Do you indulge in retail therapy? This is how you can shop without breaking the bank!

Whenever I’m depressed, I go shopping. Retail therapy has always been one of my favorite ways to de-stress.

The lure of the hunt. For that special something that catches your eye, at an incredibly low price or at such a huge discount. 70% discounts in stores often turn ladies like women into wild beasts. Everyone looking for that latest piece from a coveted designer should be priced at 70% or even 90% of the regular price.

It always works for me…initially. As long as I can make ends meet after these binges. I love the thrill of buying things and knowing that I got them for below regular retail prices.

Leave me alone in a mall for 10 minutes, even with 2 preschoolers, I guarantee it. I’ll be carrying shopping bags, children in tow, when you return.

There is the thrill of the hunt. Going to a sale, not knowing what a fantastic buy you might find. So you see it. That coveted designer brand that is normally beyond his budget is suddenly priced low enough for him to comfortably afford. Try it on. You love how it looks on you. You buy it. That feeling of satisfaction is indescribable. You go to the next store. That high lasts until you see your credit card bill.

Worse yet, those outfits you buy may be worn once, or not worn at all, before you give them away.

It’s kind of like binge eating. You diet for years trying to lose weight. Then all of a sudden you just throw caution to the wind. You eat like a pig, gobbling up all the delicious calorie-laden desserts, snacks, and favorite foods you’ve deprived yourself of after so long.

Uncontrolled retail therapy can leave you broke. Especially with easy access to credit cards, you can rack up significant debt if you’re not careful.

Still, just like calorie-laden desserts, you can still indulge in some retail therapy and stay within your budget.

Just like eating less or even skipping a meal after binge eating at a big buffet, and eating less in the days that follow, you can enjoy retail therapy, if you spend less in the days after.

There are things you have to buy anyway. Why not focus your retail therapy on what you really need?

Make a list of the things you really need.

Do you need a new jacket? [http://www.womanht.com/discounts/womens+clothes-fullfile-jackets.htm] for work, to create a better impression in the boardroom? You could use your next retail therapy session to search for that perfect jacket when you need that boost.

You could even have your retail therapy at your favorite grocery store, buying the groceries you and your family really need, hunting for deals. Again, make a list of what you really need and stick to that list when you go shopping.

Or if you see a beautiful luxury item like a very expensive bag, you may want to save for months before splurging. By the time you have saved enough money to buy the bag, you may even have lost interest and could be putting your money to better use.

The trick here is to only spend what you have. Credit cards give you the illusion that you have a lot more money to spend than you really do. Buy now and pay later is a very dangerous way of thinking. A lot of people have ended up bankrupt after that.

Yes, you can always use that card to pay whatever you want and then pay the credit card bill in installments over the next few months. Meanwhile, the credit card company can make money on interest charges that can be as high as 24% per year (2% per month adds up to a lot in the long run).

Can’t pay the bill in full? Carry it over to the next month. Get another card to pay off some of the debt on the old card and more spending power.

Before you know it, your debt is so high that you can’t imagine how you could pay off all that debt.

Personally, I am a webmaster with a sometimes uncontrollable urge to splurge. I usually buy something every time I leave my house. Nowadays, I tell myself to put off buying. I can get a better deal on the web.

Retail therapy is also spreading online. Online stores can offer even better deals than your regular retail store. Brick and mortar retailers have to pay rent on all that retail space. Online stores have far less overhead and can afford to pass their savings on to us. Your clients.

From time to time, online stores offer discounts on some items or short-term promotions where you can save a substantial amount of money on your order. Some stores even have coupons that you enter into a box when you check out, for free shipping or a certain percentage off your purchase. Take your time to make use of these savings and get the most out of your online shopping experience. I love buying jewelry online. [http://www.womanht.com/discounts/jewelry.htm] for gifts and I always do it online.

The best part about online stores is that you can take your time shopping, without some annoying salesperson trying to talk you into buying something you don’t really need. Ok, some stores have annoying live help popups, but you can always close those windows to shop in peace.