How to survive with a shopoholic!

Oh, are you sweating already? At the prospect of spending your life with a shopoholic? They purchases clothes by the dozen, shoes in bulk and every other necessary and unnecessary junk because they ‘want’ to…uff! They have the power to piss anybody off, especially their better halves. Well, fret not, here’s how you can survive with a shopoholic. Read on:

Hold onto their purse strings:

Yes, follow this literally! Whenever they feel like shopping, make sure they don’t have enough money to spend on stuff. This way, they won’t splurge and will only buy what they absolutely need to. It’s a good idea to set a limit on their credit and debit cards and even on one-time withdrawals, so that they don’t end up binge-spending. Because if they don’t have the means to spend, how are they going to spend, eh?

Be stern:

This works the best. Follow this rule to the T. If he/she wants to go out for a spot of fun and you know how much he/she likes hitting the shops, take a stand. Tell him/her off, shout, scold and be stern. You have to let your displeasure known, else there’s no way for your partner/friend to come out of this addiction. Whatever you do, do not encourage their habit by allowing them to go on random shopping sprees.

Fellow addicts:

You can help them form their own Shopholic Anonymous by bringing together all the addicts in your city together. You can make use of social media tools and web forums to form a gang where your partner/friend can seek professional help in a friendly environment. This is also a good way to swap stories and incidents that will help your partner grow and come out of this addiction. Don’t forget to enroll a professional therapist, else everybody would be seen shopping instead of fighting the addiction!

Mix and match:

Whenever the situation arises where your partner is longing for a trip to the stores, let them raid their closets. Urge them to mix and match stuff and wear fusion clothes/accessories/shoes/bags and so on. If they have a shopping-addiction for any other product, get them to mix and match with those also. This way, you can make it clear to them that their shopping is born out of ‘want’ than ‘need’.

Fine them!

Well, this can happen only when your partner is willing to come out of this addiction. If not, there’s nothing you can do to get them to stop being the way they are. Whenever he/she buys something that’s unnecessary, fine him/her. It could either be in cash or kind depending on the person. But be strict and sharp and get them to learn it the hard way. There’s no harm in punishing somebody for their own good.