Are you someone who’s prone to buying shiny objects in the store window? Well, you may have a shopping addiction. When you think about addiction, you probably think about drinking, smoking, or gambling. Today we’ll talk about shopping addiction, which can also be devastating.

It can seriously impact someone’s finances and affect relationships with family members and friends. Luckily, there are ways to stop compulsive shopping, but before describing them, let’s see what exactly it means to have a shopping addiction and what this has to do with the hedonic treadmill.

The hedonic treadmill is the tendency of an individual to return to the same level of happiness despite achieving certain goals. One of the main reasons why people buy fancy things that they don’t really need is that they believe they will make them happier.

Yet, these things usually make someone happier for a limited amount of time because we tend to return to a “normal” level of happiness. As a result, it’s easy to get stuck on a treadmill, always chasing that everlasting high that never seems to come.

So it’s important to get off the treadmill, break the cycle, and find ways to stop wasting money on things you probably don’t need.

Here’s how to do this!

1. Track Your Bills and Review Your Bank Account

You should keep an eye on your bank account. Sometimes, it’s hard to see exactly how much money you’re spending when you’re shopping. You can only figure this out by taking a close look at your bank account. It will show you exactly what amount you’re spending, so you’ll realize how much money you’re actually wasting.

Those $5 purchases may not seem like they drain your finances; however, if you’re making this kind of purchase daily, this could result in several hundred dollars less by the end of the month.

Don’t forget that you don’t always use your debit card when purchasing things. Therefore, it’s important to take a closer look at all the payment portals you use. Review all of your bills. This will help you get a handle on exactly how much money you’re spending.

Next, sort your purchases by what’s necessary and what’s not. How much money are you actually throwing away on unnecessary purchases? Well, if you’re lavishing yourself with expensive clothes, eating out, having daily Starbucks coffee, and so on, there’s a good chance that you’re spending more than you think.

2. Unfollow Social Media Accounts and Unsubscribe from Email Lists

Another thing you should do is unfollow social media accounts and unsubscribe from email lists. One of the main reasons why you’re tempted to make purchases is that you have access to what’s newly released as well as deals and discounts. If you really want to stop your shopping addiction, you need to unfollow these websites and unsubscribe from their newsletters.

How often do you receive emails about new services and products you suddenly need? Here’s a trick that may help you: remember that you didn’t need that tempting item until a few minutes ago. So, do you really need it? Probably not.

If you turn off these notifications, you may be more mindful of your spending habits. You don’t have to unsubscribe from all the email lists and unfollow all the social media accounts, but make sure you do that with the ones that bombard you with daily notifications.

3. Set Goals for Yourself Regarding Shopping

If you want to break free from your shopping addiction, you should also set goals for yourself. For instance, aim to not spend any money at all on unnecessary purchases until the weekend. Another idea would be to leave all your debit and credit cards at home when you go out. Only take with you the cash you’re going to spend.

Basically, you cannot go over your spending limit if you don’t have cards in your wallet. If you choose to do that, make sure you also disable Google Pay or Apple Pay to not be tempted to make payments with your phone.

You can also try setting a certain amount of money you aim to spend in a week and sticking to it. Then, you can set the amount of money you’ll want to spend on shopping in a given month. Once you start realizing you can go without spending money recklessly, these goals won’t seem that challenging.

There are obviously some necessary things that you need to buy. Therefore, you need to create a budget that fits your needs. At the same time, if you overspend in one area, you cannot go over budget when you go shopping. This is one of the most efficient ways for you to optimize your spending habits.

4. Pay for Your Purchases in Cash Instead of Credit

This may sound a bit weird, but sometimes you do need to feel the sting when you buy something. When you tap your credit card over the payment terminal, it doesn’t necessarily feel like spending money, as you don’t pay for it right away. In fact, if you make the purchase at the beginning of the month, you may not pay your credit card bill until the end of it.

If you don’t pay your bill in full or miss a payment, you’ll end up getting charged interest and paying a lot of money. So, try not to use your credit card every time you’re shopping. You need to feel the sting when you purchase something.

One of the best ways to do that is to force yourself to use cash when buying things. You’ll have to go to the ATM and make withdrawals every time you need money, which can be one more thing to worry about. Yet, that’s the point.

It will be more difficult for you to buy something if you pay for it with cash. You definitely know what it’s like to feel the cash leave your wallet, especially if it’s a larger amount. That’s the sting we’re talking about. When you experience it, you understand how much money you’re spending on shopping.

5. Make Changes in Your Daily Routine

If you want to break free from your shopping addiction, you need to make some changes to your daily routine. But before we come up with a few suggestions, here’s an important question: Why do you think you spend so much money on shopping in the first place?

It may be a way of coping with stress, or maybe you have a certain frame of mind when you go to the store. Perhaps you find yourself shopping when you’re going through a tough time. In any case, you should understand the reason why you do that and make some changes to your daily routine.

The best way to start doing that is by keeping a journal, so you can write down all the times you head to the store. Next, figure out why you do that at that particular time. Maybe it has something to do with your daily routine, so a suggestion would be to try changing the order of things you do in a day.

Yet, don’t overlook the reasons why you go shopping; it’s important to understand where the issue comes from. If you need some help changing your routine, consider talking to your loved ones. If you aim to spend more time with them, you may be able to spend less time at the store.

6. Block Certain Websites on Your Internet

The next strategy would be to consider adding a filter to your internet router. This way, you’ll block your shopping website. This is a good idea, especially for those who have issues with impulse control. There’s nothing to be ashamed of, though. In fact, you should be proud of yourself that you’ve decided to deal with your compulsive need to buy things.

Website filters usually come with categories, so the only thing you have to do is click the one labeled “shopping”, and that’s it. You should stop seeing websites that sell any kind of stuff or services.

There may be situations where you feel like you won’t be able to control yourself. When this happens, you need to enter the password to go through the filter. If you really think that you can’t control your spending habits, you should ask someone else to set the password. Therefore, you won’t know what it is.

It may be a bit extreme, but it’s a strategy that you should consider if you’ve tried anything else and it didn’t work.

7. Develop New Hobbies (That Are Less Expensive)

Some people go shopping when they are bored. Even if you think you don’t necessarily do that, you may still go shopping more often than you realize. If you want to put a stop to your extreme spending habits, you should find new hobbies. It’s worth mentioning that these hobbies should be affordable.

For instance, you may be interested in taking up a new sport. Or, perhaps you want to learn a musical instrument. Or, you may simply be interested in spending more time with friends and family. These are all great ideas that can help you stay away from the store.

Furthermore, you may find that developing new hobbies is more enjoyable if you do them with other people who are also interested in trying something new. Talk to your family members or friends and see if they already have a hobby. Even if it’s not exactly your thing, it’s going to be a wonderful way to strengthen your relationships while also putting a stop to your shopping addiction.

8. Ask for Help from Trained Professionals

Finally, if you still find it difficult to control your shopping addiction, you should consider seeking help from a professional. There are therapists who specialize in addiction. Even though shopping isn’t as devastating as using drugs, the foundation is somehow the same.

If you decide this is the best option for you, you need to find the right person to help with your shopping addiction. It’s important to choose someone qualified for this and who’s right for you.

Keep in mind that it’s going to take some time to put an end to your addiction. Your therapist is going to tell you about methods you can use to control your impulses or recommend that you some books that talk about addiction and how it works. They may also suggest making some changes in your lifestyle. Even if you don’t see results right away, keep going back for future sessions.

You may also want to read Want To Save $100 Per Month On Groceries? Try These 7 Hacks!