My resolution to cut back on frivolous spending.

[Metalhead]

I have decided to take the following steps to curb my bad spending habits.

1) Remove all plastic cards from online shopping accounts except for Instacart (groceries).

2) Refuse to look at weekly or seasonal online sales.

3) Have an accountability partner.

4) Always keep my brain occupied and enjoy the treasure trove of entertainment I already have for a very long while.

5) Focus on the root problem - loneliness. Retail therapy will never fix that.

Does anybody else have any ideas to add to this list?

 

[Aspychata]

This is a great post. You are motivating me. I guess realizing that a purchase only provides limited dopamine hit so the minute the hit fades, you are back to whatever you are trying to escape, loneliness, frustration, anger, denial, shame. Maybe stop and be comfortable with yourself, refuse to buy the consumerism lie that you will somehow be transformed by your purchase is what l tell myself. Maybe think of your goal of accessing a fund for retirement or to be debit free. When you are in your sixties, you may wish to have a little dinero, or own your place, or start business. Outside of that, l am clueless. But l smile because being without credit card debit is really making me smile these days.

 

[VictorR]

Something that worked for me, from an earlier thread:

It sounds like you like having some form of excitement, and when you stopped getting from social interactions, you filled the gap with retail therapy - the excitement of finding, buying, and waiting for and getting packages.

How about we turn that around - where the game, instead of buying, is selling.

When I was in college, I had an map of America, and I'd put a pin in it each time I sold something. As I started to get more states checked off, it was exciting, waiting to see what came next, and to list more and more items, in hopes I'd get a sale that'd check off another state and the high that came with that thrill.

I did end up completing all 50 states along with DC and PR.

 

[eg3210]

That seems like a good list. Good luck with it, particularly with the with socializing/loneliness. For me socializing is terrifying! Just wanted to point out that what your dealing with is real and you're not alone.

Have you tried journaling? I resisted it thinking it was silly or something. But I started doing some "gratitude" journaling and it helped me appreciate what I have, both physical and otherwise.
After writing it down and really thinking about it I have started to enjoy what I have more and stop fixating on buying new stuff. I still struggle when I'm stressed, but much better.
My most recent special interest is art, before I'd buy pens or whatever get excited, play with them very little and look for the next one. When I'd see my pile of art supplies I mostly felt shame at buying them, and I tended to avoid using most of them because of that.
Now (on good days) I see my collection and it generally brings me happiness.
Don't know if that's relatable to you at all, but if it is maybe writing or actively thinking about what you have and what you value and why.

 

[Wolfnox]

Yeah. Use YouTube for music needs and carry cash. Easier to keep up with.

 

[WiffingWaffles]

I have decided to take the following steps to curb my bad spending habits.

1) Remove all plastic cards from online shopping accounts except for Instacart (groceries).

2) Refuse to look at weekly or seasonal online sales.

3) Have an accountability partner.

4) Always keep my brain occupied and enjoy the treasure trove of entertainment I already have for a very long while.

5) Focus on the root problem - loneliness. Retail therapy will never fix that.

Does anybody else have any ideas to add to this list?

So let me get to the root, You have something akin to Compulsive Shopping disorder?

 

[Metalhead]

So let me get to the root, You have something akin to Compulsive Shopping disorder?

Yes, I do.

 

[Metalhead]

I have been going through my collection of purchased movies and watching the ones I had not seen yet. This could take a long while.