When your things are scattered around or tucked away out of sight, you might get the impression that you’re missing something, when actually you own five of that thing already.

5 easy ways to deal with difficult people

Know your weaknesses

Knowing how much you are spending and which stores you spend the most money at (ie which to avoid even walking into!) can help curb your spending. It’s easy to do with technology; you can keep track of your expenses with helpful apps such as Quicken, Monefy, or Money Lover.

If you are seriously considering if you need to sign up for Shopaholics Anonymous, you might also find it useful to keep a journal where you note the reason you shopped every time you buy something. Was it an advertisement on your Instagram feed, an email you received from a brand you subscribe to, or because you were hanging out with a shopping buddy? You might need to take a break from these things when you’re trying to not to spend.

You should also keep note of internal triggers that cause you to shop. Maybe you were bored that day, or stressed. The next time you catch yourself wanting to shop to distract yourself from a problem, think of something else you can do that will make you feel better, such as listening to music or inviting a friend over to watch a movie.

Don’t make it easy to shop

It may take some time to identify your habits and weaknesses, but another way to prevent yourself from shopping is to, quite simply, carry less cash.

You may also need to also keep your credit or debit cards locked up somewhere at home, or better yet, give it to a trusted partner or parent for safekeeping. That way, you can’t just sneak your cards out of your hiding place, when you’re tempted to buy something. Tell your card-keeper to only give you your card if you need it for real emergencies – that does NOT include sales.

Another good tip is to remove your card details and billing address if they’ve been saved on websites you shop at regularly.

Lay down some rules

If your desire to shop always seems to get the best of you, you may need to lay down some strict rules to help you maintain self-discipline, especially when you’re feeling emotionally or mentally weak.

First rule: decide and write down an amount of money you want to save, and more importantly, why you want to save. Set a weekly or monthly budget and stick it up somewhere you can see it every day.

The second rule that really helps is the “one in, one out” rule, where you donate an item to charity or a friend every time you buy something new. That way you will feel a loss every time you shop, which can make you do it less.

Another idea is to give yourself a day to think about buying an item before you actually do. Toronto illustrator Sara Lazarovic has a “Buyerarchy of Needs” from her book A Bunch of Pretty Things I Did Not Buy (Google it), which advises people to first use what they have, or borrow, swap, thrift, or make, before they buy something new.

Use mindfulness

You'd be surprised at how much you can spend without even thinking about it. Today's world of "contactless transactions" is perfectly geared towards you giving up your hard earned cash by mentally converting it into abstract figures. So think about it.

Start with using cash. The act of exchanging hard currency is more of a sensory reminder that you are giving away something that belongs to you.

Then ask yourself if what you are about to buy will make you happy. Does this object matter to you right now? Humans are natural predators, hardwired to hunt and revelling in the success of the kill. Shopping is our modern form of hunting. We get a momentary thrill, but it never lasts. What is it you really, really want?

 

Reward yourself for good behaviour

If you do manage to stick to your goals and save the amount you set out to save, don’t forget to reward yourself. But do it without spending money. Here are five ideas to try:

• Make time to take a walk in special surroundings that will uplift your spirits. Even better if you have a special someone to walk with you.
• Give yourself a "duvet day" where you get to slop around at home in yer onesie, watching Netflix and munching your favourite popcorn.
• Set aside some time to read something you've been meaning to read for ages.
• Work on your gratitude diary. If by some bizarre turn of events you don't have a gratitude diary, start one right now, thank us later.
• Check out what's on in the neighbourhood and find something you want to go to. Preferably not one involving things for sale.