It is very exciting how promptly and advanced our generation has grown. From instant food to instant loans, every process has made our life a lot easier. However, getting everything you desire is not always a blessing.
Shopping seems to be very inherently pleasurable and rewarding for most of us. It sometimes may also feel empowering or controlling over your choice. Earlier, it was mostly an occasional need. However, over the years, shopping has become instant, and having full control over your own money, decides on to buy a product easier and is not always wiser. Buying excessive products to a maladjusted level has to be managed.
We must have come across people who have Compulsive buying disorder. It is one of the most rapidly growing phenomena. According to Guerreschi, 2012, "It has been identified in 2% of the world population and the majority is composed of women between 35 and 40 years, medium social class – although this gender difference may be artifactual ". People who suffer from this disorder tend to spend more than what they earn in the name of retail therapy as it has turned up to be a quick fix to our bad mood or bad day.
The quote, “Don’t Go Broke Trying to Look Rich”: Makes absolute sense now. Most of us have been living life trying to impress others, get likes on social media, or to even cheer ourselves ups with quick fixes, what we have been ignoring is that this will hit us back emotionally, mentally, and most importantly financially. Exhausting your salary, and credit card limits will lead to debt, debt turns to loans from banks, loans upon loans, and EMIs. Eventually, it affects your CIBIL scores. This becomes a never-ending process. After everything, we live with empty pockets with only materialistic things that will give us temporary happiness. Compulsive shopping can also affect a person’s social life.
To tackle this issue, you must first acknowledge your problem and the underlying matter that pushes you to rely on retail therapy. The best is to avoid using online shopping platforms and credit cards; pay off the outstanding amount. You must know to list your essential product and scratch out the indulgence items. You can also give control of your expense to a trusted one until you can overcome this process. Plan your investments, if you have the urge of buying something, try buying stocks or investing in a mutual fund. It will help you to build your, confidence, portfolio, and savings rather than spending on depreciating goods. This is what I have personally tried, it worked for me. It helped me to realize my potential to save and not spend, to hold patience and grow.
I hope this post will help you to understand that compulsive buying disorder is a common issue and it is okay to open up and speak about your finances to the people you can look up to without having the fear of being misjudged.
Please feel free to share your insights on this topic with the hope of helping people going through the same phase.