what is the best way to stop a shopping addiction?

Hello and thank you for sharing your question.

Ask yourself this simple question. "How often do I say 'I can't afford that?'"  If you feel like you use or think that phrase pretty often, but still buying expensive items, then there is a deeper issue here than budgeting.

Kate Northrup lays out the subtle causes of money issues in her book Money: a Love Story.  She talks about changing the mindset that buying expensive things for yourself is "treating yourself well."   She says that if buying these items puts you in doubt or financial stress then you are in fact not treating yourself well, but treating yourself poorly.  Avoiding these kinds of spending habits, starts with a changes of attitude towards how to value yourself through spending.  Giving yourself the highest quality value means, not putting yourself through financial stress.

I highly recommend Northrup's book!  I can personally say it has changed the way I view spending and it is a great source for the spending issues you are facing right now.

Faith