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To Buy or Not to Buy: Why We Overshop and How to Stop

$21.95 USD
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Book description

A new edition of the trusted guide, now updated for the digital age.

Break the cycles of compulsive shopping, one-click purchasing, and endless scrolling for the best deal. To Buy or Not to Buy gives you proven tools to understand your triggers and build healthier habits so you can finally take control of your spending and your life.

Are you a compulsive shopper?

  • Do you make impulse purchases online or on your phone?
  • Does social media trigger your shopping?
  • Do you shop to feel better, even if you can’t afford it?
  • Do your binges leave you feeling anxious or guilty?
  • Are your habits affecting your relationships or family?


If you’ve tried to stop shopping but can’t seem to break the cycle, you are not alone. Millions struggle with buying habits that lead to debt, damaged relationships, and shame. If this sounds like you—or someone you care about—the help you need is here. In this newly revised edition of To Buy or Not to Buy, psychologist April Lane Benson and financial expert Carrie Rattle offer a practical, evidence-based program to help you break free from compulsive and impulsive shopping, updated for the digital age.

Using cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, the latest research on addiction and habit change, mindfulness practices, and money psychology, this guide helps you uncover how childhood experiences shape your habits, identify your unique shopping patterns, and build resilience against the constant pressure of consumer culture and social media.

With strategies for building healthier habits and guidance for getting back on track if you slip, this book is your companion for lasting change. Follow the program, and you’ll spend less, feel more in control, and experience greater satisfaction, stability, and alignment with what truly matters to you.

Carrie Rattle

Author Bio

CARRIE RATTLE, MBA, AFC®, CDFA®, is a 30-year financial industry veteran who has observed money psychology and behaviors in six countries. She earned an MBA from York University, Toronto, and has credentials as an Accredited Financial Counselor® and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® in the United States. She received training from money psychology expert and acclaimed author Olivia Mellan and conducted clinical research on compulsive shopping with Dr. April Benson. Carrie's work has been featured in New York Magazine, USA Today, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and more.

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April Lane Benson, PhD

April Lane Benson, PhD

Author Bio

April Lane Benson, PhD, was a nationally known psychologist who specialized in the treatment of compulsive buying disorder. She appeared on several national television programs including the Today Show, Good Morning America, and the CBS Evening News.

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Praise for the book

Olivia Mellan

Overcoming Overspending

“This warm, wonderful book provides a road map for making the journey from overshopping to full recovery and life balance. I particularly enjoyed the use of mindfulness techniques. Every overshopper needs this book!”

Lorrin Koran

MD, Stanford University Medical Center

“An extremely helpful book. Dr. Benson provides a practical, step-by-step method for recognizing, controlling, and finally stopping a shopping problem. I recommend it without hesitation.”

Jerold Mundis

author of How to Get Out of Debt, Stay Out of Debt, and Live Prosperously

“If you are a compulsive or chronic shopper—as millions are—this book may well save your sanity, your relationships, your marriage, or even your life.”

New England Psychologist

“This book instructs wisely about the problem of compulsive buying and how it might be reasonably overcome.”

Bari Tessler

MA, author of The Art of Money

“I’ve recommended To Buy or Not to Buy to overshoppers for decades. It addresses what many financial books miss: We are rarely shopping just for things—we are trying to satisfy a longing we cannot name. This revised edition, updated for a world of endless scrolling and one-click purchases, offers compassionate, practical help for understanding what drives your spending and building healthier relationships with shopping, money, and yourself.”

Dr. Sarah Stanley Fallaw

coauthor of The Next Millionaire Next Door and president of DataPoints

“With expertise and kindness, Dr. Benson and Carrie Rattle offer a practical and supportive approach to curbing overspending. This book provides valuable insights into personal experiences with money, along with exercises designed to help train your mind to reevaluate your approach to shopping. It is an excellent read for anyone looking to regain control over the urge to spend and press forward on a path to financial success.”

Stacy Francis

president and CEO of Francis Financial, a multi-award-winning wealth management and investment firm for women

“This book is an essential guide for anyone struggling with compulsive shopping as well as the financial professionals who support them. Overspending can be hidden behind wealth, but it still brings shame and frustration at the loss of control. This book offers a path from self-sabotage to self-respect—helping readers regain control of their spending, protect their savings, and build healthier financial habits.”

Judson Brewer

MD, PhD, New York Times best-selling author of Unwinding Anxiety and The Craving Mind

“This is a practical and deeply needed book. Overshopping tries to fill a hole that stuff was never meant to fill. To Buy or Not to Buy names that hook with real clarity, then shows us how to free ourselves from it.”
To Buy or Not to Buy: Why We Overshop and How to Stop

Carrie Rattle, April Lane Benson, PhD

To Buy or Not to Buy: Why We Overshop and How to Stop

$16.99 USD