Shopping addiction - anyone else?

I was just wanting to talk to people who love shopping as much as I do. I end up going through periods of buying tons of vitamins (now realizing they are a total waste of money), to clothing (really how much clothing does one person need) and skin care and makeup. If I manage to stop shopping, then I end up getting all fixated on buying a new cat (I have 6.). Or I will buy all sorts of books and once I make myself read them, then I buy more of them to pile up.

I no longer drink or smoke cigarettes and find I shop more because of this. I find I am obsessed with shopping, will read reviews online, will shop on my lunch hour (even if I plan to read at the library) and I will pop into stores just to see what they have if I am running errands nearby. My daughters are teens and I try not to go to the malls with them because then I will buy even more.

After a tiring day at work, I will find myself at the local drug store seeing if they have any good deals on sale or makeup and skin care in clearance. Or I will go check out the local salvation army and anything I buy there is good because it is charity and cheap.

I have a a huge cupboard we call my store with tons of skin care - lotions, body butters and creams - tons of shampoo and conditioner, hair serums, creams and mousses and hair sprays and I have a great makeup cupboard full of stuff too and not to mention my two drawers full of soaps.

Even when I try my total best to just use what I already have, my brain will find some urgent thing I need to buy, so I can start researching it, looking around and anticipating the purchase.

I have read lots of books on shopping addiction, but I don't really meet their criteria because I am not in debt at all and have lots of saving - I like to shop, so I don't really spend money on experiences like eating in fancy restaurants or going to the spa or even a hair dressers.

I also use all of my purchases eventually, I love the variety and seeing all of my possessions lined up. I don't have things that are never used, they just don't get used up or worn because I have so many.

Does anyone else have this obsession?

I no longer drink or smoke cigarettes and find I shop more because of this. I find I am obsessed with shopping,

Hey triplemoon
i wanted to quote this because i also quit smoking over 5 years ago now, and i have noticed that my mind is different..i mean im more irritated than ever before (yes bad situations too ofc) but i do actually feel "different since so i can relate to the "feeling" you have.

For me its hording glass jars i make many of my own stuff , i dont like shop bought things for my skin and body so i dont own commercial stuff. but i have HAD to learn to say no to hording all this class that i dont need atm the HP sauce bottles i recycle to put infused oils for cooking or skin its bizarre coz i never had this behavior before ..would be interesting to know how/why this happens and whether it is a replacement behavior for ex smokers hmm i wonder

I thought it was a borderline trait that many people would relate to because in one of the books I read they said borderlines got calmer and learned a lot of skills as they got older, so they weren't so borderline. They said that one of the things that wouldn't change was compulsive shopping so now I feel I am hardwired to shop and there isn't really anything I can do to stop myself. It seems to be an impulsive thing I can do that won't hurt anyone.

I have made my own beauty products too and have tons of different oils and butters to make them, but now my main thing I make is hot process soap - the kind with the lye and everything like you buy in health food stores. I also bought all of the stuff to make candles, but have never felt the inkling to actually make them yet even though I bought it all over two years ago. Sometimes I find it more fun to research, plan and purchase than to actually do the hobby. I bought gardening books last winter that I haven't looked at yet either.

I also have a fear of running out of things like I love African Black Soap and you can only buy it in a few stores here, so I end up buying bars and bars or I have even bought pounds of it at a time because I know the shipping online is ridiculous for this and my skin will break out without it. And I used to henna my hair and there is only one store here that sells it, so now I have 8 kilograms of the stuff and now i use regular dye because my hair is black now. I guess I will have to use the henna in my soaps.

I Cant comment on the books (i dont like to read books) havent the concentration for it

Yea i can understand what you mean about the hobby side of it (i just never had the shopping compulsion) im kinda the opposite, i dont like spending money i worry if i cant pay an unexpected bill or rent etc..(that could just be my anxiety side of me) ive no idea