Impulse Buying And Money Challenges: Understanding Emotional Spending
Our emotions are powerful drivers of behavior, frequently influencing our day-to-day decisions—including our purchasing choices. Spending money in response to strong emotions, called emotional spending, can sometimes lead to several challenges, including financial distress, relationship conflict, and mental health concerns. If you engage in emotional spending, it can help to understand the potential sources of your actions and how you can avoid impulse buying during periods of high or low mood. Below, we’re providing an overview of emotional spending, outlining common causes of impulse buying, and discussing ways you can foster emotional and financial wellness.
What is emotional spending?
Emotional spending involves making purchases in response to intense emotional moments. It may be caused by feelings of sadness, bereavement, envy, loneliness, or even joy. Polling suggests that approximately 70% of people in the US have engaged in emotion-driven spending. Emotional spending has the potential to have serious effects on an individual’s life—particularly if it’s a habit—potentially leading to financial distress, mental health concerns, and tension in relationships.
It can be hard to know how to respond to powerful emotions when they arise. People may use any number of coping mechanisms, which may be healthy or unhealthy. For many people, spending money is a frequently employed coping strategy, which may not be a healthy choice given its potential negative outcomes.
Making purchases can provide individuals with a distraction from negative feelings while increasing positive feelings. It is thought that shopping for and then purchasing items activates the reward center of our brains, releasing feel-good hormones like dopamine and serotonin.
Experts also believe that people engage in emotional spending as a way of exerting control over situations in which they may feel powerless. Impulse shopping can also serve as an aspirational step toward goals. For example, someone who is feeling stuck in their career might purchase clothes that they believe will help them look the part for a role they desire.
The potential consequences of emotional spending
Emotional spending can lead to serious consequences in some cases, including financial hardship, mental health challenges, and relationship conflict. Some people who purchase items impulsively struggle to live within their means, spending more than they earn. This can result in economic hardship due to the accumulation of debt, the use of payday loans, and other potentially hazardous financial decisions.
Emotion-driven spending vs. compulsive buying disorder
While emotional spending is not itself a mental health disorder, it can lead to a condition known as compulsive buying disorder, or compulsive buying-shopping disorder. While compulsive buying disorder isn’t included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), it is a widely accepted form of behavioral addiction. The condition is characterized by strong urges to shop, a sense of anticipation when planning to spend money, satisfaction during the process of shopping, then feelings of regret or guilt after making the purchase.
Impulse buying, financial hardship, etc.: signs of emotional spending
Knowing how to recognize the indicators of emotional spending may help you avoid using shopping as a coping mechanism. The following are common signs of emotional spending:
- Shopping during periods of high or low mood
- Impulse buying items, especially those you don’t need and/or can’t afford
- Making purchases to distract from difficult emotions
- Feelings of guilt or regret following purchases
The links between “retail therapy” and mental health concerns
Emotional spending arises out of a desire to manage challenging feelings, such as sadness, boredom, or anger. As discussed above, it may also lead to a mental health condition like compulsive buying disorder. In some cases, emotional spending and mental health concerns can have a bidirectional relationship, as impulse shopping can cause stress and other psychological challenges, and these mental health challenges can sometimes lead to excess spending.
Many people who make impulse purchases struggle to meet their financial obligations, which can lead to accrued debt and other forms of financial distress. Studies suggest that high levels of debt are associated with depression and anxiety. Additionally, experts have found links between debt and substance use disorder, bipolar disorder, and chronic stress.
How to avoid spending money impulsively
There are several ways of limiting emotional spending, which may help you avoid incurring debt from this source and potentially increase your financial wellness. The following are strategies for curbing impulse buying.
Understand the emotions that cause impulse buying
Identifying the times when you’re most likely to impulse shop can be crucial to limiting emotionally driven spending. Consider using a journal to record the times when you spend money impulsively or feel compelled to. Try to note your emotional state prior to making a purchase, then write down how you felt afterward.
