by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFA
At a seminar today, a woman desperate to take control over her finances confessed that her worst shopping trigger was depression. Whether she was feeling lonely, overworked, fat, poor, or just blue in general, the only way she could cheer herself up was through shopping. While this may sound ludicrous to some, her problem is far from uncommon.
When everything else goes wrong, we reason, can I at least have a Dior lipstick? And for many of us, shopping does create a buzz not all that different from a glass of wine or a divine bar of chocolate. We do feel better, as owners of that gorgeous lipstick that makes us look so special. But just as with any short term high, the problem is, when the warm fuzzy feeling disappears we are worse off than we were before. Because the next time we are feeling lonely/overworked/far/poor/blue, we need to add to the equation that we are also in debt.
In a way, shopping to cure depression can be compared to drinking to cure depression. Sure, our chances for liver failure are significantly smaller, but credit card debt can be a major hassle – and make you feel a whole lot worse. There are other ways to cheer up and lose those gloomy feelings: exercise, spending time with friends, meditation, choosing better foods, etc., etc. – and these are things that will help you in the long term as well. Next time, opt for one of those.
