my shopping addictions started when i was in high school. it started when i would buy a shirt at a popular store and when i would wear that shirt to school it was like i was finally popular and looked good. i would spend my entire paycheck on clothes at the mall and although i am not longer in high school i am still the same way. i will only shop at popular clothing stores and will spend up to $200 on a pair of jeans. i want to change and be able to save my money and not be so materialistic. has anyone felt this way before? and does anyone have any advice on how to change?

I kinda go through the same thing, except I shop when I'm bored...I've also found I would rather go out and buy new clothes instead of washing the old clothes I already have (dirty). That may not be an addiction for me though. I wonder at what point it would become an addiction though.

So, you get a good feeling when you buy and wear $200 jeans - do you ever feel good when you wear a $20 pair of jeans? Like, WOW I saved a lot of money and now I feel better? Just curious...

its kinda sad i know, but wearing a $20 pair of jeans doesnt make me feel good about myself. i like that when im walking down the street people can see the print on my jeans and know that i spent a lot of money on them. i just have to!

i agree with cowgirl. i never think that my outfit is representable unless my jeans are designer. i feel like everyone will be staring at my outfit and notcing that theyre not deisginer. i feel much more comfortable in designers.

i did it again :(..i bought 2 new pairs of jeans at macys, but together it was only 300..im trying to move out soon and i need to save my money, but i couldnt help it!

try not going to the mall at all. keep your self busy with other things, maybe a second job or another hobby. your never going to stop liking shopping but the best you can do is to try to stay away from it.

Whenver you feel like going shopping but you are not decided what to buy , it means that you don't really need to go shoppping. Think about it twice before you go shopping. Before you leave your house for shopping just put the money in a safe place and only take a few bucks to buy some small thing and the urge for shopping will go away.

I saw another post in the shopping category of what to do if you think you're a shopping addict. One of the strategies was like make a shopping list and only bring enough cash for those items and bring a friend with you, so they can help you stick with your list.
I love designer jeans and the way they feel and everything they're so comfortable. But I've only bought four pairs in like the past four years actually at Macys and other designer stores. Usually I will try Marshalls first and then maybe Ross for cute clothes and then go to the mall and look for sales. It realy saves so much money and it's the same thing. I found a really cute pair last week, they were only 75, which is still a lot but not compared to 200. It's called bargain shopping Lol!

hmm, once I saw something that was like that, give to poor people something you paid a lot for, like those new pants, you'll feel really bad about it, but you'll learn the value of money, try doing that and let us know, or if you don't want to, let's thing of another thing :D

Shooping addiction is a very costly kind of addiction? althouhg there is no wrong in having and wanting a new stuuf for you but be sure that you have enough spare money of could afford this with endagaring your months budget.

Thanks for such an honest post. While I have never spent $200 on a pair of jeans, I have spent over $300 on a purse. I think I hear you when you say that it's impressive to have people know you spent alot of money on something. I personally find it makes me feel stronger inside. I know, right there, that it's why I have a spending problem. For you it's jeans, for me it's other things for my home or for me. I've never been much of a clothes hound, but I like the highest quality items (designer labels so to speak). Part of it I can justify as the desire to buy something of good quality, but another part of it is simply for the image an designer label gives. For instance, I have Waterford crystal and Henckels knives. I bought them because they're well made, but also because they make me feel more impressive as a person.

Why is it that we need material possessions to feel like we're more of a person? I'm sure, for me, it's because I'm trying to replace something that went missing a long time ago in my heart and soul. Goodness knows, when I'm hurting, spending money on something makes me feel better, but I'm just numbing the hurt.

So, I hope that you and I (and whoever else has this addiction) can find better ways to make our hearts feel better.

On a practical note, you said that you wanted to move out soon... perhaps you could have a picture of a nice room in an apartment to help you keep that as your focus. I find pictures help keep me more motivated then just thoughts in my head. So, instead of spending $300 on two pairs of jeans at Macy's, you could keep in mind that the $300 could go towards a deposit on your very own apartment instead. I'd personally feel better about being in my own place with my slightly older pair of designer jeans :)

Hope this helps a little at least...

Sapphire Dragonfly

P.S. And I'll take my own advice and try to find a visual image of getting rid of my credit card debt. I need to find some visual way of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel (and making sure it's not just a train).

Have you tried going to discount stores where they have designer clothing for much cheaper? you can find the same things for a cheaper price and sometimes even nicer things. Try shopping with people that are into that too instead of people who are extremely materialistic.

Have you tried going to discount stores where they have designer clothing for much cheaper? you can find the same things for a cheaper price and sometimes even nicer things. Try shopping with people that are into that too instead of people who are extremely materialistic.

Yes, that's a big part of it also is friends. Whenever I go out shopping with my friends, I always have to be the ones with two huge bags and I feel so much happier haha because I bought more close. In reality though, I'm the biggest loser because I blew the most money in one day. So, I'm trying to change the way I think of the way I shop and now, sometimes I'll even go shopping by myself or take my mom!

most people start to buy a lot when they are teens or even kids and their parents buy them everything they ask for, parents who do not know how to say no end up influencing their kids...

This things happen to mebefore but i get ton change everything now? it would be relly bad if you get accustomed in buying impulsively this make people poor.

I'm not trying to be mean and please don't take this the wrong way, but as I have grown up I realized that the times when I tried to present myself to look good on the outside was really when I was miserable on the inside. I would consider going to counseling to see if there is a deeper issue that is lying within you and you may not even know what it is so how can you fix it? People should like you for what's on the inside, not the appearance you present.

unamor said: I'm not trying to be mean and please don't take this the wrong way, but as I have grown up I realized that the times when I tried to present myself to look good on the outside was really when I was miserable on the inside. I would consider going to counseling to see if there is a deeper issue that is lying within you and you may not even know what it is so how can you fix it? People should like you for what's on the inside, not the appearance you present.

Sometimes people just feel better when they look good on the outside too. Like when would you feel better dressed looking like a bum or dressed good? I feel like I look more presentable when I dress nice and I feel more confident and I'm sure people take me more seriously.