Step One: Admit You Have a Problem

In 2009,  P.J. Hogan directed 'Confessions of a Shopaholic'. The film is about a college grad who can't for the life of her control herself when she walks the street. Everytime she goes out, she has the need to shop. Soon she becomes unemployment and finds work with a finacial savings magazine. The Irony is unbelievable.  The star of Confessions of a Shopaholic, Rebecca Bloomwood, is a journalist in the Big Apple, New York City.

Not only is she a journalist, but also in her spare time she is a shopaholic.  Under a mountain of debt, Rebecca continues to feed her addiction until she becomes unemployed. Here are a few tips incase you are in debt. Rebecca was 2 grand shy of twenty thousand dollars in the hole.

Debt collectors and Work:

They cannot come to your workplace. It is against the law, your financial problems aren't to get sorted out at work. You sort them out on personal time. In the movie, a collector goes to her work for a face-to-face visit. Rebecca gets freaked out after being harassed from telephone calls at work and at home. So she makes up a lie about the collector being a stalker. That's pretty bad, right? Well she didn't have the money to pay off her debt.

Shopaholicism

A shopaholic is someone who has an addiction to shopping. A quick way to become a Rebecca Bloomwood is get twelve credit cards and don't answer the phone or pay back your debts. The longer you take to pay it, the more debt you become in. That's not a good thing. Debt is bad. Nobody wants to answer unwanted phone calls from random people and their hard earned money be handed over. At the same time though, you are spending money you don't have. It's much cheaper to wait until you have the money to get something. Credit cards charge interest and annual percentage rates. By just paying the minimum your 100 expense can quickly get out of control. Shopping is fun. I enjoy going out with some chaps and playing some video games at the arcade, looking for new clothes. But to prevent myself from over spending I only take $40 and leave my cards at home. 

Self Control

A word that we say too often in different ways, "control yourself" "have some self control", even though we over say it, we put the word into action even less. When we go shopping or anywhere to spend some money, try to control yourself. You can't see unexpected expenses. As an adult you have many freedoms, deciding when to go home, what to eat, but also you have to make a budget and figure out how to stay out of debt. Debt is understandable when taking out a car loan, or getting a house. But just going on a shopping spree whenever you decide I is a good time too, not so much.

 

Rebecca Bloomwood told us that "the world is a better place when she shops." That is false, it isn't a better or worse place. It is perspective, your world may be a little brighter and not soo bad for a little while but reality hasn't changed.  When your closet looks like this, you have a problem. So start with the first Step of recovery, take things from there. Soon you'll be a better you.