I think i have a buying problem i got to learn how to budget

i keep buying stuff from ebay, does any know tell me how budget my money. I stop for now, i just need some advice.

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I sometimes do shopping too. Often I do it because I’m sitting in front of my computer and am bored. I found the best way to deal with it is to challenge myself. When I visit a site like that I try to tell myself that I’m wasting my time and that I don’t really need it. I should be doing something else. The trick often is to just get away from the computer and do something different.

Also I have created a miniweb so that I don’t have acsess to most websites. It helps me because I have OCD issues with internet.

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I think I overspend bcz I am bored. If I was busy I wouldn’t have overspending issues. Its hard to be busy.

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I tend to do it in bursts.

When I get impulsive, I need people to stop me.

Sometimes I just do it anyway.

Got to enjoy your money, as you may not always have it, and you only get so long to be here.

Might as well do what makes you happiest!

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See if a family member can control your money and give it to you in small bursts

Works for me, otherwise I’d just spend a whole lot within a short period of time

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Me too. I just bought a $40 CAD grounding headband on impulse, but grounding has been so good to me. This lets me ground my head directly. So beneficial.

I’ll be wearing it constantly in my room.

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The thing to do is study yourself.

You buy a thing and you get a nice buzz.

You get the thing and you might get a buzz. Often not, and it is a disappointment.

If it is not a disappointment, how long does the satisfaction last? 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 30 minutes. How long until you are craving a bigger, better and updated version? “I wish I’d bought the other one” feeling.

And so the cycle perpetuates itself. Always wanting! Always craving! And for what satisfaction? Brief, momentary. And the feelings of wanting more, constant and forever.

It is an endless cycle of addiction and dissatisfaction. Until you realise this you won’t be free.

Then you can budget properly. :slight_smile:

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so im not alone in this, Damn how do we stop it. do break our computer lol. burn all of debit cards.

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Yeah, that’s a good point. Have to make some informed decisions like ask oneself what is the purpose of buying what one does. I’m a movie buff, but things got a little out of hand lately. I have luckily been able to talk myself into stopping, but I probably have enough movies and series to keep me occupied for the next year. I could have bought it in bouts instead of buying everything at once. (not everything is on netflix)

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I usually determine how much money I need daily to survive, and only spend what’s left on unnecessary things.

@Mr_Hope
When you collect stuff as a hobby it becomes more difficult to stop.

The essence in buying has been turned into a fixation. Not only are you suffering the ‘retail therapy’ but the part in your life that you find and spend time in as something you gain double pleasure from.

So I would study my hobby. Why do I love movies? Why do I need to own the dvd? What is it going to give me by buying the dvd? An hour or two of viewing pleasure, and then what? Will it collect dust? Will I watch it again? What do I gain from owning it? What is it about it that I love?

Is it describing the movie to another person and showing them it? What and why?

What is the point of my hobby?

Can I watch it and sell it again?

I have what I need for now and must stop!

Understanding yourself is key. We must study our actions and then it is easier to change ourselves.

Is buying things an addiction? Gabor Maté thinks so. Read his books for an insight. :slight_smile:

Yeah, it probably is a addiction. Some movies are worth coming back for, and others aren’t for me. The one’s I like I shelf and come back to occasionally when enough time has passed, the others which aren’t for me I just give away to the salvation army.

People collect all kinds of things like, mugs, stamps, war items and who know what. I guess it’s a psychological thing that many people have. They like to collect something material as a hobby. I’m not sure how this is considering the world, but I have a feeling this is a phenomen that mostly occurs amongst people in the western world. Poor people have more basic things on their mind and don’t have the luxury to sit back and collect things.

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There is a marketing ploy and speciality where they sell high end goods to the poor as a form of increasing status. Take Burberry for example in the UK. I can’t remember the name of this marketing technique but it exists.

Yeah, the same idea applies to fussiness of children in the Western world.

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Yeah, it’s strange that. When you have everything you need, people develop other problems for themselves. It’s a strange phenomenom, but I think our western culture is the culprit. We idealise everything, like people are supposed to look a certain way, or have certain things in their life to make them sucsessful. You have to have friends, and many likes and be aknowledged etcetera


I didn’t exactly think like that before sz, but I got caught up in it. Sz kind of liberated me from thinking the way the average Joe does. I am much more humble and aware that society is trying to trap us into thinking that we always need to better ourselves in the way of the superficial, like looks and objects, status and what other people think of us.

Now I don’t care. I appreciate what really matters like kindness and the inner qualities of people. But every time I turn on the tv and watch what they are broadcasting like reality series and disturbing commercials I learn that we are living in a deceptive and cynical society.

Luckily I know there are a lot of good people out there trying to cope just like me, with this material system weighing on them.

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I can’t stop buying books at any opportunity. But I buy secondhand and from charity shops and flea market. My husband is so kind to give me money to do this :blush:

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@oe1489
heres a trick. If the item your about to by is more than say 25 bucks (or whatever price seems a little more than you should be spending).

Then wait 3 weeks then see if you still want the item. Then you will figure out if its purely impulsive or not.

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i got grounded a lot when i was younger :smile:

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@oe1489
Also if your shopping online due to boredom or impulse, then maybe you can try and change your mindset.

Switch your mindset to “how can I do things online or for fun that doesn’t cost any money. How can I do things for free? How can spend as little as possible and have fun?”

That mindset can help free you from constant spending habits.

when i moved in to my room share house, I decided to take on a challenge of how can I improve my living space on little to no money. I mean had to spend a bit here and there but I utilized the free section on the marketplace. Its been a whole new experience as I was used to having money and spending when I felt like it.

Like check this out, last month someone gave this mountain picture away it was like brand new. So I took for free.

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me too, i buy something and think about it constantly until it arrives, then within a day or two i end up buying something else

We have talked about it in yesterday’s thread: How do you budget and not overspend?

My main advice to counter your spending impulses? Setting up a electronic savings account where you would need to give a 7 day notice (in my case) to be able to access the money you’ve previously deposited in that account.

If your bank offers such a service then consider you are blessed my friend. Because once you put in money in that account you cannot withdraw it instantaneously, thus impulses will pass and you can keep depositing money until you develop a inner calm and self control.

Best of luck out there.

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