Author: Carrie Rattle

By now we all know that a transaction need not occur within the walls of a store for it to be titled “shopping.” And no matter how clearly you know what you’re shopping for, there are always pressures to overshop. Shopping-at a mall, on the Internet, or even from a catalog-is almost guaranteed to stir… Continue reading A Closer Look at Mindful Shopping

Ours is largely a culture of spur-of-the-moment, impulsive, recreational, mindless shopping; we typically put about as much conscious thought into it as we do into digesting. With the current economic crisis, now more than ever its crucial to stay emotionally centered and mindful-of what you plan to buy, of what you can comfortably afford to… Continue reading Mindful Shopping

According to Trinny and Susannah, the two stars of ITV1’s reality fashion show, now in its second season, Brits spend 30 billion pounds every year on clothing, much of which is never worn. In an effort to help British women who are compulsive buyers learn to spend their money more wisely and stop buying things… Continue reading Overshopping Overseas

I’ve given you the three main strategies for stopping compulsive buying and curbing a shopping addiction. Now, I want to share with you some more tips to stop overshopping, things to think about, and questions to ask yourself if you think you’re at rick of developing a compulsive shopping addiction. First, keep in mind the… Continue reading 16 Strategies to Curve A Compulsive Shopping Addiction

Now that you’ve gained some familiarity with the first two proven strategies, it’s time to introduce the third strategy, which will help you bring all your awareness together in a way that you take positive action that will help you build the muscle to help you stopping overshopping and start getting what it is that… Continue reading 3 Proven Strategies for Stopping Overshopping, Part 2

Are the current economic conditions feeling scary to you? Are you having to rein in your buying and having difficulty doing it? The current economic crisis can serve as an extra motivator, a support to help you stop overshopping. Almost all of us need to think more seriously about our own buying behavior now. It’s… Continue reading 3 Proven Strategies for Stopping Overshopping, Part 1

In this economy, it’s not just ordinary people who are cutting back (orthinking they ought to). In January, newspapers reported that tennis star Serena Williams, who has won more than twenty million dollars in prize money, is forgoing her famous shopping sprees. An extravagant spender in the past, Williams has remarked that there’ll be lots… Continue reading Even Celebrities . . .

Overshoppers around the globe know fairly well the emotional and financial consequences of their compulsion—the guilt and secrecy, the credit card debt, the family discord. But they’re seldom aware of the slippery slope to more serious trouble that their habit may lead to. Four recent news items, from England, Scotland, and Hong Kong, underline the… Continue reading Serious Trouble—And Much Worse—For These Overshoppers

Recently, a number of overconsumers have decided to make radical changes in the course of a year and then write about their experiences. Mary Carlomagno did it in Give it Up: My Year of Learning to Live Better with Less, which we reviewed in Vol. 1, Number 2, March, 2006. She chronicled giving up one… Continue reading Recommended Reading: In the Red: The Diary of a Recovering Shopaholic, by Alexis Hall

Didn’t really need that sweater you bought this week? Have 3 of the same pairs of pants? Thought you’d fit into that skirt someday, but it’s not gonna happen? Take a look through your closet, collect the clothes you can’t or won’t wear again—and use them to shop. A wonderful alternative for the shopping-inclined, Swap-O-Rama-Rama… Continue reading Don’t Shop, Swap!