Cancel any and all catalogues you receive. Stay off Amazon unless you cannot buy something ESSENTIAL locally. Do not go to the mall alone or with friends to walk around - out of sight is often out of mind. And always wait 24 hours before buying something that attracts you. Give yourself time to separate from the immediacy of wanting it "NOW". If in 24 - 48 hours you still want the item, ask yourself if it is truly in your budget to buy it without jeopardizing priority bills. If it's not, then go get it.
Ask yourself if it is something you just desire a lot or something you really need. If it's an item of clothing, give something away before a new purchase. Ditto kitchen stuff. Always look at your credit card statements/bank account balance before shopping. Chemically speaking, buying something lights up your brain like any other pleasure. But the pleasure of new ownership is usually replaced by the debt of repayment or loss of immediate funds. Learn to see new purchases as fun but all too often non-essential. Put away a small amount of "mad money" every month in a special savings account (piggybank?) that you can feel free to splurge with if the mood is irresistible. Do NOT exceed this allowance and call someone to "talk you down" if you feel the urge to do so. Spending habits that are excessive are often a response to stress in present situations. It takes vision to save for something later when you need the relief of stress right now. If you can't seem to control your spending, see a financial advisor or your local banker for help with setting up a reasonable budget to cover necessities, allow for a savings plan, and permit some fun with your earnings. Your future security is at stake here,and while it may seem a long way off, time flies.
So hard! Need v want usually does the trick for me. Also, I make myself discard/donate a similar item when I buy something new.
Try your best to create a budget and stick to it. Also identify the root cause ( example: do you feel the need to shop when under stress?). Finding the cause will also help you find other ways to deal with it. I know it’s hard but you got this!
