Before online shopping because safe and popular, it was easier to resist the temptation to shop 24/7. Now in the comfort of our pajamas, we can engage in a competition over a vintage collectible on eBay at any time of day or night or build our dream homes or wardrobes on sites like Overstock. Using forums to chat about our purchases also creates a sense of community that may be missing from our non-virtual lives. Shopping online doesn’t really feel like we’re spending money, we don’t even have to have our credit cards nearby since so many websites allow us to save the information on our accounts.
Carrie Rattle is a Principal at BehavioralCents.com, a website for women focused on mind and money behaviors. She has worked in the financial services industry for 20+ years and hopes to inspire women to better prepare themselves for financial independence.