Aside from impulse buying, a common trait among shopping addicts is endless research under the guise of “informed” consumerism. Researching the right deal, sale, coupon code, product, or service is something of a badge of honor for the shopaholic, proof that even overspending has its merits…as long as some money is saved.
But if you want to truly stop spending and start saving, this research must stop.
The “Informed” Impulse Shopper
If you’ve ever struggled with shopping or overspending, you might recognize the following chain of events:
- Identify product that you want.
- Obsessively think about desired product.
- Begin researching desired product.
- Read reviews of desired product.
- Watch YouTube or Instagram tutorials of desired product.
- Research upcoming sales or coupon codes for desired product.
- Finally, feeling satisfied that you’ve explored every pro and con, purchase desired product.
Now, don’t get me wrong: Informed shopping is better than mindless shopping. But it’s still shopping.
You are still spending money—money you could be saving or using to pay down your debts. The effect on your bank account is still the same as if you had purchased the desired product on impulse!
Because of this, researching products, sales, and coupon codes can be more nefarious than impulse shopping. It wastes something more than money—something you can’t replenish. And that is your time.
Researching products is almost as bad as buying them impulsively–even if there’s a sale. Because your time is a limited, nonrenewable resource.
When you waste your time AND your money on consumerism, you are throwing away valuable resources that—in the case of time especially—you can never get back.
If you’ve ever struggled with spending or shopping, think back to the mindless hours spent researching products and hunting for deals…only to fill up your home with more stuff, deplete your bank account of needed funds, and stress your mind.
So how can you fix this? Well, addition to cutting out shopping, a great way to enrich your life and recover from a spending problem is to stop thinking about the next purchase altogether. One way to do this is to STOP RESEARCHING! You will never get that time back.
And, in my view and experience, that time will be better spent on a new hobby, with your loved ones, or working toward getting your finances in order. The less time you spend fixating on new things to buy, or new deals to nab, the less money you will spend. I promise.
Your future self will thank you.
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