When we spend money, we make a concrete decision to exchange the dollars we’ve earned for something in return. It can feel satisfying to exercise your personal authority, especially during times when you don’t get a lot of say in other parts of your life.
But that control and satisfaction you feel when you shop doesn’t always last. And sometimes the quest to achieve it can even backfire on you. Coined by a group of American psychologists The cycle goes like this: Something makes you feel bad about yourself or your personal situation. You want to feel better and improve your situation. You think, “Buying this one thing will fix me,” and because you convince yourself you need to make the purchase, you’re willing to pay more for it.
Online shoppers know the happy feeling that bubbles up twice: first when you hit the “order” button and later when the package arrives on your doorstep. But our brains can be fooled into thinking the anticipation of receiving a package is the real excitement of receiving a package, said Maggie Baker, a psychologist and financial therapist and the author of “Crazy About Money: How Emotions Confuse Our Money Choices and What to Do About It.