Online shopping is fun and convenient. Nonetheless, too much online shopping can drive you towards serious credit card debt. Impulsive shopping habits, often facilitated by easy shopping websites, can ruin your life. If you are a frequent online shopper, here are some signs that you may be indulging in a habit that could spell financial doom in the future: proper
You Constantly Browse Online Shopping Sites
Right, you are just “browsing.” Except that you are not. Most compulsive online shoppers have a habit of “just browsing” shopping websites, often for hours. These sessions usually end with making a purchase. You may think that buying a $10 piece of garment is cheap, but when you do this several times a week, the costs add up. Shopping websites are also designed cleverly to convert visitors into paying customers. So, when you visit a shopping website, you are never simply looking. Just like when you walk into a store, you are unlikely to walk out empty handed.
Your Credit Card Information is Saved on Multiple Shopping Websites
When you go to Amazon.com, eBay or other shopping sites, can you make purchases with just one or two clicks? That means you frequent these sites so often, you have opted to save your financial information for the convenience. This is problematic because this easily leads to compulsive buying. You can end up checking things out with few obstacles in between. One of the easiest things you can do to get your shopping habit under control is to delete your credit card information online. When you need to buy something, manually type in the info, so you get a chance to think twice about what you are buying.
Majority of Your Monthly Expenses are due to Online Shopping
Do you calculate a monthly household budget? If not, you should. You will discover how much money you spend each month buying things online. This should be reflected as a percentage of your monthly budget. If more than 20 percent of your monthly budget is dedicated towards online shopping, that shows a serious issue. The majority of your expenses should be dedicated towards essential expenses, such as food and rent or mortgage, not buying shoes online.
You are Out of Cash to Pay Essential Bills
Do you find yourself at the end of each month without enough money to pay the electricity bill or a debt bill? That’s probably because you have spent most of your earnings early in the month on online shopping. This is a serious issue that leads to taking out personal loans, which in turn leads to crushing debt.
Your Smartphone Gets Shopping Notifications from Websites
You should know you are addicted to online shopping when your smartphone gets notifications, SMS alerts, and emails from various online shopping sites. The smartphone is a device most people keep with them on a 24/7 basis. When it’s connected to your online shopping habit, that means the temptations to shop never ceases.
If you don’t get that compulsive online shopping habit under control, it will severely strain your personal finances, leading to debilitating debt.
Do you have trouble with an online shopping habit?
