For some people, shopping is therapeutic. They Shop To destress, deal with anger issues, etc, etc. But do people waste money buying things they don't need only when they are feeling blue? A friend of mine got some good news last week and first thing he did was start planning how he was going to celebrate. He hadn't planned for this but thought he should reward himself because something good had happened. This IMHO, is a lot worse than impulse shopping because one feels they deserve a reward. Question: do any of you at all times, regardless of what happens [good or bad], spend only the money you planned to? Or are you a little more flexible, making changes to your budget as you go?
I think it's less emotions and more how we're conditioned to celebrate by spending money. We're groomed to "reward" ourselves whenever anything good happens. Got a raise? Go spend it. Your child graduated? Give them money to spend. Buy them a car. Anniversary? You don't love them if you don't buy them diamonds. Check out the tipping thread.. some people feel pressured, others don't.. but I bet those who don't feel pressured still spend when it's completely unnecessary because it's the way they were raised. It's just how it is. When it comes to spending impulsively, or on things we just don't need.. the current emotions obviously play a part, but it's how we've been conditioned to act on those emotions with money that plays a bigger part imo. I was raised to spend spend spend.. happy, sad, bored etc. I still obviously experience those emotions and in certain situations, I still feel a little odd not buying during those times.. especially when it's a social norm we're all groomed to jump on, but more and more every day I see how silly we all are and it's getting easier to step away. I spend money when I need to now. Certain celebrations I'll never feel right about not spending money on though, unless I can make something worthy. Conditioning is hard to get out from under sometimes.
Although I am aware of the theory and do to some degree - particularly as emotions are capable of affecting every aspect of someone's life - agree that emotions could affect how someone shops - I'm more inclined to think that as we are all different - not just in how we handle our emotions but also have different personal values, priorities and personality - it is the latter that has a greater influence on how we shop - rather than just emotions and of course why some may find shopping therapeutic and others don't.
Emotions definitely affect the way we shop and that is why I never go shopping when I am hungry lol! If I do that everything I see seems delicious and I tend to buy a lot of things I wouldn't if I was with my belly full.
Shopping can really lift one's spirits when a person is already feeling down, I do that as well, so for me when I want to feel happy and I have money to spare then I won't hesitate to shop.
My ex had a habit of taking the day off and not telling me. It was mostly to instigate because I really liked quiet time. Anyway, it happened one Sunday afternoon and though I wasn't broke, I knew Target was the last place I needed to be - with a credit card, mind you. I returned home about $100 in red but there was no arguing either.
Emotion is what's behind the playing of Christmas songs inside supermarkets and groceries and, of course, in malls as well. They are trying to perk up your emotion with those memorable songs so that as a shopper, you will feel good and be induced to buy something. Whenever I am not feeling well, I feel so lazy to shop that's why sometimes I refuse to go to the mall upon my husband's invitation.
This happens for me sometimes, though I always make sure I'm still within my budget even when I splurge more than what I originally intended. I always keep some room as allowance just so I can have a bit more wiggle and not feel to constrained. If I feel like celebrating and I don't allow myself to, it only ends up making me feel bad which will eventually bite me and may even cause me to spend more in the future, which won't even feel as good. So whenever this happens for me I just try and weigh my options and see if I might regret not taking the opportunity or if it's one I can let pass.
Yeah, always before buying something we should think twice and consider, did my effort working to earn this money is really worth spending this? If the answer is yes, so just go for it.
@Denis Hard Well, I find that money tends to burn a hole in my pocket, since I have so little of it. When I get some my immediate reaction is to go shopping. I would like to discipline myself a little more, but I have to be realistic, it is probably not going to happen!
When I was younger I would get upset and go shopping, then wonder what was I thinking. Now I use baking as a way to help work off the bent up emotions I may have at the time. I am not much of a shopper now and often wish I could do like I use to do when I was younger and just go shopping.
Funny theory but makes a lot of sense. It's funny how our emotions affect most of our decision in life, and most successful men and women are people who mastered controlling their emotions. I rarely shop on my own, and it's always with my mother since I'm still living with my parents (what a bum). And I never really paid any attention to this sort of thing. Although thinking about it, I always grab a lot of food whenever I'm depressed or stressed.
It's not really a theory in the sense that I believe most of us have lived it. According to our mood we buy different things, unless we have a list and we follow it strictly, but usually that doesn't happen.
@Denis Hard Such situations might not be a waste. For instance, if you splurge at your son's graduation dinner, do you consider that a waste? Most people would say no. It's a special occasion. Likewise, some attempt to pull yourself into a better mood could be the same.
No. None of my emotions ever had that kind of "power" over my buying decisions. I just usually spend money on things that I really need to buy. However, I have to admit that sometimes I spend a bit beyond what I can (I'm a normal human after all! ), but nothing that I really don't need.