Why do people shop? This question has been examined by psychologists and personal finance bloggers for years and the reasons are usually broken down into the old needs vs. wants dilemma. I think it goes much deeper than that.

^[2] We buy things we budget ^[3] for and things we need – food, clothing ^[4], transportation, shelter, climate control, and sometimes we buy things to replace items we’ve worn out or outgrown (I’m going through sneakers and clothing ^[4] like crazy with three kids!). Sometimes we buy things we want (electronics, boats, new furniture, etc) and that’s okay so long as our decision is made with an idea of where the money is coming from and it isn’t from high interest debt. It’s also a good idea to make sure the money you spend on wants doesn’t jeopardize your ability to meet your future needs.

But many times, we shop for other reasons:

1. We shop because we’re mildly depressed

It’s called retail therapy and it’s no joke. In some people, shopping causes an increase in dopamine which causes you to feel happy for a short time.

A better idea: call a friend and talk things out. That’s what friends ^[5] are for.