Your shopping habits might seem normal based on social media trends and influencer lifestyles. However, they could also indicate you have a problematic shopping addiction.

In a viral TikTok video, fashionista Elysia Berman (@elysiaberman) shared eight unhealthy shopping habits.

@elysiaberman To be clear shopping once in a while is great! I don’t believe in absolutes and I think an all or nothing approach to shopping is completely unrealistic. Buy very special things occasionally, take care of them and wear them, and repair them when they break. #nobuyyear #nobuy #shoppingaddiction #shoppinghabits #noshopping #nospendchallenge #shopyourcloset #shopsecondhand #overconsumption ♬ original sound – elysiaberman

She’s an expert because she had a shopping addiction for 12 years. She confessed she was guilty of all eight bad habits and racked up $48,000 in credit card debt.

Elysia’s first point is that constantly looking for new things to buy is not normal. As a society, we must break out of the cycle of want and purchase in a never-ending hunt for dopamine that leaves us empty and broke.

Her second point is that we shouldn’t buy new things every week and that large shopping hauls are bad ideas. Habit No. 3 is that owning the same item in many colors, such as Lululemon leggings or Stanley cups, is unnecessary.

Elysia says it’s OK to ignore fashion trends rather than adopt them all because trends exist to sell you more stuff. Her fifth point is that waiting around for shopping packages to arrive every day is anxiety-provoking.

Another unhealthy shopping trend she highlights is constantly purging clothes from one’s closet. If you have to purge this often, you buy too many things. She also highlights the benefits of repairing torn and broken items rather than replacing them with brand-new ones.

Lastly, Elysia emphasized that it is not normal to go into debt because of shopping. This happened to her and changed the trajectory of her life.

“If I had saved the way I spent, I’d own my house by now,” Elysia said.

Elysia shared that an all-or-nothing approach to shopping is unrealistic. However, a better approach to shopping is to occasionally buy a few special things, take good care of them, and repair them when broken.

Instead of going into debt over shopping, you can make money on your old clothes or donate them to people who need them. Upcycling clothes is a fun hobby that lets you get crafty and make something new to you without wasting money or natural resources on unnecessary textile production.

Meanwhile, shopping secondhand for clothes can help you discover unique vintage pieces at great prices without spending a fortune and going into debt.

Elysia’s TikTok followers loved her call-out of unhealthy shopping habits and shared their feedback in the comments.

“Like why is BUYING THINGS a hobby now?” one TikTok user wondered.

Someone else commented, “Thank you for the slap into reality!!”

Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don’t miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.