How To Stop Online Shopping Addiction

Online shopping addiction, also called compulsive online shopping, is a behavioural addiction that entails an overwhelming urge to make online purchases, leading to significant distress or problems with daily functioning. Those who experience it often go through a repetitive cycle of craving, purchasing, and subsequent remorse – as is often true for other behavioural addictions. And just like other addictions, tis addiction can have very serious consequences financially, but also for relationships. This in turn can create worry, stress, guilt, and fear, affecting mental health. So it’s important to understand causes of online shopping addiction so we you can also learn how to stop online shopping. This in turn can help maintain financial stability and overall wellbeing. This article aims to explore how to stop online shopping addiction and provides practical ways that you can regain control over spending habits and your life. It’s about understanding that no problem, even an addiction like this, is insurmountable. With the right information at your disposal, you can learn, not just how to stop buying online in theory, but actual practical ways to curb this addiction.

Online Shopping Rates Soar

Why do we even need to write an article about how to stop online shopping? It’s because there has been a marked increase in online shopping globally. For example, at the time of writing, Britons are spending nearly 9% of their annual income online. This means we beat the Americans, and French – spending around 50% more online, than they do. Indeed it’s very convenient to spend in this way, online shops are highly accessible and recent world events likely contributed to the change in shopping habits.  So why do we need to know how to quit online shopping? It’s because of the convenience that it has become problematic. Yes convenience is helpful, but also a hindrance. And maybe you don’t want to stop per se, but if you want to understand how to control online shopping addiction, then read on. ​

The Psychology of Shopping Online

Before we discuss how to stop compulsive online shopping, let’s understand what’s going on underneath – the psychological factors that make online shopping appealing. For instance, there’s the feeling of instant gratification that we receive. This taps into the brain’s reward pathways, releasing the neurotransmitter dopamine, which makes us feel good too. Then there’s the ease at which we can make purchases. To add to the mix, we also have companies personalising their marketing to target us and this can do what it’s intended to; trigger impulsive buying behaviours.​ This makes it even more important to be on guard, because there is so much temptation out there, tailored just for us. And another important thing to consider as a motivator for how to stop online shopping addiction is the way it affects us emotionally as well. There are numerous studies that have found that excessive online shopping can lead to feelings of anxiety and exhaustion. There’s also the low mood it creates, as well as the impact on relationships and financial problems, which also has a knock on affect for wellbeing. Shopping addiction isn’t as simple when we peel back the pretty packaging, it’s a behavioural issue that can be affected by our emotions, and affect them in turn.

Tips on How to Stop Online Shopping

Inspect Your Urges

So how to stop shopping addiction online? You have to look at your urges. The only way that you’ll be able to identify what your emotional triggers are when it comes to online shopping is to reflect on what leads you to act. Ask yourself; When I look back at my recently purchased items, what was I feeling, was I bored, stressed, or something else? When you know what kind of emotional state(s) are the causes of online shopping addiction, you will be able to look into strategies that can help you to manage these kinds of feelings so that you don’t have to use shopping to cope. This can help you learn how to avoid online shopping addiction in a way that is very specific to you and your urges. An additional benefit of this is that instead of the uncontrollable urge to shop, you will instead regain control. You will likely also feel good because you have reduced the excessive spending that accompanies compulsive buying disorder. And then there is the way taking control can minimise feelings of guilt, anxiety, and any other mental health conditions you tend to experience as a result of addictive shopping.

Delete Shopping Apps

A very simple way to learn how to stop online shopping is to make it less accessible. This of course is easier said than done but if you think about it, removing shopping apps from your devices can help reduce temptation and make it harder for you to make impulsive purchases because you no longer have the apps so conveniently available to you. To make it even more effective, deactivate any accounts you hold with the places you normally shop with, make it so that even if you were to reinstall an app, you would also have the hassle of registering all over again. These kinds of simple steps offer one practical approach in how to quit online shopping. You may also need to block certain websites so that you can’t access the places that you normally like to shop at. If you’re not feeling able to do this, then maybe restrict the time you allow yourself to be on these websites – as a start. These kinds of settings can be changed using apps or extensions, or though your firewall provider. If you find these things to be a struggle, then you may be experiencing signs of a shopping addiction.