As you log instances of impulse buying, you may start to notice connections between your spending patterns and emotional states. For example, you may notice that you engage in “retail therapy” when you’re feeling lonely.
Set limits
To avoid developing unhealthy spending habits, consider putting limits in place. A monthly or weekly spending limit may help you better allocate your funds and avoid buying items you can’t afford. For example, you may budget $50 per month for discretionary purchases. With this parameter for your purchasing power, you may become more careful about how you utilize your funds, potentially leading to healthier spending habits and financial freedom.
It could also be helpful to avoid having your credit card information saved in your browser or having your card near your computer. If you have to take extra steps before impulse buying, it could give you the chance to consider the action more thoroughly before taking it.
Find alternatives to “retail therapy”
If you find that you’re an emotional spender, try to seek out healthier coping strategies that help you manage your emotions and focus on your financial well-being. One helpful way of responding to challenging emotions is to address the source of your feelings.
Take, for example, the above-mentioned scenario in which you spend impulsively because of feelings of stagnation regarding your career. While frustration and boredom in your professional life can be challenging, impulsive shopping can worsen the situation, causing you to experience exacerbated financial hardship and reduce the amount of time you can spend progressing in your job. Instead of shopping, you might develop new skills, pursue educational opportunities, or attempt to take on increased responsibilities at work. Addressing the sources of negative emotions directly can help you better navigate these feelings.
Because emotional spending is often meant to distract from complex emotions, you may want to find healthier distractions, such as managing your finances. Balancing your budget, developing an investment strategy, and employing money-saving techniques can not only distract you from challenging feelings, but also alleviate potential financial distress from overspending. There are several other ways you can avoid letting your emotions influence your spending, which we’ll explore below.
Healthy strategies for managing strong emotions
If you’re looking for ways to effectively regulate your emotions, there are numerous coping techniques you can try incorporating into your daily routine. First, exercise can help improve your mood and serve as a positive distraction from negative emotions. Consider joining a run club, taking morning walks, practicing yoga, or following at-home exercise videos.
You may also consider meditating regularly. Mindfulness is a form of meditation that can help participants develop a sense of presence through increased awareness of their feelings, thoughts, and surroundings. Practicing mindfulness may help you identify the emotions that frequently lead to the desire to spend money. Over time, you may also be able to recognize when they arise and give yourself the space to make a different choice. Research suggests that mindfulness can have a mediating effect on impulse buying.
In addition, consider a strategy that many mental health professionals utilize when helping clients regulate their emotions: cognitive reframing. This technique helps participants recognize the connections between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. For example, someone who spends impulsively may have an underlying belief that their self-value or worth is tied to expensive possessions. Cognitive reframing can help the individual identify and challenge this thought pattern, potentially helping them understand their inherent self-worth and avoid engaging in maladaptive behaviors.
Another helpful way to address emotional spending is psychotherapy. In therapy, you may be guided in utilizing the above-mentioned cognitive reframing technique. Additionally, working with a mental health professional can help you identify the sources of impulsive spending, learn effective coping strategies, and develop a healthier relationship with money.
Promoting emotional and financial wellness with online therapy
If you’re interested in exploring the connections between your mental and financial health, consider working with an experienced therapist online. With the right support, you can develop healthy coping strategies for strong emotions.
How online therapy can help address mental health challenges related to spending money
Using an online therapy platform like BetterHelp, you can get matched and then meet with a licensed therapist virtually from anywhere you have internet. You can also contact your therapist any time between sessions and they’ll respond as soon as they can, which can be helpful if you’re concerned about making impulse purchases between sessions. Online therapy is also a more affordable option than most in-person therapy options without insurance—with BetterHelp memberships starting at $65 per week, billed every four weeks—which may help you continue making responsible financial decisions. Cost is based on factors such as your location, referral source, preferences, therapist availability and any applicable discounts or promotions that might apply.
