THE DISADVANTAGES OF NOT HAVING A BUDGET

A budget can be defined as an estimation of the proposed expenses and revenue which are bound to occur over a given period of time in the future.

It is mostly complied and reassessed from time to time. Budgets can be done on an individual basis, it can also be done for a family, a business entity, the government, the country amongst others. Basically, anyone who has a major or minor involvement with money, would certainly need a budget.

Having a budget is essential, as it helps you to effectively watch and plan your spending. However, if you do not have a budget, you would realize that your financial prudence is nothing to write home about, as you would spend more than required.

Below are the disadvantages which are inherent in not having a budget:

• You would easily get into debt: This is one of the common happenings when you do not have a budget. When you have various expenses, and you find it hard to arrange them in order of preference, you would realize that there is a need to fully satisfy yourself. Hence, you would find yourself borrowing so that you can buy all that you need. However, when there is a budget in place, it would help you plan your spending; you would buy what you can afford in the present, and get the rest in the future.

• You would be taken aback by surprise expenses: Not having a budget implies that, there would be times when some expenses would spring up, and you would not know how to go about them. This is because there is no budget in place. A budget helps you to plan well ahead of time. Also on a budget, there would also be the inclusion of miscellaneous which suggests that, in case of unplanned expenses, you would be able to stand up to them within your financial capacity.

• You would not be able to save: When you do not have a budget, you would realize that it is very hard for you to save. This is based on the fact that the absence of the budget, did not pave way for you to track your spending pattern. You would be surprised to discover one day that you have nothing to account for in your savings.

THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A BUDGET BEFORE SHOPPING

A budget is known to be a financial plan which is meant for a defined period of time. It could also include the projected sales revenues and volumes, expenses and costs and a host of other factors. Families, organizations and the government often make use of a budget to make strategic plans of their events or activities.

A budget can also be said to be a sum of money which is apportioned for an intended purpose, and also the abridgement of proposed expenditures with proposals and how to achieve them.

When it comes to any shopping activity, a budget is an essential component, and it is essential that before shopping, there is a thorough budget which contains everything you want to buy.

Below are the major reasons why a budget is needed before shopping:

• It makes shopping simpler: When you work with a budget, you can be sure that the entire process of shopping becomes way easier. When there is a budget on ground, you would not have to stress yourself during the course of shopping, because you have sorted out the price and quantity which you need. Hence, all you need do is, pick the items you want accordingly.

• It sets priority: Most times when we want to go shopping, we know what we want. However, there are times when the money we have is not enough for all the items we want. Hence, during shopping, we end up getting stranded when our money gets exhausted. Having a budget prevents that, as you would have everything planned out in order of priority before going shopping.

• Control of your money: One feature which a budget gives, is total control of your money. When you have a budget, you would be able to know the exact amount needed for shopping, and also to save. A budget which is well stated, gives the owner full control of his or her shopping funds.

• Aids you to save money: Having a budget helps you to save money. When a budget has been done before shopping, it would be required that you stick strictly to it while shopping, and it would be easy for you not to exceed your budget.

Many people struggle with the impulse to shop, but in the midst of such might not realize when it’s spiraled out of control—and has formed into that of a full blown addiction. In fact, oftentimes, it is dismissed, and instantly zipped shut—within a wallet full of accumulating receipts. Consequently, this leaves little room for one to recognize certain behaviors, which might be the signal of a more serious problem. But, once one comes to terms with such, he/she can receive the help he/she needs a whole lot quicker. In turn, these nine signs are just a few of what one must look out for if he/she feels she is experiencing a shopping addiction.

First and foremost is “shopping or spending money as a result of feeling angry, depressed, anxious, or lonely”. Second is “having arguments with others about one’s shopping habits”. Third is “feeling lost without credit cards—actual going into withdrawal without them”. Fourth is “buying items on credit, rather than with cash”. Fifth is “describing a rush or a feeling of euphoria with spending”. Sixth is “feeling guilty, ashamed, or embarrassed after a spending spree”. Seventh is “lying about how much money was spent. For instance, owning up to buying something, but lying about how much the item actually cost”. Eighth is “thinking obsessively about money”. And ninth is “spending a lot of time juggling accounts or bills to accommodate spending”.

In terms of physically, the emotional response of a shopaholic causes them to make purchases—heavily based on feeling. For example, they might find themselves feeling down, and in response to such buy a series of items online, or in-store, in an attempt to cheer themselves up. But then, when they are unable to buy something that they want at the time, it can cause them to feel a great amount of melancholy. In addition to sadness, it can even cause them to feel tempered, due to the inability to obtain the item—no matter whether it’s clothes, house appliances, jewelry, etc.

In conclusion, those who struggle with such should not feel embarrassed and ashamed—or feel as though their addiction is of less importance (in comparison with those who are addicted to something else, such as alcohol, drugs, etc). Every addiction is significant and matters, therefore the sooner that the individual can come to terms with his/her behavior—and the reason behind it—the quicker he/she will be able to receive successful treatment/therapy.

