September 9, 2013 by Debbie Roes

Why Do You Overshop?

As I mentioned previously, I am working through the exercises in “To Buy or Not to Buy: Why We Overshop and How to Stop” by April Lane Benson, Ph.D. Periodically, I will share some of these exercises on the blog. I won’t share them all, but I will post key exercises I feel will have the greatest impact for my readers.

Today’s post is the first in a series that will stretch at least through the end of 2013, and perhaps longer. I will continue to write about other topics here as well, as I like to keep things varied and interesting for both my readers and myself. Yet I feel the exercises in Dr. Benson’s book will be highly beneficial toward my personal recovery from compulsive shopping – and yours as well.

Do you understand why you shop too much?

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August 26, 2013 by Debbie Roes

On Conscious Shopping, Powerful Questions, and Avoiding Returns

As I mentioned in my “Friends, Shopping, and Telling the Truth” post last week, I recently went shopping with a friend. While I wrote about my hesitancy in telling this particular friend – a fellow shopaholic – about my blog, I didn’t share anything else about that shopping experience.

Today’s post covers how I shopped, what I bought, and my process for deciding whether to keep or return one particular item. My hope is that my process will help you when wrestling with a similar decision.

Confession Time – I Bought Four Things

Do you feel anxiety after you’ve bought something?

In truth, I did buy a few things (four) when I shopped with my friend. While I felt good about three of these purchases (two short cardigans and a moto-style jacket – photos in my accountability post next week), I experienced quite a bit of anxiety and indecision regarding the fourth. I’ll get to that in a minute, but first I’d like to share my shopping process, as it was different than what I’ve done in the past.

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August 19, 2013 by Debbie Roes

Feelings Before, During, and After Shopping

In this blog, I write about both the practical and psychological aspects of compulsive shopping, as I believe both areas are important in terms of our recovery. Thus far, I’ve written far more about the practical aspects, such as wardrobe management, accountability, shopping tips, and the Project 333 minimalist fashion challenge.

While I will continue to write about these topics, I’d like to start delving more into the psychology of why we overshop and how we can stop. In doing so, I will often refer to Dr. April Benson’s book, “To Buy or Not to Buy.”

Mood Patterns of Ordinary vs. Compulsive Buyers

How do you feel before, during, and after you shop?

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August 16, 2013 by Debbie Roes

Avoiding the 3 Most Common August Shopping Mistakes

What are the 3 Most Common Mistakes?

Are you struggling with summer sales temptations?

There is a lot of pressure to shop during the month of August. End-of-season sales, back-to-school deals, and the fall fashion push all come together to create a “perfect storm” for overshopping. While many people feel compelled to shop this time of year, we are all prone to these three very common shopping mistakes:

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August 12, 2013 by Debbie Roes

Compulsive Shopping Audio Resources

In today’s post, I share some excellent audio resources on the topics of compulsive shopping, fashion ethics, and wardrobe minimalism. Most of these resources can be easily downloaded and listened to while you are driving, exercising, or doing other activities.