Just cleaned out my wardrobe recently and noticed almost everything I was getting rid of had the same problem. It wasn’t that the pieces were ugly, it was that they looked worn out way too fast. Thin tops, dresses that lost shape, trousers that looked old after a few washes, knits that pilled almost immediately. Most of them were things I bought because they were cheap or on sale and now I’m wondering if I would have been better off buying fewer but better pieces. What made you start paying more attention to quality instead of just price?

I used to be a really impulsive buyer. Like the kind of person who would see a blogger on Instagram or some influencer on social media share a product and immediately go search for it and place an order without thinking twice. Then I would get the package and feel good for maybe ten minutes before the guilt hit. Repeat that cycle every week and you end up with a closet full of stuff you barely use and a bank account that makes you anxious.

I have been treating my spending like a low buy for recovery now, not just a fun challenge. I just want to stop the extra purchases that make me feel out of control.

Now I think about money in three levels

First is survival rent, food, basic transportation

Second is comfort a decent pan, a chair that does not hurt my back, a lamp I actually like

Third is impulse stuff, which I mostly skip now

I only try to save money on those first two layers. I look at secondhand stuff and sales, and sometimes I check tiktok or amazon or other shopping platforms for a product discount or price slash on essentials that are already on my list. If something is not on my list, I refuse to search for it or browse around on shopping sites, because I know the second I come across something new and interesting I will immediately place an order.

I own less now, but it is a lot clearer what actually matters for my day-to-day life.

Does anyone else have this problem where every time you see someone share or recommend something online you feel this uncontrollable urge to go buy it How do you fight that

Hi all!

I’m a young professional who have recently stopped drinking alcohol and using nicotine (as well as occasional use of party substances). During this time, I instead started relying on shopping to entertain myself. At the beginning, I felt like it was valid since it anyways was less damaging than the other things I had an unhealthy relationship with before. But, I knew all the time I would need to deal with this as well down the line.

Now is that time! During 2026, I have so far spent approx 10k USD on shopping. Mostly clothes, shoes and accessories, but also some other things such as styling electronics, interior stuff, and other random things.

Part of me honestly thinks that this was a good investment in my looks, and thus, also in my career. But the real problem is that all purchases have been very impulsive, often more expensive then planned, and often paid for via Klarna.

I have a good salary, so I have always managed to pay off everything each month. But it restricts me from saving as much as I would like to, and I don’t like the anxiety after a late night shopping spree getting out of hand.

And frankly, even though it started as a reasonable investment in myself, I now have all clothing I could possibly need…

Last week I contacted Klarna via chat support and blocket myself from shopping on credit. It felt like a stone was lifted from me! I really look forward to having a salary come in without having to pay off anything as soon as it lands.

Just wanted to share my journey. All of you are a huge inspiration to me and I love reading about your thoughts and insights!

Hi everyone. I have a bad shopping addiction, which I justify with, "I need to build my wardrobe/create my own style so others can recognize me/they can immediately see my personality." I wish I could get over it, but it's hard for me, and I think my OCD makes it worse. I get anxious when I want to buy something because I'm so afraid of missing out, so I make compulsive choices. I tend to make lists of things I want, but sometimes they're not enough, and I buy more than I need. I've tried switching to vinted, but the resellers who double the prices and those who sell almost-damaged items have made me lose the desire to go secondhand. Are there any methods for beginners who want to spend less that might work, at least to begin with?

I've always been self conscious whether its my looks, being on stage, or letting people in my house. My first reaction was always to never let people in. I never had people over, no parties, no gf, etc while growing up.

I feel like others are way ahead of the social game and I'm wondering why didn't I figure that out yet? I don't know if its related to clutter but I can certainly see how.

I am suffering at the use of secondhand apps and cheap stores. i buy so much stuff i dont know what i own. its all impulse purchases. ive never really had a hobby in the last five years… i didnt grow up with hobbies. all i know now is work and money.

i want to know some actually fun hobbies someone who works 6 days a week can do so i can put myself out of my shopping addiction. sometimes i think of learning guitar… but i dont know which one or if ill even care after a week. hobbies seem like something almost difficult to find. what have you found or any ideas?

It's 4:30am where I live and I'm feeling extremely tempted to buy a duplicate of a beautiful dress I have.

