What is Shopping Addiction?

Shopping addictions take many forms. We all buy things, but shopping addicts:

• shop to make themselves feel better
• buy things they don’t need (and don’t use)
• spend money they don’t have, running up debts
• may hide their purchases from friends and family

Some shopping addicts buy certain types of items, such as shoes or electronics, while others will buy just about anything. Shopaholics may also indulge in other compulsive behaviors, such as overeating, problem drinking or gambling.

Anyone can indulge in inappropriate spending at times, and the occasional trip to the mall when you feel down does not mean you have a shopping addiction.

One way people affected with a shopping addiction can reduce their spending is by avoiding temptation. Just as recovering alcoholics would be wise to stay out of bars, shopping addicts should spend as little time as possible in stores.

Should Compulsive Shoppers Avoid Mystery Shopping?

Mystery shopping is used by many businesses other than retail stores. A compulsive shopper may be able to complete mystery shopper jobs at banks, apartments, automotive service centers and other types of businesses with no problem, because they will not be faced with opportunities to buy things. They may be able to mystery shop restaurants. Some shopping addicts tend to buy specific types of things, such as clothes. They may be able to mystery shop at locations where clothing is not sold but other items are.

However, the bottom line is that if someone can not control their shopping and spending, the first step it to get help. Mystery shopping is a very low priority, and should not be attempted until they have gained some control over their compulsive behavior.

What Should You Do If You Are a Shopping Addict?

• Admit that you have a problem.
• Do not shop alone.
• When you have to go shopping, take a list and only buy what is on the list.
• Get rid of your credit cards, or have someone lock them up where you can not get to them.
• Develop other interests, and choose other activities (e.g., taking a walk) when you get the urge to splurge.
• Get help from a cognitive behavioral therapist, who can help you change your harmful behaviors and create new, positive habits.

Although mystery shoppers may joke that we “shop ’til we drop,” if you are earning money your shopping is a good thing. If you are spending money you do not have on things you do not need, that is the time to seek help.

Keeping a full-time mystery shopping schedule, or even a heavy part-time schedule, can lead to burnout. When burnout happens, some secret shoppers quit completely and never return to mystery shopping. A better course of action is to take steps to prevent burnout from happening in the first place.

Most importantly, always stay in control of your time. Decide how much time you want to spend doing mystery shopper jobs, and limit yourself to the number of jobs you can complete in that time. Although you may choose to make the occasional exception for a really special opportunity or to help a favorite scheduler when she is in a bind, do not make a habit of taking on many more shops than you can reasonably handle.

Take a break now and then. This is especially important if you work a full-time job and mystery shop on the side. Working full time then mystery shopping several hours a week, on top of your family responsibilities, can wear you out. Take a week or so off from mystery shopping now and then.

Many shoppers complete assignments while they are on vacation. Doing so can be a great way to help pay for your trip, and perhaps even make a portion of your vacation tax deductible. However, it means you have spent your vacation working. If you accept mystery shopper jobs while on vacation, take a little time off when you return.

Focus on doing the shops you most enjoy. Maybe you do not need to step away from all mystery shopping, just the assignments that seem to take the most out of you. If shopping is a sideline, give yourself a month or so where you only accept the shops you really like to do. If you depend on your mystery shopping income to pay the bills, then make an effort to book your favorite shops and limit the ones you do not enjoy as much to the minimum you need to do, at least for a while.

Adjust your attitude by remembering why you became a mystery shopper. Was it to earn money for the little extras for your family? To be able to quit your full-time job and spend more time with your kids? To have more flexibility and control of your schedule? By remembering why you chose to do this in the first place, you may bring back some of the joy you felt when you were a brand new mystery shopper.

Becoming inebriated can mean that you do not get all of the information you need for your report. And if you are drunk enough, you may behave completely inappropriately and not even realize it.

I had to do a fine dining mystery shop where my husband and I were required to order drinks in the bar, then a bottle of wine with dinner. That is a lot of alcohol, but with planning and thought, we kept our wits about us and did not become intoxicated.

Here are some things you need to remember when drinking while mystery shopping, and how to handle your liquor without getting out of hand.

