'Why Do I Keep Buying Stuff I Don't Need With Money I Don't Have?'

By Gyan Yankovich  October 20, 2020, 9:30am

Despite the best financial intentions, there are always things we want to spend money on that feel very important, like fall candles and sweatpants.

Why Am I Like This?

How to actually stop doing the things you know aren't exactly good for you.

From our teen years onwards, we’re constantly being told that saving money is good, and spending money on shit you don’t really need (when you could be saving it) is generally… not great. But it’s not quite as simple as that. Somewhere between knowing how much money you have coming in each month and your list of recurring can’t-skip expenses—like rent, health insurance, and bills—is a muddy middle section where a lot of us lose track of our cash.

Despite the best financial intentions (Save a month’s worth of wages! Have no student debt!) there are always other—often more exciting—things we want to spend our money on like, you know, cute shit from Target, fall candles, and sweatpants.

Regardless of how much or how little you have, everyone’s relationship with money is both complex and emotional—meaning “just stop it” advice about “frivolous” spending isn’t particularly helpful. So, if you’re stuck in a never-ending loop of spending money and then wishing you didn’t, here are a few reasons why you might be having difficulty saving.

You’re Relying On Willpower Alone.

Many of us assume that if we’re lucky enough to pay for all our essentials and have some extra cash to spare, it should be easy to put our future selves first and start steadily growing our savings. But it isn’t always the case, because willpower—the desire to save—just isn’t enough.

You’re Viewing Shopping As Problem-Solving.

Thinking of ways to spend money is, I’ll admit, an enjoyable and satisfying past-time—as is actually spending it. And an easy way to alleviate the guilt of shopping is by treating our not-exactly-essential purchases as the solution to a problem, like a new set of glass containers that will help you cut down on single-use plastics, workout gear that will mean you can keep running outdoors once the weather cools down, and… almost all skincare products.

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://www.vice.com/en/article/wx8ezw/help-stop-compulsive-buying-shopping