Do you enjoy shopping as a way to relieve stress and feel better about your life?
Retail therapy is a popular activity for many people across the U.S. In fact, one out of three Americans says they use shopping to deal with anxiety.
While some Americans enjoy shopping to relieve stress and anxiety, others associate it with being an expensive and unhealthy activity.
But how can you shop around without being self-destructive?
Read on to learn more about retail therapy and how to do it the right way!
Set a Budget
One of the most important things to help control your stress shopping is to set a budget for yourself.
A way to do this is to set aside a certain part of your paycheck for discretionary spending on these occasions.
For example, if you set aside $50 from each pay period and you’re paid twice per month, that gives you $100 for retail therapy.
Just make sure you can afford this. If you cannot swallow setting aside $100 each month for shopping, don’t do it.
You need to be comfortable with whatever amount you’re spending. Otherwise, your retail shopping can become a bad habit.
Look for Great Sales
If you find shopping beneficial, you probably have specific brands or designers that you prefer over others.
You can shop with confidence when you look for great sales or major discounts on the items you want.
One way to do this is to identify an item that you’d like to buy. Then add that item to a wish list or virtual shopping cart. Now, look around online for coupon codes or other discounts.
You may even receive one through email from the merchant!
Want to define awesome in retail therapy?
Wait to buy the products you want until you get them at a small percentage of their retail price!
Limit the Amount of Time You Do It
Besides budgeting your money, you should also budget your time.
Shopping therapy can be a great way to relieve some stress. But it is most beneficial to you when you limit the amount of time you’re doing it.
That way the act of buying things can continue to be one you identify with positive feelings and a smile on your face.
Limiting the amount of time you spend doing it each week can also help you to cut down on the amount of money you’re shelling out to buy things.
Enjoy Some Retail Therapy
When someone asks, ‘What is retail therapy?’ there can be mixed responses.
But setting a money and time budget while also waiting to buy until the time is right can help ensure you’re being responsible while you shop.
At Estilo Tendances, we teach women how to be happy, beautiful, and stylish! We are a personal fashion blog that specializes in style, beauty, and personal health.
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