We all have bad habits.  It’s a fact of life, kinda like death and taxes.  Whether it’s something relatively minor like, say, smoking cigarettes, or something completely unthinkable like not using a turn signal when you change lanes, bad habits exist and in many cases can be VERY difficult to break.  I would know – I have a lot of them. 

A few months ago, one of my old computers crashed.  I’d had it since 2002, which means it was about 75 computer years old, so a crash wasn’t that much of a surprise.  However, I still had documents I wanted that were on the computer, so I took it into Best Buy’s Geek Squad to see if they could get the computer to at least limp forward a little longer.  They said they could, to the tune of about $400.

Now at this point, I had a decision to make.  I could go through with their plan to keep my computer on life support for another couple of months and be out $400; I could have them just recover what I wanted from the hard drive for much cheaper, but I’d be out a computer for the next few months.

So I decided to go with the hidden third option: Just buy a new computer.  The old one was barely chugging along anyway.  Thirty minutes later, I walked out with a brand new set-up – new tower, new monitor, even a new printer.

Back to bad habits.  I, like a fair majority of people out there, am an impulse shopper.  A compulsive, impulsive shopper, if you will.  Now, I like to think I’m not in TOO deep; I only buy when I know I can actually afford what I want (even though I didn’t want to drop that much cash on a computer, I could still afford it), so you don’t have to worry about me; I can quit whenever I want. 

But what about the people out there that really don’t know to quit while their ahead?  Or worse, are in so deep they can’t remember which way is up, and so “have no choice” but to keep on spending?  With the economy in the state it’s in, it’s safe to say I’m not exactly alone on this problem.  So what’s a compulsive, impulsive shopper to do to not only quit cold turkey, but to try and avoid a relapse as well?  Keep these tips in mind the next time you’re strolling through the strip mall:

• Create a budget for yourself.  Look at your total earnings in a month, then subtract all the money needed for bills and the like; y’know, the necessities.  Now you’ll have a clear idea of the leftover money you have each month to spend.  Do this every 3-4 months.

• If your budget shows that you’ve been a little lax on the whole “use your credit cards as a last resort” rule, it’d probably be a good idea to skip that trip to the mall.  If you find yourself wondering what to do with all those cards that you won’t be using so much now, consider arranging a date with a pair of scissors.

• By limiting yourself to at least 3 cards, you’ll be able to maintain your credit rating and still have something available in case of an emergency.  For all other nonessential expenses, switch to cash payments.  If you can’t afford it with the cash in your bank account – or under your mattress; wherever you keep your funds – don’t buy it.  Simple!

• Finally, if you’ve found you’ve charged yourself so far into a corner it’ll take a miracle to even afford to think about going back to that new shopping center, consider seeking help from a credit repair service to help you get back on track.  Any service that offers help with debt management and settlement is great for those who want to get their lives back on track, but don’t know where to begin.