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Does Shopping Feel Good When You've Had a Bad Day?
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Does Shopping Feel Good When You've Had a Bad Day?
Yes, shopping puts me in a better mood after a bad day.
Sometimes, but it's not my go-to bad day remedy.
Resisting the Retail Therapy Downward Spending Spiral
Stress often leads to poor money decisions that can create even more stressful situations than we had before. Using retail therapy to soothe our bad day or bad luck can instigate a downward spending spiral, but The Wall Street Journal has some pointers for keeping us above water when the itch to spend can't be scratched.
- Ask yourself why you have the urge to spend money and focus on solving those problems first.
- Avoid the rationalization that overspending for work attire is necessary.
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The Best Times to Buy, From Clothes to Cars
The best times to make purchases aren't reserved for the moments when you need a little retail therapy. Sales and special promotions might seem sporadic to most of us, but retailers are relatively systematic operations. Mark these months on your calendar for the best time to buy everything, from clothes to cars.
How-To: Unwind After a Rough Workday
Shaking off a rough day at work isn't always easy. Let go of the workday blues when you leave the office by taking time for yourself. There are plenty of ways to detach from the day's events and none of these ideas involve retail therapy — no need to make things worse by spending money you may not have.
Do You Go Shopping After Fighting With Your Guy?
Bonnie Eaker Weil, author of Financial Infidelity: Seven Steps to Conquering the #1 Relationship Wrecker, dubbed the term "pop shots" to put a name on "pissed-off purchases" made following a fight with your significant other. She ran a survey and found that people usually make these purchases three to four times a year at about $486 a shot.
Her results don't surprise me much as emotional spending is nothing new — retail therapy after a bad day is something most of us have turned to at least once, and stepping into your favorite boutique after a fight with your guy is of the same basic tune.
Sadness Makes You Spend More
When I'm feeling sad I usually don't feel the urge to go shopping, and according to a new study that's a good thing because when you're sad you're more likely to stray from your budget. The study shows that spending judgment becomes clouded when you're down. Participants who watched a sadness-inducing video clip would pay almost four times as much for a water bottle than the group that watched an emotionally neutral clip.
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