Do you shop too much? Find out the clear signs that your shopping habit is becoming a big problem.
You’re Messing with Your Other Expenses
One clear sign that you’re shopping too much is that you’re having trouble covering other important expenses during the month. If you’re realizing that you have to pay a bill late or cut down your grocery costs after going on a shopping spree, there’s something wrong. These essentials should be your financial priority for the month — not retail therapy.
What can you do? You could make a personal budget to see how much you can afford to set aside every month for shopping purposes while prioritizing expenses like rent, utilities and groceries. That way, you’re acknowledging your love of shopping without sabotaging your other responsibilities.
Your Credits Cards Are Close to Their Limits
Your credit card balances are getting too close to their limits. What’s wrong with this? You’re giving yourself large debt loads to pay down, and if you’re not careful, you could max out these cards.
Another problem with saddling yourself with steep balances is that you’re making yourself vulnerable to emergency expenses. Normally, you could use a credit card to help cover the costs of an unexpected car repair or an urgent trip to the dentist, but you can’t turn to this solution when your balance is too close to the limit.
What can you do? If your credit cards are just one mistake away from getting maxed out, then you need to invest your time and energy into paring those balances down. When it comes to emergencies, you can ask your friend for an IOU or apply for an online loan.
How do you get the right loan? To narrow down your online search, check out the options based on the state that you’re living in. So, if you’re currently located in any allowed country, you should apply for loans online when you need help covering an urgent expense. This will stop you from browsing options that aren’t even available in Indiana and make the application process that much faster.
You Don’t Use the Things That You Buy
Another clear sign that you shop too much is that you’re not using or enjoying the things that you buy. For instance, you have a closet full of clothes that you haven’t worn. This means that you’re treating shopping like a hobby or therapeutic outlet instead of a way to get the things that you need.
What can you do? You can either start paying attention to your previous purchases, or you can get rid of them. If the items are in good condition, you could sell them online and put some money back in your pocket. From this point forward, you should try to practice mindful shopping so that you don’t accumulate products that you don’t want, need or use.
You Can’t Seem to Stop
You can’t control yourself when it comes to shopping. It’s an impulse that you can’t seem to curb, even when you’re aware that it’s hurting your finances. If this is the case, you may suffer from compulsive shopping disorder — also known as shopping addiction.
What can you do? The best move would be to get help. Talk to a professional counselor or shopping addiction support group.
It’s time to face the facts. If any of these signs seem familiar to you, your shopping is out of control. You need to deal with the problem now before it gets worse.