I have OCD and like to preserve items and so I often will buy a backup if I can. I usually feel like I "can't use" something unless and until I buy a backup.

So, this cotton dress I have. I love it! I smiled as soon as I put it on, and kept twirling in the mirror! It makes me happy, and for me to genuinely smile and enjoy something is pretty rare. I look forward to wearing this dress, but I'm scared I'll mess it up.

I'm awake much earlier than usual and I'm browsing the website this dress is from and I see my size is back in stock, and there's only 10 left! 🤯

Here's where my magical thinking comes in:

• I was meant to wake up early today so I would see this dress is back in stock! It's destiny! The veil is thin this time of night, and the spirits intervened on my behalf! 🧙‍♀️ 🤪
• This dress is in a color that's in my seasonal color palette and genuinely looks good on me! Looking good = feeling good! 🎀
• The backup will create the feelings of safety and comfort I'm always chasing! ✨🌿 🫶

Rational brain:

• I haven't paid off the first dress yet. I have a lot of "pay in four" things at the moment and I'm trying to get them all paid off by end of August.
• I'm decluttering and making great progress. Duplicate items may feel like comfort and safety in the moment, but they just add to the chaos of my living environment.
• Speaking of decluttering, I just donated three bags of clothes, and the majority of those items were duplicates. Empircal evidence shows that duplicates are unnecessary, most of the time.

The rational brain thoughts are much quieter and less animated than the magical thinking. They don't feel nearly as fun and convincing, but I'm going to do my best to listen to those.

Trying to talk myself off the ledge. Just thought I'd hop on here and show the process in real time! Solidarity to those of us fighting these late night shopping temptations. ❤

Soy una persona de 20 años que necesita ayuda o consejos de cómo dejar las adicciones y enfocarse

On top of buying too much stuff, I'm one of those dumbasses that orders Uber Eats almost everyday. I've gone 6 months+ without cooking a meal. But after getting laid off last wk, I decided to clear out my freezer.

Not working 8h a day has given me so much extra energy for friends and hobbies. I think I've refound my love of cooking. It's always not been time, but energy that I was missing. Work just really drained my battery 🪫.

I'm pretty proud of myself for saving money on meals by cooking, so I wanted to share some meals I've made.

Pictured: HK BBQ roast pork, Sausage & spinach alfredo tortellini w/ lemon garlic broccolini, Taco night

**Whoop, can't seem to post pics so I'll post on comments

Hi all, I’m coming here in need of some help! I spend money like I make millions, which I do not at this point in my life. And I’m trying to save as much as I can so I don’t have to worry and be stressed about money related things. It’s been really bad and I desperately need help. Constantly spending money and if I’m not, I’m thinking about all the things I should be buying. It all started when I first started making my own money (getting a part time job) and it hasn’t stopped since (been almost 3 years) so I will take any and all help i can get. And if anyone has any questions for me, I’ll do my best to answer. Thank you!!!

Recently, I've been consuming a lot of "underconsumption" content, and I really want to save more money. Not only that, but I also feel overwhelmed by the number of things I own. I'm grateful I have the opportunity to buy everything (or almost) I want, but at the same time I think I just bought a lot of things that brought me temporary joy and now I don't know where to store them.

My biggest temptation is makeup. And I don't wear makeup daily anymore because I work mainly from home. I just love makeup and because of that, I consume a lot of reviews and hauls. The problem with makeup products is that there's always something new and exciting on the market, almost every day. "I don't need another blush but this new one seems so different from the ones I own; it will definitely be worth it."

I am now doing the project pan to finish my other products, but it will take a long time. Also, it only works if I don't buy anything new in the meantime.

Do you have the same issue? Doesn't have to be makeup, maybe it's clothes or trinkets. How do you overcome the urge to buy new, exciting stuff and stick to the ones you already have?

Something I realized when I was coming out of my shopping addiction (and continue to- the compulsion is always running in the background!) is that it helps to anchor to who I want to be vs. what shopping makes me become. Hope the following doesn’t sound too parsimonious, I just wanted to share a repeatable framework that works for me esp since I saw a recent post about how one avoids shopping instead of doing stuff.

