Shopping can be an exhilarating and calming experience. For many, it is a form of self-care. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with buying that shiny new gadget to replace an old one, or a brand new outfit to reward yourself after long weeks of hard work. It’s perfectly fine to splurge on occasion — as long as you are staying within your budget.
It becomes a cause for concern when your penchant for shopping negatively impacts other areas of your life. Addictive behaviour is compulsively engaging in the same acts that are detrimental to your well-being. If the consequences of your compulsive and constant shopping sprees are harmful to you, others, and your quality of life, then you can be said to have a shopping addiction.
Identifying a shopping addiction
Bear in mind that a few impulse purchases does not make you a shopaholic, so do not be alarmed because you made one emotional buying decision. A majority of our buying decisions are influenced by our emotions anyway.
Impulse and compulsive buying are like two edges of a dangerous sword. Both these things can cause financial strain, but the financial decline caused by a shopping addiction will be far more distressing than that of impulse buying because compulsive buying leads to a harmful pattern that brings about a shopping addiction.
The major difference between impulsive and compulsive buying is in your motivation — the former is mostly unplanned, while the latter is usually planned and motivated by internal satisfaction. Impulse buying can also be a gateway to a shopping addiction, but it is typically influenced by external, spur-of-the-moment factors like affordability, discounts or rewards, just like these Nigerians explained when asked their reasons for impulse buying.
Back to shopping addictions. The first step to tackling a shopping addiction is to identify that you have one. You can start by answering the following questions:
- Is shopping a source of escape or comfort for me?
- Is it compulsive?
- Do I shop despite the obvious negative consequences?
- Is my habit a guarded secret?
- Do I feel shame or guilt about it?
If you answer these questions in the affirmative, you are likely a shopaholic.
But this does not mean the end of the world. Like any addiction, there are ways to remedy the situation. Seeking therapy or professional help should top this list. But considering the limitations of accessing quality and affordable therapy in Nigeria, it just isn’t an option for a majority of the population.
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Notwithstanding, there are strategies you can implement to fix your shopping addiction. We have shared a few of them below.
1. Figure out your triggers
This discovery will require complete honesty on your part. There could be multiple reasons, but many motivations zero down to fulfilling emotional or mental needs. Stuff like a traumatic incident (loss, grief, heartbreak), loneliness, depression, anxiety, stress, or FOMO. Growing up under much financial strain can cause a shopping addiction, as it presents the illusion of progress and financial stability, while actively impoverishing you.
Some triggers are more obvious than others, so take your time with this step. This is not the time to be your harshest critic, so treat yourself with kindness as you dig deep to discover your triggers.
2. Unsubscribe and unfollow
A great way to curb a shopping addiction is to avoid situations that trigger your compulsion. Online shopping has become prevalent and convenient with the internet, and this may be a shopaholic’s Achilles heel.
By turning off those post notifications, unsubscribing from the mailing lists of your favourite retailers and unfollowing those vendors or influencers you cannot resist, you’ll be depriving your addiction of the resources it flourishes on.
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3. Stop seeing shopping as a hobby
Hobbies are great for relieving stress and giving you a dopamine rush, but they stop being fun when they induce more stress in the long haul. No matter how much fun you derive from buying things, it is better to see buying first as a necessity. It helps you become more financially aware to prioritise needs, quality, and value. This will help you keep unnecessary purchases to a minimum.
4. Stick to a budget
A budget is a financial map that shows you where you are and where you need to go. This all-encompassing document helps paint a clear picture of your income and expenses and lets you know how to optimise your spending for financial stability.
As a shopaholic, seeing where most of your money goes can make you less motivated to continue buying on a whim. If you don’t know how, follow this step-by-step guide to creating a budget, and remember to keep it realistic and easy to adhere to.
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5. Make it harder to shop
“How can I make shopping harder?” you ask. Simple. Make your money less accessible. Disconnect your debit cards from shopping sites and delete shopping apps from your phone. Stow your spare cash safely away in Piggybank, Safelock or any of our vetted Investment options.
Doing this leaves you with cash for necessities only, and maybe a minimal miscellaneous budget. No idle money, no funds to shop compulsively. Another upside to saving and investing is that instead of buying shoes that sit and collect dust, your cash will collect interest that you can roll over or use to treat yourself.
6. Ignore discounts
It’s Black Friday season, and you’re probably jittery and red-eyed from prowling the internet or store aisles for discounts on goods you don’t even need. Be aware that most discounts are intended to put you in a buying frenzy and induce a sense of urgency in customers. You can be caught in this web if you’re prone to impulsive or compulsive buying, so no matter how mouth-watering an offer is, if it’s not in your budget, walk away.
7. Target savings
A shopping addiction will probably deprive you of making great strides in your life; sporadic buying can hinder you from saving for much bigger things like a home or car. Compulsive buying could also put you in debt and affect your relationships.
You can turn this around by setting and adhering to specific long-term financial goals. An accountability tool like Target Savings will help you lock away funds to minimise excessive and impromptu spending, and setting up multiple targets will enable you to plan for short- and long-term purchases.
8. Get an accountability partner
Addictions thrive in secrecy; this is why support groups and accountability partners are crucial to an addict’s recovery. Whether you are lucky enough to afford professional help or choose to speak to a trusted loved one, opening up helps keep you grounded and accountable.