In our current day and age, online shopping has taken the world by storm. For, it’s oftentimes much easier to search for one particular item—and/or items—through the internet, rather than to look for each in store. Not only that, but everything is at the click of a finger, making it painless for one to filter through a number of factors—such as cost and color—while effortlessly adjusting it to his/her liking. Consequently, even though this is an efficient resource—when used in moderation—it can pose as a disadvantage for those who struggle with shopping addictions, as it allows them to make purchases right from home.

In turn, the first way that online shopping enables addiction is through the use of algorithm or advertisement. With this being said, we find that certain materials may appear in our browser—in the form of an advertisement—shortly after we have searched it. Due to the storing of such information, this can be a danger to those who see an item, and instinctively act on purchasing it, based on emotion. The visual alone can trigger one’s addiction, making it difficult for him/her to say no, and/or turn his/her head away because of the mood shift he/she might feel within that moment.

The second way that online shopping enables addiction is through the use of auto fill. For, this gives shoppers the opportunity to easily purchase with one click, a simple swipe, or thumb print. He/she can even store his/her credit or debit card information, and set whichever one he/she chooses as his/her default method of payment. As a result of such, this makes it even less of a challenge for one to buy an item, without first thinking of his/her actions—and/or the consequences that follow.

The third way that online shopping enables addiction is through sales and apps. It is through such that individuals can receive deal notifications on their phone of the latest sale going on at their favorite store, or in regards to an item that they may have been wanting for a prolonged amount of time. Unfortunately, this may cause problems for addicts as they might see such as an opportunity to save, but spend a substantial amount of money in response—more than they would have otherwise.

In conclusion, online shopping can serve as a useful tool, but can also cause harm to those who are compulsive buyers. That’s why it is important for individuals who struggle with some form of shopping addiction to be careful what they subject themselves to online. For, there are a variety of triggers that can affect them, making it hard for them to resist the urge—and/or temptation—to buy.

Oftentimes, we begin each payday with a budget in mind, and while such a concept may be easy for some, others may struggle—and find themselves with very little money soon after. Yet despite such, they may continue on with harmful spending habits, either being in-denial of having them—or aware, but ashamed. In turn, while in the midst of a world that has normalized both online shopping, and shopping by foot, those who struggle with such have a number of outlets to choose from, depending on which out of the six categories they fall under. The varying types are listed as follows; 1. Flashy shopaholics, 2. Bargain hunters, 3. Compulsion-shopping addicts, 4. Trophy Hunters, 5. Collectors, and 6. Bulimic shoppers.

First and foremost is flashy shopaholics which are individuals who “spend big and look for the most dazzling items. Their goal being to impress others”. Second is bargain hunters who “will buy products that they don’t need simply because they’re on sale. Getting a deal is what drives the addiction”. Third is compulsion-shopping addicts who “turn to retail when they’re emotionally strained. The act of purchasing relieves anxiety”. Fourth is trophy hunters who “want to find the perfect items and will search diligently for the best products”. Fifth is collectors who “want multiple versions of the same item in a different color, size, etc. For these individuals, collecting fuels the addiction”. And sixth is bulimic shoppers who “cycle through buying and returning items”.

In turn, these are all signs that one should look out for if he/she notices a friend/family member struggling—and/or even notices signs in himself/herself. Some common ones are; feeling guilt following a purchase, buying an item with the knowledge that it will overdraft your count substantially, accumulating a significant amount of debt through the use of multiple credit cards, etc.

In conclusion, each shopping addiction can pose as harmful for not only the individual himself/herself, but his/her loved ones. For, it can begin to take a toll on those around him/her, if he/she begins to dip into the family finances, or even into the savings of his/her significant other. As a result, broken relationships may come about—as the individual’s addiction begins to spiral out of control. That’s why it is important that those who struggle with compulsive shopping get the help that they need sooner—rather than later—so that they may regain control of their lives, following therapy.

Anyone who has a shopping addiction can attest to the fact that they want to bring it under control. Shopping addictions wreck people’s finances and personal lives. They are a form of dysfunction that cannot sustain a person for long without their lives caving in around them. The sad part is, when shopping is done responsibly, within a person’s means and personal space, it can be a valid hobby. A passion and an eye for assembling outfits is a gift, as is furnishing a home or knowing one’s way around kitchen gadgets. The dysfunctional version of this is someone who cannot control their spending in one or all of these areas. Shopping addicts want to be functional people, and the good news is they can be, but it does require work and focus. See more specific advice below:

• Beat your denial by admitting that you are a shopping addict. If you have tried to cope with your addiction by denying it, here is no time like the present to come to terms with it if you want to recover. Look yourself in the mirror and tell yourself that you are a shopping addict. It is something you already know deep down and will not come as a complete shock to you. Then tell your support system that you are a shopping addict and that you need their help in order to get better.
• Begin addiction treatment and take it seriously. This can mean something as minimal as self help for moderate to mild shopping addicts, or something as immersive as counseling or rehab for severe shopping addicts. It is imperative that this is taken seriously if you want to recover. Do not pay attention to the opinion that shopping is not a “real” addiction. If it is negatively impacting your life, it is a real addiction. People in wealthy demographics statistically struggle with shopping addiction more, and treatment options are available in shopping addiction counseling in Beverly Hills, Miami and New York.
• Manage your triggers and your urges to relapse. All addicts must face down triggers and the desire to relapse. The same life stress and opportunities to shop that you have always encountered are not going anywhere. You must become strong enough to resist them by avoiding them and having healthy coping mechanisms in place for when you cannot avoid them.