Understand exactly what the shop requires you to order. Often, you will have a companion on these types of shops. It may be that only one of you is required to order alcohol. In that case, you might arrange for your companion to have a drink at the bar while you sip a soda. If you are required to order more than one round at the bar, you may be able to order an alcoholic beverage one time, and a soda the other.

When you must order alcohol, order something that will have the least effect on you. A wine spritzer, or a mixed drink with ice, is probably better than a martini.

Do not accept a shop requiring you to order alcohol if you are a teetotaler. You can not leave your drink in front of you, untouched, and expect that no one will notice. The bartender or server will think that there is something wrong with your drink and will want to make it right for you. They may even take the drink off your tab, so your receipt will not show that you ordered a drink. In any case, it will draw attention and that is not something a secret shopper wants to do.

Put something in your stomach before you start to drink. Most people feel the effects of alcohol quicker on an empty stomach, so eat something first.

Alcohol can also have a greater effect when you take certain medications. Be aware of how your medications interact with alcohol.

Drink slowly. The alcohol gets into your system more slowly that way, and it gives the ice a chance to melt and water down your drink a bit. When you order a bottle of wine, the server will often refill your wine glass before it is empty, so drinking slowly means fewer refills and less mindless drinking.

You do not have to finish everything you order. You can sip your drink at the bar and leave some of it in the glass. When you are required to order a bottle of wine, you do not have to drink the entire bottle. Have a glass of wine, then stop. Depending on the laws in your state, you may be able to take home the partial bottle.

You are responsible for making observations and writing the report, so you need to keep your wits about you. However, it is important that your companion not over indulge either. Your companion drinking too much can be a distraction for you, and can jeopardize the shop. The last thing you need is your companion drunkenly telling the server, “You’re doing a great job. You will be very happy when you see the mystery shop report.”

Do not drive if you are at all impaired. Unfortunately, we are often not good at judging when we should not drive. You can use a rule of thumb about how much alcohol puts you over the legal limit, but even being under the legal limit does not mean that you are capable of driving safely. The safest choice is to have a designated driver, call a cab or take public transportation.

It starts with the shops you select. Although at times it is just a matter of taking whatever is available, when you have choices look for shops that do not involve any food (such as retail, banks and apartments), or choose mystery shops at restaurants where you can make healthful food choices.

When you do fast food shops you may have to taste the food, but that does not mean that you have to eat it all. Share it with your family or a friend, save it for later or just throw it away. We are conditioned not to “waste” food, and that leads to eating lots of things we shouldn’t. Look at it this way: If you do not want or need the food, throwing it away means it goes to waste, but eating it anyway means it goes to your “waist.” Which is worse?

Casual and fine dining shops may require you to order more food than you ordinarily would. For example, you may have to order an appetizer, two entrees and sides, and dessert. With portions as large as they are at many restaurants, that is often way too much food for two people. Whether we are mystery shopping or not, my husband and I often bring home enough leftovers from restaurants to make another meal. That way we do not overeat, and I get another evening when I do not have to cook.

Alcohol is another caloric challenge on shops. Many upscale and fine dining mystery shops require a visit to the bar or that you order a bottle of wine. Although ordering an alcoholic beverage at the bar may be required, typically it is not necessary for both you and your companion to order alcohol. If your companion wants a drink, you can order a diet soda or coffee. If you choose to order alcohol, avoid the calorie-packed, fruity and sweet drinks and get something lighter, such as a rum and diet cola or gin and tonic.

Depending on local laws, you may be able to take home a partial bottle of wine if you do not drink it all. Learn the laws in your area to determine if you are allowed to do this, and how the wine must be transported. Many state and local laws do not allow you to have an open container in the passenger area of the vehicle, so you would have to put it in the trunk.

In addition to watching what you eat, look for ways to get more physical activity into your day. Wear a pedometer and set a goal of walking 10,000 steps a day. Do not take the parking space closest to the door, take the stairs instead of the elevator, and look for other ways to work in a little walking while you shop.

What do you do to keep from gaining weight while you mystery shop?