5 ways to fight compulsive shopping

Oh, the joys of shopping. Too bad many people just revel in the “great” feeling they get from shopping. Never mind if the credit card bill bloats or if you run out of cash. Then you get depressed and look to shopping even more. A vicious cycle really.

MSNBC cites ten steps to get combat the nasty behavior. We’re throwing in five of our own.

1. Know what triggers. Know what gives you the urge to splurge. By know what sets you off, you can better anticipate when you’d be most likely to buy stuff wantonly.

2. Don’t go to the mall. If you’re looking for an outlet to shake off the blues, then avoid places of commerce.

3. Leave the credit card, take only minimal cash. The less resources you have to spend when you’re out, the less likely you are to spend.

4. Keep yourself busy. Try to look for other more productive outlets to deal with your depression. Garden. Take classes.

5. Take a miserly friend with you. If you really need to go out, bring a voice of reason with you.

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