It is an addict’s nature to become lost in thinking they need to pursue their addiction in order to satisfy it. People burn through reserves of time, money and energy immersing themselves in their addiction. They gratify themselves with the most extreme expressions of their addiction but at the end of the day, they are left unsatisfied and wanting more. When you apply this to an out of control shopping addiction, it is easy to connect this type of thinking to the classic shopping addict, with clothes and shoes spilling out of their closets, kitchen gadgets tumbling out of their cabinets, accessories cluttering their drawers and shelves. They seemingly never stop accumulating stuff, yet they never find that permanent feeling of satisfaction they are looking for.

The reason for this is simple. Their desire to buy things is a mislead one. They think that shopping is at the heart of their craving when actually, they are seeking a much deeper type of fulfillment. A shopping addict, or any other kind of addict for that matter, is correct in sensing that they must seek something they are missing. They are just incorrect about what they are missing. Their living space would certainly indicate that they are not missing stuff one can find in a store. What they are missing is wholeness as a person. They are missing something in the way of purpose, meaning and identity.

The origins of this problem are deep and cloudy and hard to discover, which is why a person should not feel alone in their attempts to discover them. Professional counselors and addiction specialists do this kind of thing for a living, and they are very experienced and intelligent in navigating through it. A person can cut to the chase of their shopping addiction and discover the underlying causes of it by tasking advantage of the services a mental health professional provides. If you or someone you care about is a shopping addict, do not remain lost in what to do about it. Seek the services of a counselor today to regain a functional amount of mental health!

A shopping addiction is not necessarily what it seems. To an observer, it simply seems like compulsive, frivolous behavior; a person extending their resources beyond their means. These things are part of a shopping addiction, but the underlying cause of a shopping addiction is a feeling of emptiness. This feeling of emptiness may have come from a number of adverse stimuli, but it is always something that has worked its way into a person’s subconsciousness and has found a place to fester there. A person acting out in a shopping addiction does not love buying things as much as they think they do. What they like is the temporary feeling of filling the hole inside them.

Because of the adverse experience or experiences the shopping addict went through, they were thrown off course for a chance at good mental health. Negative events in a person’s life, particularly in their early developmental years, need to be dealt with right away by a responsible party, usually the person’s parents. The young person who went through the adverse experience needs help processing it by a parent or a counselor so that they do not develop unhealthy thought or behavior patterns. Sadly, the need for this is often overlooked and the young person veers off from good mental health. This type of thing can happen repeatedly to a person, twisting and bending their mental health ever further. So what is a mere annoyance to someone observing a shopping addict, is actually a deeply ingrained, troubled behavior on the part of the addict.

A shopping addiction is simply a way that a person seeks to bring themselves comfort. Typically, they have long lost conscious touch with what initially caused their addiction and are simply acting on instinct. They have no intention of frustrating the people in their lives or of damaging their personal finances or of cluttering up their space. All they know is that shopping temporarily relieves the burning ache of emptiness so they return to it again and again and again.

One particularly dangerous trap that compulsive shoppers fall into is one that is seen throughout all addictions, be it food addictions, sex addictions, alcohol addictions or drug addictions. This trap is the lie that an addict tells themselves about why they are once again indulging in their harmful behavior. The excuse is this: tomorrow is a better day for me to quit my addiction. The problem with this logic is that it inevitably becomes a pattern. Promising yourself that you will change your ways in the days to come is a very comforting, complacent mental space to put yourself in. It gives you reassurance that you are not an addict, you are simply waiting for the right circumstances to arise that will enable you to change your lifestyle. While this may feel like a solution, it is actually a form of destruction.

Those who fall victim to this logic will inevitably fall into destructive behavior. A person who tells themselves they will change in the future is also subconsciously excusing their present behavior, as well as making it worse. It is inevitable to reason that, because you have plans to quit your harmful behavior tomorrow, it is justifiable to indulge in it today. This reasoning is the epitome of laziness and complacency, yet we are all familiar with it. It is important to guard yourself against this type of thinking, whether its a shopping addiction you struggle with or some other type of addiction. This thinking alone can prove extremely destructive to your life because it makes the damage done by your addiction very significant.

It does not matter when you take the steps to control your addiction; it will always come with some discomfort and a great deal of resistance from your longing for instant gratification. It will always be work and it will always be challenging. However, it will also get easier with time until, eventually, you will approach your addiction with an entirely different attitude, typically one that is amazed at how controlled you were by your addiction. Once you accept this reality with maturity and grace, you can begin to work with it, and you can quit putting your recovery off until tomorrow.