Shopping to feel better is all too real for many people. Feeling sad? feeling happy? maybe angry? Buying on impulse can feel awfully good. It raises all those "feel-good" chemicals in our brains. It may even go back to a pattern of being given a cookie or something when you fall down as a kid, who knows? But, often we do it without thinking about the financial consequences. The best way to avoid retail therapy when it is not affordable is first, ask yourself what you are feeling and name it. Then, make a list ahead of time about ways to soothe yourself when you have those "don't feel good" feelings: take a walk, call a friend, something like that. Making a budget for expenditures in advance can help so that you limit impulse buys.