I was spending £700 a month: How I beat my late-night shopping addiction

Late-night shopping sprees can quickly spiral into an uncontrollable habit, leading to financial strain and regret. A global study suggests that 7% of adults worldwide struggle with shopping addiction, with younger women being particularly susceptible. Ella Hewitt, a 24-year-old from Liverpool, experienced this firsthand, spending up to £700 a month on fast fashion she couldn't afford and often didn't wear.

She attributes her addiction to growing up in a low-income household and the constant pressure from social media to buy the latest trends.

To fight her addiction, Ella employed a 30-day waiting period for any purchases she felt the urge to make. If the item still appealed to her after the waiting period, she would buy it, but more often than not, the urge would fade. She also set an imaginary daily budget of £1,000 to shop online guilt-free, without the financial consequences. By adopting these strategies, Ella managed to cut her spending by around 60% and is now an ethical fashion influencer planning to launch her own clothing brand.

The Ukat Group, which operates addiction treatment centers across the UK, has observed an increase in individuals struggling with shopping addiction, with 90% of those being women. Symptoms of a shopping addiction can include feeling euphoric immediately after a purchase, experiencing guilt or shame afterward, lying to loved ones about spending habits, or accumulating unused items at home.

To combat this issue, experts recommend waiting at least 48 hours before making a purchase, deleting saved credit card information and shopping apps, creating a strict shopping list before entering a store, and setting a small budget for occasional treats.

Dish Patel, a 23-year-old financial planner from London, faced similar struggles during her student years, maxing out her £2,500 overdraft and always being short on cash. She believes her addiction stemmed from a desire to compensate for her lack of financial resources during childhood. To overcome her addiction, Dish deleted shopping apps from her phone, removed ApplePay, and left her bank cards at home when working. She also vowed to save any money intended for shopping, which helped her avoid overspending.

Recent research from Vanquis, a challenger bank, found that Gen Z shoppers are more likely to make impulse purchases than any other age group, followed closely by millennials. Experts attribute this trend to the pervasive influence of social media, targeted advertising, influencer culture, and seamless one-click checkout features on online shopping sites.

Money and Mental Health, a charity, also attributes the rise in shopping addiction to the design of these sites, which often minimize user friction through features like pop-ups and alternative payment methods like Buy Now Pay Later. The BBC has reached out to Meta, the company that owns Instagram, TikTok, and Asos, for comment on this growing issue.