Emotional shopping

Have you ever come out of a disagreement, had a bad day at work, or even been so frustrated by heavy traffic that you turned to a little retail therapy to soothe your state?

It’s no lie that a new purchase gives you a little spring in your step, we’ve all experienced that! The problem lies when one relies on spending as a solution to cope with stress or lift the blues, deal with anger or frustration, cure boredom or just to feel special.

In the same way women often cut their hair in a new style after a break up, we sometimes react to a bad experience by attempting to relieve ourselves with an indulgent treat, convinced that splurging on something material is the key to lifting our mood and/or solving a problem.

Unfortunately emotional spending is like putting a band-aid on a broken leg. It’s a quick, inappropriate fix and will not come remotely close to treating the problem. We need to recognise such impulses as a veiled search for a self-esteem boost and curb them to avoid eventual disappointment and over-spending.

If this sounds like you, avoid the scenario by