Shopping Habits & Hoarding Behaviour

Shopping Habits & Hoarding Behaviour

The run-up to Christmas can be one of the most challenging times of year to manage both shopping habits and hoarding behaviour, adverts, sales and constant reminders to “buy more” are everywhere, making it difficult to resist the pressure of consumer culture.

Below are tips on how to manage the urge to buy during this period and reduce the stress of festive marketing:

Make a Gift & Essentials List
Plan exactly what you need to buy and stick to it, this helps to keep on track of not just gifting but for the pressure to spend on festive food and seasonal outfits.

Set a Budget (and Track It)
Decide in advance how much you can realistically spend and be mindful to keep on track to stay within limits.

Pause Before Purchasing
Follow the 24-hour rule, if you see something you want, wait a day before buying. Often the impulse fades.

Save Instead of Spend
Working alongside the pause before purchasing, anytime you feel tempted to make a physical purchase, put the items cost into savings which can instead be used for festive outings or a holiday next summer.

Avoid “Just Looking”
Window-shopping or browsing online can lead to unplanned purchases, stick to shopping only when you need too and find other activities to do during leisure time, such as going to coffee shop, a nature walk or the cinema.

Use Supportive Accountability
Shop with a trusted friend or talk to someone about your goals, they can help keep you on track.

Unsubscribe from Marketing Emails
Clear your inbox of promotional messages that tempt you with “one-time only” deals and flash sales.

Mindful Social Media Usage 
Try and limit time spent on apps such as Pinterest and TikTok which allow for easy link to product purchasing, unfollowing brand accounts that exist to encourage users to buy their products. Also being mindful of the content you consume from influencers or creators who are often being paid by brands to promote items to their followers.

Focus on Experiences Instead of Things
Instead of always turning to physical items, make a list of all the other ways you could treat loved over during the festive period, for example a shared activity or homemade treats.

Our October blog post will be on ‘Alternative Christmas Gifting’, sign up to our emails HERE so you don’t miss when it goes live.

While Christmas can feel like a time of relentless consumer pressure, remember that you don’t have to get caught up in the cycle of overspending or over-collecting, by approaching the season with intention and self-compassion, you can create more space for the moments that truly matter, sharing time with loved ones, building traditions, and caring for yourself.

Support for Shopping Addiction

The UK based organisation UK Addiction Treatment Centres can provide advice and one on one support for those struggle with shopping addiction, check out their website HERE

 

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