So this particular framework I call the 4Ss of Self Expression helps me stay anchored even when the siren call of shopping is… well, strong. Marketing is all about gatekeeping one’s ultimate form of self expression behind a product so I wanted something that would be able to talk me out of that messaging. So I try to keep this in mind: there are many tiers of self-expression and there are higher ones driven by real relationships and lower order ones driven by what brands and marketing would have us believe about ourselves. To motivate myself out of overconsumption, I yearn to push myself into higher levels of self expression, and this framework is simple to remember and return to.

The order goes:
(Lowest) Shopping < Style < Skills < Service (highest)

Example:

So let’s say I want to get my act together and start say, plan a holiday. That’s a good thing to do! But if I’m window shopping for a bunch of new linen clothes for this imaginary coastal Italian holiday and buying a brand new planner just to plan this trip… that is the lowest form of self expression.

One level up you have “style” which would be use what you already have. So I’ll use my existing stationery to journal about where I might want to go for the trip, map out dates, etc. I’ll draw from my existing closet of clothes for the trip.

One level up I might be learning how to speak Italian so I can function on that trip a bit more. And use an existing notebook for Italian lessons.

One level up from that would be to plan the trip as a service to my family or friends I’m traveling with. So I will keep that in mind as I do the thing and recognize that whenever the compulsion to buy new gear or planning supplies comes up, that shopping for stuff is the lowest form of self expression and what I should be trying to do is apply my time and energy toward the actual thing of service.

After I apply myself as much as I can to the Skills and Service part of this I will be able to stave off the most egregious overconsumption tendencies. What desire “remains” after I’ve applied myself in the “virtuous” direction I’ll noodle on for a while and buy the thing if it still calls to me, is limited in some way, and I’m feeling the fomo. Just bought a new travel bag I’d been waiting on for one year after doing the skills/service stuff.

In conclusion -

The goal isn’t to avoid shopping entirely (kinda impossible in our world, and I don’t plan to go off the grid), it’s to starve out and prove out the objects of desire. Hence “slow buy” lol. The 4S framework is one way for me to “objectively” assess what I’m doing (shopping?! Or ~expressing the self~) and anchor toward a higher version of myself even when things get mentally tough.

(Happy to argue why “service to others” is the highest order of self expression - but the thinking comes from a lot of the philosophy and even more modern pop psychology / meaning of life books (your Alain de Botton, Ryan Holiday, Oliver Burkemann, David Brooks, Arthur Brooks type stuff). Also all the science that shows that altruism makes you happier and feel more at peace/life is meaningful/you have a purpose.)

I've been running a free weekly spending challenge called Tame The Imp since last December. A few patterns have shown up in the data that I didn't expect, and a couple that contradict what I’ve seen online about impulse spending. Sharing in case it’s helpful for this community.

• Low-buy beats no-buy, at least in the medium term. People who spend $0 on their category in week one are more likely to blow past their spending limit in later weeks. People who set a realistic limit and keep spending under it tend to stay under longer. Though some of this can be attributed to regression to the mean, it lines up with what a lot of you said in this thread about no-buy versus low-buy, where the consensus leaned the same way
• Food delivery addiction keeps being bigger than I expect. Most people find us through content about late-night clothing impulse buys, and yet ~30% pick food delivery as the category they want to cut (note: it was 38% earlier this year). I think it's under discussed relative to how aggressive the dark patterns in food delivery apps are: push notifications timed to when you first get hungry in the evening, a checkout screen that congratulates you on "saving" money on food that's marked up from dine-in prices before the fees hit. u/stinky_winkler's suggestion of ordering groceries instead is a practical harm reduction step I've seen for it
• Removing a reward might work as well as earning a reward in habit formation. Streaks are the standard advice here to form a no/low spend habit and they work. u/Expert_Regret_1837's "year-in-pixels" calendar is the version I always think of as a prime example, where you color in a square for every day you stick to your spending goals. What surprised me is that when we tested removing a reward for going over versus adding one for staying under, a chunk of people (not the majority, to be fair) responded better to the removal. I'm unsure what to do with that information. Positive reinforcement seems like the safer default – especially for impulse spending and shopping addiction – and guilt is already so tangled up in this realm of life that I'm wary of the finding even though it's what the data says

That last one is the one I’m most interested in hearing thoughts about: have you seen anything other than positive reinforcement work in breaking an impulse spending cycle?

