Your Amazon Cart Is a Mirror: What Are You Really Buying?
It's Not About Stuff, It’s About What You’re Running From
What if I told you that your Amazon cart is more than a list of items? It’s a bandage—a desperate attempt to cover up something you don’t want to feel.
When someone recently asked me how to stop overspending on Amazon, I didn’t launch into a lecture about budgets or self-control. Instead, I wondered: What are those purchases really trying to fix? Because every time we overspend, we’re chasing something—connection, validation, relief from stress, status or even just a way to escape.
You know that every time you hit Buy Now, you’re not just buying a product; you’re trying to escape a feeling. A feeling that runs deep. A feeling that whispers, You’re not enough. You haven’t made it. You can’t stand on your own two feet. And the quickest way to shut it up? Shopping.
Because let’s be real, when you buy that thing—whatever it is—you get to feel the opposite of what you actually feel. You get to feel proud. Look at me, I can afford this. I’ve succeeded. I’m capable. For a moment, the shame underneath that pride disappears, buried under the illusion of control and success.
But here’s the thing: shame and pride are two sides of the same coin. That fleeting pride you feel? It’s just a cover-up, a mask you wear to avoid the shame that’s been haunting you. And that shame? It’s not about what’s in your bank account. It’s not about your spending habits. It’s about your past.
Ask yourself this: Who in my past told me something that made me feel this way? Who did I perceive as shaming me, making me feel small, unsuccessful, or incapable? Be brutally honest. Was it a parent who criticised you? A partner who dismissed your dreams? A friend who made you feel like you’d never measure up? Somewhere along the way, someone you cared about made you feel unworthy, and you resented them for it. That resentment? That pain? It’s still with you.
And here’s the hard truth: it’s running your life. It’s running your spending. It’s driving you to chase pride, to cover up that shame, to prove to yourself and the world that you’re not what they made you feel.
To make it even trickier, there’s dopamine involved. Shopping triggers a powerful dopamine rush—the chemical that makes you feel good. It’s not just the purchase; it’s the browsing, the adding to the basket, the clicking Buy Now, or the moment that package arrives. You feel alive, validated, in control. But that high doesn’t last. It’s fleeting, and when it fades, you’re left chasing it all over again. The problem is, this attachment to feeling good all the time is a way of running from what’s on the other side of the dopamine rush. The opposite feelings—shame, discomfort, bitterness—they’re not sweet, so you cover them up. But running from them doesn’t solve the problem; it just keeps the cycle going.
So, overspending isn’t just about money. It’s about meaning. It’s about untangling the threads of pride, shame, and judgement that keep you tied to the past and stepping into the present moment where you can finally ask yourself: What do I really need? Because I promise you, it’s not sitting in your shopping cart.
But here’s the good news: that cycle doesn’t have to own you anymore. You can break free, take back control, and finally live a life where your choices are driven by purpose, not past pain.
This is why I’ve created my Free 5-Day Money Reset Program, designed to help you uncover how overspending isn’t really about the money. In just five days, we’ll dig into what’s driving your financial habits, how your past is showing up in your spending, and how you can finally break free from the cycle.
Ready to reset and take back control?
Join my 5-Day Money Reset Program today. It’s completely free, and it’s the first step to understanding what’s really behind your overspending—and how to stop letting it control your life.
It’s time to stop running, stop hiding and start building a life where you don’t need your cart to feel enough—because you are enough.