The effectiveness of online therapy
Research suggests that online therapy can be an effective form of care for individuals living with mental health challenges related to emotional spending. In one systematic review of studies, for instance, the findings suggest that psychotherapy may help alleviate symptoms of compulsive buying disorder. There is also evidence that online therapy platforms, specifically, can help reduce addictive behaviors, including compulsive shopping.
Takeaway
Emotional spending is a maladaptive coping mechanism that involves making purchases in response to intense emotions. To avoid the serious challenges that can arise out of emotional spending, it can help to implement parameters for your shopping and find healthier coping strategies for emotional moments. If you’re struggling with money-related mental health concerns, consider connecting with a mental health professional.
What is an example of emotional spending?
An example of emotional spending is making impulsive purchases when you feel anxiety to try to increase your happiness. If you frequently partake in this type of behavior, it may be a sign of a mental health condition such as an anxiety disorder or shopping addiction. Making purchases, especially for desired items like nice clothes, food, or luxury goods, can momentarily increase dopamine in the brain, leading to positive emotions. These bursts of dopamine can be addictive to some people, especially if they struggle to find dopamine from other aspects of life.
How do you stop emotional spending?
Emotional spending often serves an underlying desire for instant gratification and emotional wellness. To stop emotional spending, becoming aware of this underlying need can be helpful. You may ask yourself what healthier ways exist to overcome this desire and work through underlying pain. For example, you may find similar joy in healthy acts of generosity, such as giving back to loved ones or volunteering in your community. Talking to a therapist can also help you come to the root of why you spend money to deal with your emotions or trauma-related triggers. You can take the first step by contacting a provider online or in your area.
Why am I an emotional spender?
Many people spend money to cope with emotional pain or trauma. Some people use spending to get a burst of happiness or because they struggle with impulsivity or inhibition and don’t know how to tell themselves no. However, when emotional spending leads to financial problems like a loss of savings or an inability to grow your savings account, it could affect your financial goals. For this reason, speaking to a therapist can be a helpful way to build your ability to make financial decisions in line with your long-term goals and future plans.
Why do I shop when I'm stressed?
If you shop when stressed, you might be trying to reduce stress by increasing dopamine in your brain, which can provide temporary euphoria. However, this sensation is often temporary, leading to the desire to continuously use this habit to self-soothe. Continuing to shop when stressed can lead to a long-term pattern of this behavior. Some people may be so financially impulsive that they run out of money altogether and may frequently ask friends for cash or financial support to continue to fund their habit. This behavior can hinder future plans if you’re trying to save for a down payment on a house or car.
What are the four types of spending?
The four types of spending include abundant spending, neutral spending, scarcity spending, and avoidance spending. Emotional spending is a type of abundant spending.
Is overspending a mental illness?
Overspending frequently and compulsively may be a sign of a mental illness like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), but it is not a mental illness on its own. Overspending is often used as a way to cope with symptoms like depression and anxiety, which are present in many different mental health conditions.
Why do I have the urge to buy something?
If you get the urge to buy something, you might be experiencing an impulse and a desire to feel a dopamine rush. In these situations, you can stop yourself by partaking in a healthier activity or distracting yourself from the thought. Some people may also limit access to their own money by putting savings in a physical safe or opening a bank account that doesn’t allow you to withdraw lots of money at once.
Why do I spend so much money when I'm sad?
Spending money can release dopamine, so you might spend money to get a dopamine release, temporarily making you feel happier. However, this habit can be harmful over time, especially if it leads to you making impulsive financial decisions, such as taking money out of your savings account to make purchases when you’re trying to save money or spending your rent money and not having enough for your bills.
What is an example of an emotional purchase?
An example of an emotional purchase is buying a new phone when you can’t afford your rent because you’re stressed and want to feel better. This type of purchase can be harmful in the long run, leading to financial distress.
What are emotional buying motives based on?
Emotional buying is often based on the dopamine release after purchasing based on emotional distress. If you struggle to avoid spending money when you’re upset, consider speaking to a therapist to understand the reasons behind this behavior and start making positive changes.
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