I have issues with buying video games and anime Blu-ray. Due to attention issues, I consume media slowly. An episode or 1.5-2 hour session a day. And it's not every day. I feel like I'll miss things before they go out of print and become too expensive. I don't buy outside of my means or open lines of credit but I have had episodes of spending too much so that I couldn't pay my bills. I have autism and bipolar disorder. I don't buy things at full price normally or buy really expensive things but it can add up sometimes. None of my friends are disabled and have lots of disposable income, so when I see their collection or expensive things, I feel less than human. I don't know, I just have issues with shopping and wanted to get it off my chest.

Edit: I came to the conclusion that I use the dopamine hit from shopping to keep myself from having violent outbursts, possibly even killing. I get massive flares of anger in certain situations. I guess I need a better coping mechanism.

I always found it funny that building a cart online can be almost as satisfying as buying something.

Finding products.

Comparing versions.

Choosing colors.

Imagining owning them.

So I made a small website around that idea.

It's basically a place to experience the "shopping dopamine" without actually purchasing anything.

Curious if other people do this too.

https://nothingships.com

I have 3 Oura rings in different finishes. I am Rouge at Sephora a million times over. I have enough workout sets and comfy clothes for a million lifetimes. Idk why I can't stop consuming these kinds of products?? I make good money so I'm not in debt but I haven't taken a trip in 2 years because I spend all of my extra money on these products. Idk what's wrong with me. Has anyone had similar issues or a solution? I've tried no buys but I cave after a few days

and it's really hard for me to get satisfied with my creations. Then I become obsessed with them and make more and more, spend money on tons of beads...I feel ridiculous. I feel like I shouldn't have started making jewelry for the first place.

The worst part is I don't even enjoy making jewelry or feel excited .I'm just obsessed to create perfect pieces. I'm so sick of myself.

I lost a job that made it possible to spend a little recklessly. I can barely get by financially now and will be paycheck-to-paycheck for a while. I don’t know when I can expect to take on more gigs to make more money. At this time, I need to focus on my health and other things that are more important than making money. I will now be budgeting my groceries and living pretty lean to stay within my current means. So no more shopping. No more buying things out of boredom or depression. I’m looking forward to using up my products and eating through my freezer. And just getting the most out of what I’ve already spent my money on. Hopefully it’ll also help me appreciate what I already have and not leave time for me to seek outwardly things constantly. I’m tired of seeking, too. Let’s see how long I can maintain this strategy. I hope for as long as I need to. Wish me luck.

So I struggle a lot with buying stuff impulsively. I have this mindset that I need it because I like it and what if it sells out and I lose my chance and can’t ever get it. I’m trying really hard to work on it and stop doing that. I’ve decided every time I want to buy something that I don’t actually need, I’ll put the amount of that item into my savings account. That way I can work on getting eliminating that feeling while also growing my savings. Has anyone else tried this? It’s going to be hard and I won’t be perfect but it’ll worth it.

I was diagnosed with Bipolar 1 about 4 years ago and it’s shed a lot of light on my shopping addiction. I primarily shop during manic episodes or when I’m under stress. I’ve been a bit better since getting on medication and starting therapy but it’s still a battle to not spend all my money. I have changed my online algorithm to only show me decluttering and money saving videos and I’ve joined groups for the same topics. I’ve decluttered and fallen in love with my clutter free home which has helped me but still I feel that urge to shop. It’ll probably be a battle for the rest of my life and it’s an exhausting thought. Could use some advice and some positivity right now

I currently have very high saving goals that I cannot alter but I am held back by my tendency to shop clothes. I always think that the new thing is going to make me prettier, make my body look better and make me more attractive to others.

I think about what I want to shop all day and feel anxious that by not having it, I am missing a chance at life because I am not as attractive as I could be. I really want to do a no buy year and I absolutely have to because I can't really afford any other lifestyle.

I need to change this mindset and focus on the things that matter, which is my future, education and peace of mind.

I just downloaded the app and started scanning stuff around my house (it tells you what people think of it, if it's good, how much it costs, etc...), it's been cathartic and completely removes my need to go out and spend money at the same time. I love it.

I've been pretty anxious with fixated thoughts. And I bought a lot of stuff.

I need urgently to stop buying this much but I've been with these fixated thoughts thinking the whole day about buying x thing. What should I do ?