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"  We used to dream of time spent alone on a beach somewhere. Alone in the tranquil oasis of a fancy spa. As time goes on (and reality sets in), the dream evolves: Alone, pushing a shopping cart through the local big-box store. Alone, luxuriating in mascara choices in the drugstore makeup aisle. For women with full houses and fuller schedules, shopping offers a precious opportunity for purposeful aimlessness, a place to be solitary for a delicious hour or more. The only drawback: You walk out lugging a ton of purchases you didn&amp;#039;t intend to make while &amp;quot;browsing.&amp;quot; Sound familiar? Here&amp;#039;s how to get the retail therapy you need without the sticker shock.  The QVC MVP Her Habitat: The comfort of her own home, possibly even the comfort of her memory-foam pillow-top mattress (bought in three easy payments).  You Know Her By: Her Rachel Zoe faux-fur vest, her ultrasonic electric toothbrush, her SteamMax steam cleaner.  Checkout Confessional: &amp;quot;When I first got married, I became a when-my-husband&amp;#039;s-away insomniac because he traveled often for work,&amp;quot; says Debbie, a 43-year-old mother of three in Buffalo, NY. &amp;quot;I&amp;#039;d keep the TV on all night, tuned to QVC.&amp;quot; Eventually, the channel became her regular destination. &amp;quot;It doesn&amp;#039;t matter what&amp;#039;s on. I&amp;#039;ll tune in for a car wax segment.&amp;quot; She&amp;#039;s not just listening \u2014 recent splurges include a tummy-tuck camisole and Mrs. Prindable&amp;#039;s caramel apples. Get a Grip: &amp;quot;The QVC channel is all about time-limited offers,&amp;quot; explains Martin Lindstrom, author of Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy. &amp;quot;Hosts constantly remind viewers that time is running out, creating enormous urgency to buy now.&amp;quot; Lindstrom recommends logging on to qvc.com instead. &amp;quot;You can get the same stuff without the pressure \u2014 and extra time to hunt around online for a better deal.&amp;quot;  THE DRUGSTORE JUNKIE Her Habitat: CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid You Know Her By: Her insights on the newest no-slip-grip ponytail-holder technology, her encyclopedic knowledge of OTC cold remedies, the perpetually stocked jar of caramel creams on her desk.  Checkout Confessional: Ellen, 42, a mother of an 8- and a 6-year-old in Maplewood, NJ, describes going to CVS the way others might speak of a trip to an ashram: &amp;quot;I just wander the aisles to get a calm, de-stressing experience. Almost in a trance, I&amp;#039;ve found myself at the checkout counter, shelling out for four types of sippy cups, three cutesy toys, and a fancy new digital baby thermometer, never mind the fact that we barely use the one we already had.&amp;quot; Get a Grip: Shop for yourself first. &amp;quot;There&amp;#039;s a reason the cosmetics aisle is your last stop before checking out,&amp;quot; says retail anthropologist Paco Underhill, author of What Women Want. &amp;quot;Once a woman has shopped for everyone else in the family, she wants to reward herself.&amp;quot; To curb overspending, don&amp;#039;t reach for a cart or basket. &amp;quot;The average person can hold eight items in their two hands,&amp;quot; Lindstrom says, &amp;quot;and do you need more than that from a drugstore?&amp;quot;  THE BIG-BOX DEVOTEE Her Habitat: Costco, BJ&amp;#039;s, Sam&amp;#039;s Club You Know Her By: The SUV always parked in the driveway... because her garage is filled with bulk bundles of Brawny, gallon cartons of Pepperidge Farm Goldfish, and five-quart cans of garbanzo beans.  Checkout Confessional: &amp;quot;I go every three or four weeks,&amp;quot; reports Annemarie, 38, a high school teacher in Lafayette, CA, whose love affair with Costco began when she moved to a larger house with a pantry. She gets everything from a year&amp;#039;s supply of oatmeal to bags of rice that, at 10 pounds, outweigh both of her kids at birth. Inevitably, she&amp;#039;s made a few regrettable purchases. More than a year ago, she bought an enormous two-pack of body lotion that failed to wow her: &amp;quot;I&amp;#039;m still finishing it!