Unsubscribe From Emails

Another way how to stop spending money online shopping is to unsubscribe from promotional emails that encourage you to spend. These unnecessarily tempt you into spending, making it harder to control the urge. ​By unsubscribing to these marketing tactics, you can minimise online shopping addiction by instantly reducing your exposure to tempting offers, aimed to draw you in. Because once you click on that email, you’re likely already past the point of being able to control the situation. Furthermore, by unsubscribing from promotional emails, you can help in managing and ultimately, overcoming online shopping addiction because you remove exposure to emails that are crafted to entice you with personalised offers and limited-time deals. These emails are designed to exploit consumers by using psychological triggers to prompt immediate purchases. By removing these constant temptations from your inbox, you create a more controlled environment, reducing the likelihood of impulsive buying. And then there’s the digital space you create by decluttering your inbox, which can offer mental headspace, and some distance from the preoccupation with spending. It may also be helpful to opt out of marketing communications at the point of sale to prevent future influxes of promotional content. This proactive approach can help you feel more in control.

Forget Your E-Wallet

This one is quite simple in ways but also difficult to implement due to the inconvenience – but that’s the point. If you really want a way how to control online shopping addiction then something that can help is to forget your E-Wallet. This entails removing saved payment information from your Google account. This means you create a pause before completing a purchase. People often talk about how being able to tap a card on a machine has made it so they don’t think about the actual money they spend when they shop, they just “tap, tap, tap”. This is because they’re not dealing with a limited supply of actual cash. In a similar way, when we mindlessly click, click, click when making purchases online, we remove the need to think of the money we’re parting with. What if instead, you had to enter your card information every time you want to buy? This makes it less impulsive. Especially if your card is not quick to hand. In this time, you can also write down a few questions to ask yourself before you get your card. For instance; “Do I need this?” This could be a simple and deliberately inconvenient way to help you learn how to avoid online shopping addiction.

Create a List of Must-Haves

Another helpful way how to stop online shopping is to think about what you need and want and create two lists for these. You can easily do this. Start by making a list of necessary items before shopping and this will quickly show you that anything you’re tempted to buy that is outside this list, is a want, not a need. By doing this, you can stay focused and avoid impulse buys that you may just want in the moment, because they look nice, as they’re designed to. If you find this hard, create a written ‘wants’ list and make yourself earn the wants. This creates a sense of earning what you want and a thinking through process, rather than a stimulus-response situation, which is how it is ​when we’re thinking about how to get rid of online shopping addiction. This strategy is practical and and means you do not necessarily feel deprived of things you want – it’s just more controlled. This also means you can enjoy spending without the financial strain, worry, and guilt. Essentially, you can go from online shopping addiction to intentional, deliberate, and earned purchasing.

Don’t Scroll Through Social Media Before Bed

Did you know that if you browse late at night, you may be more susceptible to impulsive shopping? This is because as the day goes by, we generally become more mentally fatigued, making us less likely to exercise self-discipline because we have less self-control. This makes us more susceptible to spontaneous buying decisions without thorough consideration which is important to know when you’re trying to understand how to stop shopping addiction online. Then there’s the shrewd online retailers and platforms that schedule promotional emails and ads for the evening hours because this is when most have more down time and retailers capitalise on users’ relaxed states. This means we are tempted whilst we’re more vulnerable to it – a perfect equation for impulsive purchases – for retailers anyway! Then we have our emotions. In the evening we might be feeling stressed because of the day’s events, or maybe just bored. Shopping can serve as a coping mechanism, offering short term relief or gratification. So it’s important to recognise your vulnerabilities and patterns when it comes to late-night browsing and impulsive shopping so you can strategise and minimise unnecessary spending. For example, setting specific online activity times or removing shopping apps from devices during evening hours. This is more likely going to help you succeed when it comes to how to get rid of online shopping addiction.

Connect Your Bank Account to a Budget App

Another way how to stop online shopping is by using budgeting apps. Budgeting apps are essentially digital tools that offer real-time tracking of your spending. They also help users categorise their spending and identify patterns that may contribute to financial strain. For example, you may notice you spend a lot on recreation because you like to socialise, but there are ways to socialise that don’t have to add up financially and it may be about splurging some of the time, not all of the time. These apps can also help you set personalised financial goals and monitor your progress. For example, you could set a budget of say, £200 a month on outings with friends and as you start to approach the limit, the app can be set to send you an alert so that you can plan more optimally for the rest of the month. This creates conscious awareness and fosters accountability, encouraging more deliberate spending choices. Some apps can also helpfully provide insights into spending habits, helping you recognise triggers for impulsive purchases and develop healthier spending habits. By using technology like this in your daily routine, you can not only curb unnecessary expenses, but also promote longer term financial and emotional wellbeing.

