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Within the past few years, research and anecdotal reports of compulsive buying in Australia, Canada, China, England, France, Germany, Korea, India, Ireland, Slovakia, and Spain have been published. Is overshopping a new phenomenon in these countries? Is it on the rise? While there’s probably insufficient historical data to answer the first question, preliminary evidence suggests… Continue reading Overshopping Goes Increasingly Global

Each month, for a year, Carlomagno chose to do without one of her favorite things: alcohol one month, shopping another, cell phones, dining out, elevators, multi-tasking, television, taxis, coffee, chocolate. Her discoveries and observations, which she shares in an easy, anecdotal style, confirm her book’s title: we can indeed live better by living with less.… Continue reading Recommended Reading: Give It Up! My Year of Learning to Live Better with Less By Mary Carlomagno (New York: Harper Collins, 2006)

Canadian filmmaker Jeremy Lutter has nearly finished shooting Not For$ale, a mockumentary about overconsumption. Styled after Michael Moore’s work, the film follows the picaresque journey of a Cookie Monsterish yellow puppet. At home in Canada, he meets a variety of people who teach him about the growing movement to scale back our consumption. His addiction… Continue reading Consumer Monster Mockumentary

First Epidemiological Study of Compulsive Buying in 14 Years The first epidemiological study of compulsive buying in the U.S. in 14 years is about to be published, co-authored by Lorrin Koran, M.D., of Stanford University and Ron Faber, Ph.D., of the University of Minnesota. The random telephone survey of 2,513 adults, chosen to be representative… Continue reading Cutting Edge Research

Lynne Twist’s The Soul of Money is a valuable resource for anyone looking to reevaluate his or her relationship with money. Through inspirational stories, Twist reveals how to let go of burden and guilt and replace them with purpose, transforming your ground of being from scarcity to sufficiency. A global fundraiser and activist, Twist uses… Continue reading Recommended Reading: The Soul of Money; Transforming your Relationship with Money and Life (Lynne Twist, Norton, 2003)

Two recently-published, identically-designed studies treatingcompulsive buying with antidepressants showed contradictory results. In one, the majority of patients using the medication reported a loss of interest in shopping and rated themselves “improved” or “very much improved.” When the positive respondents were then randomly assigned to either continue the medication or go on placebo, none of the seven who… Continue reading Two Recent Drug Studies Show Contradictory Results

Production of a feature documentary on the consumerization of Christmas and our addiction to shopping has begun. Morgan Spurlock, who directed “Super Size Me,” is the Executive Producer; Rob Van Alkemade, documentarian and journalist, is directing. The message of the film—that corporate sponsored addiction to material things is undermining our culture, and in particular has… Continue reading What Would Jesus Buy

Make a scrapbook! Next time a friend has a birthday, don’t buy a lavish gift. Instead, have friends send in warm words and photos, and then compile them in a memory book—an extra special and wonderfully personal gift the receiver will forever cherish. (Now don’t go to the nearest scrapbook store and spend too much… Continue reading Money Saving Gift Tip