7 Tips You Need to Stop your Shopping Addiction

If you want to know how to stop your shopping addiction, you are not alone. Maybe you don’t think you’re addicted but you find it incredibly hard to resist some unnecessary purchases.

Believe me… I’ve been there.

And according to a recent survey, so have 78.2% of Brits! On average we spend over £32 per session when we succumb to online impulse shopping.

That’s a whopping total spend of over £1 Billion!

If we all could learn to reduce these unplanned purchases, it could really help us in these difficult times.

Why do we impulsively spend?

Emotions!

Have you ever cheered up a bad day with an online purchase?

Or maybe your day got better when you received your parcel in the post.

Perhaps you have something to celebrate?

“Treat Yourself”

Whether its through happiness, stress, or even FOMO, we have all caved and started spending.

Don’t get me wrong, if you can, there is nothing wrong with treating yourself once in a while.

But when you continue to find reasons to spend, that’s when it starts to spiral.

It can get very expensive and dangerous very quickly.

My experience with impulse shopping

Whilst I can’t say for sure whether I had a full shopping addiction, I certainly did have a problem that was slowly but surely spiralling out of control.

As I started University, I was very lucky (or unlucky) to find I would receive the highest possible student loan (as my parents were both retired).

So, after paying for accommodation, food and other essentials, I found myself with disposable income for the first time in my life.

I did put a lot into savings as soon as I received it– which is probably what saved me from a serious financial problem.

As many of you will know, when you first leave home it can be a very isolating and emotional time. Whilst I had a great time at university, there were many lows.

During most of these lows, I would be online shopping.

It made time go by faster.
I enjoyed browsing every new makeup launch and every sale.
The highlight of my day would be when my parcel arrived.

It didn’t help that many of my friends at the time were doing the exact same thing, so it seemed perfectly normal.

Although I knew my spending was a problem, it wasn’t until I went to live back at home during the events of 2020 that I managed to stop.

Now I work for myself and have a student loan to pay back, I spend intentionally and never buy anything impulsively.

Here I share the main tips that helped me stop my shopping addiction.

30 Day Purchase Method

This is a Game changer.

When you want to buy something (that is not a “need”) then you must wait 30 days before you can buy it.

After 30 days you probably won’t feel like you need it anymore.

And if you do still want it then you know it is worth it and that you won’t regret your purchase.

This helps to stop impulse purchases, especially when you think you need the “next big thing” just because everyone is talking about it.

This method cut my makeup spending by 85% within the first month and made me realise how much I was being influenced by the social media and “viral” hype.

Unsubscribe to retail emails

If like me, you can’t resist clicking into every sale email you get, you need to unsubscribe immediately.

The temptation is just too great.

Even if it is a great deal, you are still spending more than you planned.

I would recommend unsubscribing from every retail email you receive to completely avoid the temptation.

It will save you so much money over time.

OR: Make a dedicated email address for shopping

If unsubscribing from the emails seems too difficult for you right now, that’s ok.

Instead, make a dedicated email address that you use only for retailers.

This will keep all the temptation in one place that you can more easily ignore.

This is also a good way to keep the exclusive discounts you receive through emails. Which you can go to and use when you have planned a purchase at a certain shop.

Unfollow shopping social media pages

In 2023, we don’t just have to contend with shopping temptation online and in our emails. It is now a very large part of all social medias.

This has made avoiding impulse purchases so much more difficult day to day.

At one point, my Instagram looked more like a department store than a social network!

To curb this spending it’s time to unfollow some of the main shopping pages you follow. As well as any influencers who seem to recommend new products every other day.

Again, if this is too hard, you could simply mute their stories or pages for a time to clear your feed of temptation.

Find an alternative for immediate gratification

A lot of the time we impulse buy to get that little boost of joy in our day.

Shopping is an easy way to get our fill of immediate gratification for the day.

Immediate gratification is when you are tempted to overlook a future benefit to obtain a less rewarding but immediate benefit.

So to stop this, let’s find a new source of gratification that is more productive and less damaging.

Here are some ways to get that little serotonin boost in your day without spending:

Workout- I find after every workout I feel so much happier just like I used to when I received a parcel- but without the buyers regret after!
Take language lessons with Duolingo- This is my new favourite source of gratification that can take as little as 5 minutes per day, and can be done anywhere. BONUS: You are keeping your brain active and learning a new skill.
Clean/Tidy one room- This is a very productive use of time and you will feel happier and calmer in that room afterwards.
Journal/Plan- Planning or journaling can help you feel more in control of your week and your emotions. This will help you stay on top of and identify your emotional spending triggers.

Turn off saved card details

“It’s just too easy to spend money nowadays”.

I have lost count of how many times I have heard someone say that recently.

But it is so true.

With saved card details, and apps like PayPal, Apple pay and Google Pay, it only takes a few seconds to complete your online purchase.

Although this is convenient, it is very bad when it comes to spending.

The more time it takes you to complete the purchase, the more time you have to reconsider and stop your purchase.

To help this, turn off the saved card option on all websites and consider removing your card details from any paying apps you have.

If like me, you have memorised your card details this is quite a tricky tip to follow. You’ll have to wait until you receive your next card and then remember to not learn this one!

Find what means more to you than material possessions

If you really struggle to stop your impulse spending, then getting a better perspective could be the key for you to kick this habit.

Think about what you could get with the money you impulsively spend if you saved it all up.

Maybe you are a travel lover who would like to explore the world.

Or perhaps you are looking to get your foot on the property ladder.

If you’re not sure what your big goals or dreams are then start by brainstorming what you value most in life. Then include your favourite things you have done in life and what you want to do in the future.

Make sure you include both career and personal goals.

You can then use these big dreams to stop your spending.

Set a savings goal to put towards what you would truly love. Make sure saving for this takes priority over any impulse purchases.

You could even create a dream board to display. Seeing this before you make an impulse purchase could deter you from it and inspire you to stay on target for what you truly desire.

I hope this helps you crush your shopping addiction. Choose a few of these tips and start implementing them today!

The sooner you start these tips, the sooner you will have more money to use on what you really want.