Audit Your Closet

It’s also helpful to think about reviewing the things we actually possess. This is important for those who shop a lot because often times, we can lose sight of what we have, and many people who have problems with spending will often possess multiple similar items. By auditing your existing possessions, you can firstly recognise that you have what you do and then learn to appreciate what you have. This may also highlight the things you don’t need to buy so you avoid repeat purchases. If you do this on a fairly routine basis, you practice a helpful way how to avoid online shopping addiction. This is because you will reduce the desire for new purchases as you notice that you already have similar ones in your closet. But it’s not just about knowing what you have, but also knowing how many of each item you have. Why? Because, subconsciously, we can feel overwhelmed if our living spaces are overly cluttered so when you notice you have lots of pairs of jeans, or the same top in different colours, you might feel deterred from adding to them. In fact, you may even want to reduce them. By taking this kind of approach to what you do have, you can stop online shopping addiction.

Set Saving Goals

So what else can help you learn how to stop online shopping? Setting very specific financial objectives. How? It’s a bit like what was touched on before with the budgeting apps. If you create a category in the app, or open a separate savings bank account and set a minimum saving amount for each month, you can motivate yourself to spend less because you have a savings target. This might mean that you divide your monthly income by first prioritising your monthly bills and food, then based on what is left, you might set a target of saving 50% or 25% of what’s left​. This immediately tells you what you have to work with in terms of spending and can assist in how to stop shopping addiction online because you think of your savings pot, like you think of your bills – a priority. Over time, as you see your savings pot grow, you will likely feel more encouraged and motivated to spend less and save more because it feels rewarding to see the pot grow and also plan what you might use it for (something you need or feel would benefit your life in a significant way, rather than in the shorter term).

Find Cheaper Rewards

Another way to prevent emotional and financial distress is to find other activities to fill your time, so that you’re not engaging in shopping sprees, online or otherwise. There are plenty of things we can enjoy and feel satisfied with that don’t involve a vice. It’s just about trying to figure out what that might be and often it’s not the case that there’s nothing else we can enjoy, rather, we just don’t know what we could enjoy. When’s the last time you looked at what’s going on in your area? Or maybe finding a hiking group, or some other activity. But, the main thing is, you can learn to find emotionally fulfilling things to do that don’t involve spending money, or too much. For example, you might start a book club with family members which will likely take up your time and be mentally and socially stimulating, if this or hiking don’t do it for you, it could be board games, or music or film nights with people who enjoy the same things. There are lots of ways how to avoid online shopping addiction and find enjoyment, you just have to be willing to try.

Seek Professional Support

It’s quite possible that you’ve tried many of the suggestions in this article and maybe succeeded for a time, but here you are again. If this is the case, then it may be helpful to seek a mental health professional, if online shopping addiction persists. Remember, when it comes to how to stop online shopping addiction, we are dealing with a compulsive shopping addiction so it may be necessary to address underlying issues, rather than just trying practical ways to deal with the problem. For some, support groups can be a great resource as they can help us feel understood, rather than judged – but this may only take you so far. If you want to effectively manage how to stop an online shopping addiction, you may instead benefit from some focused one-to-one therapy and a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) approach. This will allow you to understand your addiction cycle, taking account of thoughts, feelings, behaviours, and essentially your triggers. With a therapist you can learn how to break the vicious cycle of addiction and replace it with a healthier behaviour, one that makes you feel more in control of the issue and in general. If you need help with this, we are here to support you so please feel free to book a consultation today.

Final Thoughts

Shopping addiction should not be treated any less seriously than other forms of addiction. It is a legitimate problem that can have real world consequences for those affected by it. This is why it is important to recognise and address it if it impacts you. Do consider trying the strategies discussed in this article because they are aimed to help you regain control over your spending habits. Furthermore, we have offered a variety of things you can try, which means you have a multi-pronged approach at your disposal. But do remember, if you’re still struggling to take control, then there’s strength in confronting the problem with the help of a therapist. Remember, you have to live your life, you have to endure the burdens that come with this kind of addiction. So, if you need to take the crucial step of seeking support toward financial and emotional wellbeing, do it today, your life will be richer for it – in more ways than one.