Does all your money disappear on clothes, gadgets, computer games, and cool gadgets? Here's how to recognize the symptoms of a shopaholic.
Who can be a shopaholic?
Shopaholics are usually associated with silly young women in high heels – not necessarily a particularly attractive trait, nor a particularly smart one. But they do look very nice in their clothes.
The fact is that you don't have to be a woman, young, silly, or particularly fond of shoes to be a shopaholic. It is often a term applied to women, since shopping has often become synonymous with clothes shopping, and it is precisely this form of shopping that is used more by women as entertainment and social interaction.
In reality, just as many men have problems controlling their spending. They just spend their money on different things than women generally do. Women often buy clothes—including for their children and husbands—and things for the home, and these are very visible purchases that have to be placed in the home and are used and seen often.
On the other hand, men are more likely to buy digital gadgets and sports equipment, and spend their money on going out or sports betting. Men also visit sites such as MONEYBANKER more often than women. Smart gadgets—tablets, computer accessories, electronic subscriptions to music, games, and movies or TV series—do not necessarily take up much space, sports equipment ends up in the shed, and money spent on nights out is simply gone, so typical "male purchases" are often less visible.
This means that men can often hide the fact that they have a problem with shopping, whereas women more often defend their purchases by saying they need one thing or another, or transfer their spending to buying nice clothes for their children, who after all grow out of them and need new ones from time to time.
Women tend to collect things and enjoy the process of searching for the perfect shirt in the store. Men are more likely to hunt for their prey and enjoy the research before the final "close"—the purchase—which often happens quickly.
Symptoms of a shopaholic
It may seem a little extreme to pathologize shopping, but if you buy so much that it ruins your finances and throws your budget completely off track, it is important to get your bad habits under control.
- Do you buy impulsively without planning or considering what you need?
- Do you ever buy something and then discover that you already have an identical item at home?
- Do you hide your purchases from others?
- Do you get a rush from shopping?
- Do you feel guilty or down after making a purchase?
- Is your urge to shop causing you financial problems?
- Do you get restless if you don't follow your usual shopping habits (going on a shopping trip at the weekend, online shopping, etc.)?
- Do you use shopping as entertainment and a distraction from problems?
If you recognize yourself in these points, you probably need to get your urge to shop under control, regardless of what you buy.
Sources: dinside.no, videnskab.dk, e24.no, and nymag.com