counseling, not as a substitute. 

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@NYC Susan  

I 100% agree with what you said.

If @Snowhite714  really wants to get to the root cause of her over shopping and wants to know "why" she does, then she really needs to speak to a trained counselor.

[Malcontent]

That you use multiple exclamation marks when only one is needed tells us that you’ve issues.

[Anonymous032819]

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@Imaoldhippie wrote:

@Snowhite714 ................this is not a problem for us to answer.  You need to make an appointment with a counselor, you have an addiction problem.  Good luck.

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@Imaoldhippie 

I totally agree with you.

[blueroses47]

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@Malcontent wrote:

That you use multiple exclamation marks when only one is needed tells us that you’ve issues.

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A pointless remark, and certainly not helpful..so why bother?????????

And, they are question marks, not exclamation marks. 

[NYC Susan]

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@Malcontent wrote:

That you use multiple exclamation marks when only one is needed tells us that you’ve issues.

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That's pretty unkind.  As well as inaccurate.  

[Lindsays Grandma]

Snowhite714, you received so many very helpful responses.  I read each one and I would like to add my thoughts.  Yes, you can look inward and attempt to solve the problem on your own.  I believe contacting a professional would be your best solution because you will have support as opposed to doing it by yourself.  I also believe with the help of a professional that you will find the cause that prompts you to over shop a lot sooner.  Once the cause is uncovered the healing process will be so much quicker.  Whichever way you choose to go I wish you lots of luck, you recognized a problem and are going to fix it, good for you.

[Trinity11]

Some tips that definitely work...

1. Turn off the television when it comes to shopping channels. Go cold turkey. Think of it as not wanting to be persuaded to buy anything that you didn't need before watching someone hawking their wares.

2. Find new activities to keep you busy. Get rid of the clutter in your home and gain a new respect for your money and where it goes.

3. Open up a savings account and start stashing all the money you used to spend on needless purchases into an interest bearing account. It will grow a lot quicker than you think and there is nothing quite like being in control of your money.

4. Don't read a lot of fashion magazines. They will only make you think you need something "to measure up" that you really do not need.

5. Make a plan regarding your wardrobe. I love the 10 item wardrobe approach to purchasing clothing. Everything works with everything in your wardrobe. No one needs 10 t shirts.

6. Be careful reading some of the Fashion forum posts. People share that they are buying new clothing there all the time and it is tempting to do the same. Remember that you have a "vision" for the next year of your life and you don't want to be bogged down paying credit card bills for stuff that will be probably outdated or worn out the next year.

7. I applied all of this to my own life and I saved enough money over the past two years that I never even though would be possible. I still can splurge once in awhile but my goal was accomplished and it feels a whole lot better than a packed jewelry box or 40 pairs of Manolo's.

8. Good luck and keep us posted how you are doing....

[Snowhite714]

@Trinity11   Thank you for taking the time to compile and share this list.