QUESTION
Hi Kiara,
With Black Friday just around the corner, I am worried about the shopping addiction of my wife. During this sale, perhaps she maxed out her credit cards. Do you know how I can stop my wife’s shopping addiction and our post-shopping fights?
Love,
Jack!
ANSWER
Hi Jack,
It’s not easy to get through Black Friday shopping safely. If you’re the kind of person who thinks less is more, I can understand how a house filled with unnecessary items might bother you. Relationships, however, can quickly descend into apocalyptic chaos. Keep your relationship (and wallet) intact this season by keeping these things in mind. Hopefully, the odds will always be on your side.
Some thoughts:
1. Make her feel that you enjoy her company by spending more time with her. Talk about your day, her day, and interesting incidents that happened.
2. Make plans to go on a trip together on Black Friday. For the two of you to relax, you don’t need to take a long vacation, just a short weekend trip nearby.
3. Cook with her. It will not only make her more enjoyable if you are both constructively involved in an activity, but she will also realize how much you care about her.
4. Establish a joint goal. There are many different kinds of financial goals you can achieve together, including buying a car, building a house, or saving up to reach a specific goal. It will make her feel more responsible for the collective money, and she will be less inclined to purchase unnecessary items in the future.
5. Prepare a surprise get-together for her with her friends and then let them go wild. Women enjoy catching up with their girlfriends and spending time together.
6. Together, join a hobby class. It will be fun to learn something new together, and she will be happy to try something new.
My suggestions may sound like I’m trying to restore a marriage, but I believe she’s spending too much time online due to boredom and loneliness. And shopping is her way of expressing joy and happiness. Remember, don’t tell your wife she’s shopping too much and she needs to stop. She must make her own decisions as to whether and how to change, not you.
By spending time with her, you will help her realize there is more happiness, fulfillment, and joy to be found in life without shopping. Ensure she feels loved, cared for, and respected so that she values both you and her money.
Love,
Kiara!
