Addicted To Shopping

I am trying really hard to quit my shopping addiction for the next couple of months. Our disaster in Maine has been quite expensive so far and the money going out-the-door since Christmas has been down right frightening. I decided that we need to take some drastic measures to tighten the reins and stop the spending for a while. And now that I'm very conscious of my spending, I'm realizing just how much spending I do . . . or how often I'm tempted to shop.

I thought just not going out to the stores would be the easy solution. That certainly helps, but the lure of online shopping is always there. And since I spend most of my day sitting in front of a computer, I'm constantly tempted to shop. Last week a bought a new computer online! Hmmm, so much for no spending this month. But that purchase didn't really count because that is my "business money" which of course, is not "real" money.

I'm receiving shopping counseling from Lisa, who so cleverly asked me yesterday . . ."What are you buying? And what is the purpose of these things?" Gee, those are tough questions. Just like the "Why are you moving to a new house?" question . . . impossible to answer. So I made a list of the things that I was very tempted to buy (just this week).

• PS2 games - I found two (by accident) that I must have!
• New TV - to play the new PS2 games in the basement
• books - Lisa told me to go to the library - brilliant!
  
• MP3 player - mine just crapped out so I figured I needed a new one.
• Pocket PC - since I'm never getting the one owed to me (long story)
• New Phone - the whole new MP3 and new Pocket PC made me look at the new high tech do-it-all phones (somebody please stop me)
• Camera - still itching and looking for a small new camera for our big vacation
• Scrapbook goodies - never can get enough of those
• Computer gadgets - the new computer is begging for new accessories. (I did break down and buy one thing, but I REALLY needed it.)

The good news is that I was strong and resisted the temptations, but now that I look at the list of what I was going to buy I realize that I must have a problem. Isn't that an awful lot for one girl to want or need in one week? Yikes.