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How to Control Stress Spending

The swish of a credit card being swiped. The gleam of an elegant shopping bag. The scent of a new pair of snakeskin cowboy boots.

Indulging in a shiny new special something can be thrilling. And there's certainly nothing wrong with treating yourself now and again. However, relying on shopping to cope with emotions can quickly lead to problems.

[See: 6 Ways to Treat Yourself on a Budget.]

Spending sprees may temporarily alleviate stress, frustration and nervousness, but emotional shopping can take a toll on your budget and inflate your credit card debt. Instead of relief, emotional spending can end up worsening troubles and stress.

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We've all indulged in retail therapy after a hard day of work or a fight with our spouse. But you can protect yourself from making impulse buys with these strategies for controlling stress spending.

Recognize Your Internal Triggers

To triumph over stress shopping, you must first identify your enemies. What triggers your emotional spending? The next time you are tempted to sprint to the mall or scour the pages of a retail site, ask yourself how you're feeling. Are you stressed out after running errands all day? Are you lonely because your spouse is gone for the weekend? Are you frustrated because your kids are acting up? Identifying your triggers can help you control your reactions whenever these emotions arise.

Identify Your External Triggers

Emotions might not be the only things prompting your shopping sprees. Your surroundings, too, could be the culprits behind reckless spending. When you run into your favorite department store for some lipstick, do you leave with five shopping bags of shoes? When you exit the grocery store, does your shopping cart overflow with ice cream bars, organic pickles and a DIY sushi kit you didn't mean to buy? When you're browsing the web late at night, do you somehow end up with a new kayak?

If this sounds familiar, consider limiting interactions with your external triggers. And if triggering zones can't be avoided entirely -- as with grocery stores and internet browsing -- be sure to approach overspending danger areas with caution.

[See: 12 Ways to Be a More Mindful Spender.]

Realize the Pleasure Is Temporary

Splurging on a third television or drinking $17 dollar cocktails all night might give your mood a boost -- but only temporarily. Hours later, you could experience buyer's remorse (and, in the case of $17 cocktails, a hangover). Weeks later, you could face the even worse feeling of opening a big fat credit card bill or overdraft notice.

Before carrying an armload of designer jeans to the checkout desk, take a moment to imagine the potential consequences of your purchases. The thrill of an impulse buy is fleeting, but debt can follow you for years.

[See: 10 Easy Ways to Pay Off Debt.]

Don't Fall for the 'I Deserve It' Excuse

After working long hours or surviving a bad day, you might excuse a superfluous purchase by reasoning "I deserve this." But if you always reward yourself with material things, you can train yourself to instinctively turn to shopping as comfort. So instead of consoling yourself with things, try other feel-good activities -- like taking a hot bath, playing with your kids or snuggling with your pooch.

Give It 24 Hours

Emotions pass, and you may find that the urgency of buying a bathrobe for your dog or a pair of John Lennon's socks has waned come morning. Try not to make any major purchases without thinking on them for at least 24 hours.

Find Another Outlet

Beyond retail therapy, there are many ways to stay in control when stress and other negative emotions kick in. Try blowing off steam with a jog around the neighborhood or kickboxing class. Give your mom or best pal a call to talk about whatever is upsetting you. Write in a journal to unload your stress, frustration or anger.

Create a Goal

Rather than narrowing in on the items in the shopping cart in front of you, focus on a larger financial goal. Your goal could be to save up for a home or vacation to Prague. Your goal could be to pay off your credit cards or fatten your kids' college funds. Once you think of your purpose for saving money, remind yourself whenever you find yourself stress shopping.

Maria Lalonde honed her deal-hunting skills while traveling through South America and Southeast Asia, combing colorful local markets for unique finds. Her love of blogging and thirst for deals brought her to Offers.com, where she blogs about savings tips.



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