How to control the urge to shop

Many of us like to shop, but aside from the occasional trip to the mall, what happens when your spending gets out of control? I sometimes help my clients create healthier shopping habits by arming them with the tools needed to resist the urge to make purchases that they might regret later. Changing our perspective on shopping takes time and determination, and for most of us, some things are easier to resist than others. What one item or type of item still holds a strong grasp on your ability to make rational decisions? What makes you want to grab for your wallet regardless of cost or need, and how do you resist the urge to buy?

These 4 simple techniques might help save the day, and your money, when you feel a bout of binge shopping approaching:

1. Put the item down and walk around the store for a few minutes while mentally asking yourself a quick set of questions… Do I need this item? Why do I feel that I need this item? What will I do with this item and do I have a place to put it? Do I have room for this item? Can I afford this item? What will happen to me if I don’t purchase this item? Walk yourself through the logic for a few minutes and be honest with your answers.
2. Practice gratefulness. Make a mental note of everything that you have in your home that fits the same category as the item you are feeling compelled to buy. For example, thinking about all the shoes that you currently own, especially the favorites, can generate a sensation of gratefulness and make you feel less in need of that next new pair.
3. Stay above the hype! Retailers are masters at using product placement, color, smell, sound and other suggestive tactics to draw us in and activate the urge to buy. Next time you are in a store, look around and make a mental note if the tactics that you see in play. Knowing and understanding that we are walking into a retail version of psychological warfare every time we enter a store can help with putting the need for certain items into perspective.
4. Turn to technology. Several companies have developed mobile and web apps that help you control spending in several ways, from blocking purchases once a certain alcohol level is reached (drnkpay.com) to replacing the “Buy” button with a waiting period that enables sensible thinking to kick in (check out Icebox on Finder.com). Budgeting apps like Mint also allow you to determine a set budget for shopping and track progress as you go.

​If you still feel the urge to make a purchase after trying all these techniques, then it’s quite possible that the money might not be so haphazardly spent after all.