Addicted to Shopping

So I now realize what I should have given up for Lent and really tried to stick to it... shopping. While I am definitely not nearly as bad as that girl from Confessions of a Shopaholic... Prada? No thanks. 12 credit cards? Heck no. And mannequins sure do not talk to me and persuade me to buy scarves. But... I just found myself coming home from Target with a shirt, lip gloss, and a vanilla bean frappucino, all of which I definitely do not need. Why did I go to Target? I was bored and didn't feel like sitting around my house. If you really think about it, I do this a lot and I think most people do. When you are bored... you go to a place with a bunch of annoying people to stare at products that you don't need that you can and probably will purchase? While perusing a book store is a bit different... anything else really sounds silly. I also find myself buying things on Amazon.com or I-tunes songs... ugh.

Why do we feel like we need to buy things to be happy? We have probably heard a million times and even realize that most things (outside of a home, food, things we need) do not make us any happier. It is the interaction with others, the quiet solitude of being in nature, things that we cannot buy with cash or a credit card are the things that make us the happiest and fulfill us in life. Not saying some things don't make us happy because I don't know how happy I would be without my cell phone or a good book. But do we really need everything we have?

So I know from now on I think I am going to challenge my spending and shopping habits. Instead of going shopping with a friend, I think I'll suggest something else to do. Even if I do decide to go shopping with someone, I am going to try to make sure it is browsing... not shopping, unless I really NEED something. Anyone else got any tips to curb the shopping bug?