&amp;quot;  Get a Grip: &amp;quot;Unless you&amp;#039;re the Duggars, bulk buying can lead to overspending,&amp;quot; says Ramani Durvasula, a professor of psychology at California State University, Los Angeles and an expert in behavioral issues like addiction. Ounce for ounce, the products may be a bargain, but the line between stocking up and hoarding is a fine one, especially &amp;quot;if you&amp;#039;re accumulating items no family could use in a reasonable amount of time, like 40 boxes of detergent.&amp;quot; Team up with friends for warehouse shopping; you can split the merchandise and still get the savings.   THE TARGET GO-GETTER Her Habitat: Target, or the equally alluring Walmart or Big Lots  You Know Her By: The red cart overloaded like the Clampetts&amp;#039; truck, with everything from cat litter to Xhilaration lingerie.  Checkout Confessional: &amp;quot;I&amp;#039;m in heaven when I can let my OCD label-reading, comparison-shopper true self emerge at Target,&amp;quot; says Alyssa, 42, of Cincinnati. &amp;quot;I love the array of merch. And I&amp;#039;ve been known to rock a Mossimo top\u2026 or three.&amp;quot;  Get a Grip: Those huge shopping carts are one reason you spend more, Lindstrom notes. &amp;quot;Research shows that if the size of the shopping cart has doubled, you are going to buy 40 percent more. You look inside and think, Hey, I haven&amp;#039;t bought a lot, but in reality you&amp;#039;re probably already over budget.&amp;quot; Shop with a list, ladies!  THE ONLINE OMNIVORE Her Habitat: Her desk at work, her laptop at home You Know Her By: The lightning speed with which she can collapse an Overstock.com page and bring up a spreadsheet; a car trunk full of Zappos boxes to be returned. Checkout Confessional: Whenever she needs a break from work, Kathy, 35, a mom of two in Galena, OH, looks no further than her mouse. &amp;quot;I often plan to run errands at lunch, but ultimately, I buy online because the two-day wait is no big deal.&amp;quot; In a single month last year, she rented a bouncy castle for a birthday party, bought outdoor lights for her house, and picked up a boat \u2014 a boat! \u2014 on eBay. Get a Grip: &amp;quot;Paying for purchases online can be equivalent to using casino chips,&amp;quot; Durvasula says. &amp;quot;We&amp;#039;d gamble a lot less if we had to put five-dollar bills on the table.&amp;quot; Let items linger in your virtual cart for a day before pulling the trigger to avoid buyer&amp;#039;s remorse.   THE CRAFT STORE ADDICT Her Habitat: Michael&amp;#039;s, Jo-ann&amp;#039;s You Know Her By: Her spectrum of construction paper, die-cut hole punches for any occasion (minuscule leprechaun hat, anyone?), and glitter under her fingernails.  Checkout Confessional: &amp;quot;When I see pictures of Martha Stewart&amp;#039;s craft area in her house, I know that if I had the time and money, my supplies would look like that,&amp;quot; jokes Lori, 38, a teacher and mother of three in Metuchen, NJ. Instead, Lori&amp;#039;s projects are crammed into two closets and have gone untouched for years. &amp;quot;I&amp;#039;ve bought kits to make my own soap,&amp;quot; she says. &amp;quot;I get home, make one bar, and remember, Wait, I can buy this for 79 cents.&amp;quot;  Get a Grip: &amp;quot;There&amp;#039;s definitely a human instinct to create something of value,&amp;quot; says Bridget Brennan, author of Why She Buys and an expert in women&amp;#039;s spending habits. To make sure you see a project through, sign up for an art class with a friend where you can, say, decoupage a frame in one night. Satisfying, but sane. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.redbookmag.com/life/money-career/advice/a11567/compulsive-shopping/>