hello my name is jen..

Hey Jen, do you have a planner?  This is what I did... for a month I used teh 30 day calendar cheet in my planner and each day that I spent money, I wrote it down on the day. I wrote down bills, food, walmart, target... EVERYTHING!!! I even wrote down gas and gum... every penny went down in the planner.  After the month was over and I could assess the damage... it was very eye opening.  its one thing to "guess" on what you spend each month...  totally new experience to KNOW what youre spending. And it allowed me to see where I was WASTING the most money.  Maybe if you tracked money like that it would help you assess the damage. SO....what I do know... and I know it seems silly... but I keep a old juice jug in my room. I put all my spare change it in. ALL OF IT!!! and when I want to go shopping... I wait till the jug is full and I use that money. Its a delayed reward system... I KNOW!!!! But it helps me save my paychecks for bigger things and when I cash that money in... I get to go shopping!!!

hello Jen! Exactly the reason I am seeing my therapist.  I still struggle between that and eating, but because of my new shopping addiction, I no longer will be able to quit my job when Teagan starts public school in August.   This has been the plan for 5 years now and I blew it in less than a year. I go from being  depressed and anxious to a shopping high, then depressed and anxious about the money I spent, to a BINGING high to depressed and anxious about food to just wanting to sleep all day.  Some days its hard not to just give up. I think most surgeons need to prepare their patients for this before surgery.  I know I had heard about it, but I never really realized how serious my food addiction was to begin with. SInce I have been seeing my therapist, I will let things sit in the bags for a couple days after I bought it, look at it and I end up RETURNING about 80% of the stuff I bought.  A HUGE invconvenience, but its better than keeping it and never wearing it.  There are other "coping" mechanisms I am trying to learn, but it is really slow going right now.

Hey Jen,     I've got the same problem sort of.  I've had to go to the cash route.  I went to this financial workshop, you budget what you need for bills, groceries, kids, etc.  Take the rest out in cash and put it in an envelope.  When that cash is gone, that's it.  It was really hard at first, I would have to go confess to Don that I had spent my envelope REALLY quickly.     Now I get lots of satisfaction from The Treasure Chest (Community Thrift Store).  I will not buy anything there that's higher than 3 dollars.  Today I have on a cute Anne Klein shirt and top and a pair of Liz Claiburne shoes.  Grand Total for the outfit, $1.98.  Come see me for a shopping trip!!! Mary

Hi Jen    My name is Julie and I have turned into a shopaholic as well.  It is VERY hard not to go shopping at every turn.  I have been shopping twice this weekend and spent way too much the first time.  I even had to put some stuff back because I really did not need it and was buying it just to buy it. Granted most of the stuff I did need but I did buy some unnecessary stuff.  And I agree with you 100%, YOU feel great until you go to check out and see the bill.  So I know how you feel, even the eating part.   I will bet you that most of the addiction switching to shopping comes from the fact that for years we really had a limited set of shops we could go to and get stuff, now that whole retail avenue has opened for us and it is exciting!  So I am right there with you girl.  While I was reading your post it might as well have been me writing it.  Except the balancing the check book .  I have tried all the tricks, hiding the cards seems to work, except that debit card.  I do not keep cash so I have to have that one. I wish you luck as one addict to another! Julie

 

 

 

 

 

Hope it helps to know that there are many of us going through the same thing.  (It doesn't help me a bit.)  But I'm right there with you.  My husband is unhappy with me to begin with ... add the fact that I can spend money like there's no tomorrow, and the result is not pleasant.   My twisted solution to the stress and tension between us??  I want to go shopping.