Hello, this is my first entry. Is anyone here a shopping addict? I have really damaged a bunch of relationships and gotten myself into a serious financial bind. I want to do better and get to where I don’t buy unnecessary things
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Hi and welcome 
I was in this situation for quiet some years.
The only way I taught myself how to not buy things I don’t need, was to stop shopping all together. Nothing. Only groceries…
It took some time but it worked. I opened a second bank savings account that I can’t access where a certain amount goes into every fortnight. If I want to access the money I need to physically go Into the bank and take the stop off the account.
It takes time , but you can do it.
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Welcome! I have a few addictions I’ve been fighting and shopping could easily be added to my list. I seek out anything that gives me that dopamine rush. I found, no matter what the addiction, I can relate to everyone on this forum by looking for similarities rather than differences.
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I’ve been really trying to curb my shopping little by little… But the holiday deals will be here and it’s so hard to resist.
I grew up with necessities…and that’s about it. Loving, hardworking parents who started too young and fought to stretch a pay check. As an adult, I vowed to never “run out” of anything. On top of that, I feel like buying things makes me feel powerful. Yikes, that’s a tough admission.
I wonder what the best way is to approach this battle, beyond the changes I’ve made. Don’t say the “b” (bxdget) word. I’ll surely go into a tailspin.
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I’m currently struggling with this. I found an article online that had a few helpful suggestions. It’s hard and it can be an addiction. I grew up in a very wealthy neighborhood, but my parents did now want us to be spoiled, so we got $100 a year for school clothes. So, socks and underwear never made the cut. It was a humiliating experience because these rich mofo’s were cruel.
So, I tend to over shop and hoard things I’m afraid of running out of. I spent a lot of years very broke when I was in college as a single mother. We couldn’t really afford to eat or anything.
I can’t explain what comes over me, but it’s almost like panic. I talk to my therapist about it as it’s become really out of control again. I already had my plan by the time I brought it up.
One thing that has been a little helpful is deleting all my shopping apps, remove all credit card info from the two apps I kept (Amazon and instacart) and I also deleted them from my browser’s autofill. I now only use my visa debit cards. If I don’t have the cash, I don’t make the purchase. They also recommended cutting up your cards. I’m probably going to do that after I travel. I need to feel like I have emergency backup. Ayyyy
The hardest part is differentiating between want and need. I can manipulate myself into thinking I need something.
The article said to ask family members for help and even asking if they can temporarily take over your finances. I would actually do this in a heartbeat if I had someone who was willing 
Happy to be an accountability partner if you want. I think I’ve made it about two weeks now
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oh was can i ask a few questions if you don’t mind
i have problems with substance abuse if you want to ask me questions
I have bought unnecessary things before.
I try to control it more now by considering if I actually need the item Vs do I just “want” it.
Also consider the environmental impact of the purchases… I find it funny when I am drawn to purchase something like a cute lunch box or a tea towel with pictures of wildlife on (for example) … By mindlessly purchasing I’m actually buying into a world which destroys these animals habitats… This has stopped me from making a lot of recent purchases.