General wellnessHealthy relationships

4 times to never shop for anything

Keep your wallet shut—and your budget intact—during these oh-too-common situations.

LearnFinancial health4 times to never shop for anything
Don’t shop angry
Don’t shop sad
Don’t shop hungry
Don’t shop when you feel lonely

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There are lots of reasons why we shop. Naturally, shopping is a necessity to get the things we need, whether it’s groceries or a birthday present. But other times we head to the mall when we don’t really need anything, or when we can’t really afford to be surrounded by temptations. But awareness can help fend off those urges and impulse purchases.

Jean Chatzky is an award-winning personal finance journalist, TODAY show financial expert and coauthor of Age-Proof: Living Longer Without Running Out of Money or Breaking a Hip, among others. Content excerpted from Money Rules: The Simple Path to Lifelong Security by Jean Chatzky. Copyright © 2012 by Jean Chatzky. Reproduced under license from Rodale Inc. All rights reserved.

Sources: Jean Chatzky. Money Rules: The Simple Pa...
  1. Jean Chatzky. Money Rules: The Simple Path to Lifelong Security. Rodale Books. 2012.
Written by Jean Chatzky.
Medically reviewed by Mark Arredondo, MD.February, 2024
Updated onAugust, 2026
Written by Jean Chatzky.
Medically reviewed by Mark Arredondo, MD.February, 2024
Updated onAugust, 2026
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